12/22/2022 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Concentrated straw-yellow core in color with silver-green at the rim. Juicy white peach, green apple, passionfruit, lime, white pepper, crushed wet stone, and honeysuckle all over the palate. Medium-bodied and well balanced acidity makes this thirst quenching.

6/18/2022 - mghomula Likes this wine:

A beautiful and clear golden color in the glass with some greenish tint at the edge. The nose revealed lush white fruit, florals, and hints of minerality. These note were also in the taste/flavor profile with strong emphasis on the ripe orchard fruits, hints of pineapple, burnt toast, almonds and a hint of yeast. This is in great balance, a well integrated medium bodied mouth feel, and a fairly long finish. Drinking really well right now but very age worthy. I have 3 bottles remaining and will likely not touch the next one for 3 more years. I think this has 5-10 more years of life.

2/11/2022 - mghomula wrote:

The "in the glass" visual is a well-concentrated, somewhat opaque purple/black moving to a very subtle garnet rim. The nose was of blackberry, dark plum, dark cherry and some minerality that was very appealing. The palate was more the same with tobacco, licorice, fennel, and sweet spice emerging mid-palate. It's full bodied finish was well balanced with tannin and acidity with an earthy quality and savory finish. I really nice wine that is drinking very well with an hour decant.

4/4/2020 - mghomula wrote:

Deep ruby-purple core with hints of garnet at the rim, with expressive aromas of blackberry, blueberry, red and black plums, damp violets, and grilled herbs, with accents of olive tapenade, black pepper, meat, and crushed stones. Mediumplus in body and full of freshness, it has loads of depth and a long, spicy finish. It is truly superb Syrah that can be enjoyed now and over the next 7-10 years.

7/19/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Given that this is from a vintage that took a whooping from Mother Nature, this is surprisingly good and is a very genuine reflection of the Médoc terroir. Poured through an aerator and let it decant for an hour. In the glass this was opaque black-ruby at the core with bright and vibrant ruby at the edged. A beautiful and elegant nose of black raspberry, black cherry, white flowers, plum and cassis with herbal tones of bay leaf sitting on top of tobacco and earth. It had all of the hallmark bordeaux characteristics. The same notes availed themselves on the palate with the Merlot and Cabernet playing so well together - the Merlot striking high end notes of fresh fruits and the Cabernet giving it all the structure and balance. This wine is delightful and elegantly long on the finish and shows great finesse mid-palate. Bold, strong mineral components, the right levels of acidity all play well with the black and red fruit. This drinks WAY above it's $30 price tag and would easily be mistaken for something vastly more expensive.

7/5/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

What an absolutely fascinating and gem of a wine.

Fabio Gea, a rising star in wine making, practices some of the most painstaking organic/biodynamic farming in Piedmont. Depending on the specific cuvée, Gea vinifies his wines in glass demijohn or his own amphorae made of porcelain (he is also an experienced ceramicist); sometimes it’s fermenters cut from solid sandstone, or sometimes even in his own barrels, made from lumber cured with steam from the volcanic stone in Gea’s home sauna! His obsession with detail and creativity extends to even the smallest details: wine labels are hand-printed on handmade paper which is hand-applied to bottles with a paintbrush. Gea lives and works in Barbaresco—some of the world’s most rarefied wine real estate—so it is important to mention that beneath the relentless experimentation and creativity here, there is a firm foundation of science and terroir. Gea is working at an absurdly small scale. He farms a few small plots of Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto (what make up this wine), mostly located near, or around, Barbaresco’s “Bricco di Neive” vineyard. He only bottles around 400 cases of wine each vintage, depending on yields, and the total is divided between 7-8 individual cuvées.

This wine is incredibly well crafted, a work of wine making art, but it is hardly a buttoned up, play-by-the-rules, classic “Piedmont Red.” This multi-dimensional, dare I say extremely abstract (think Kandinsky), and ultra progressive.
This “Onde Gravitazionali” (“gravitational waves”) is a dark swirl of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto
fruit, with black cherry, tart pomegranate, blue flowers, roasted meats and a hail of limestone and white pepper. an explosive but balanced acidity and tannin structure and remains vibrant throughout the its time in decanter in glass. In fact, each sips seems to give up new flavors, each more intriguing and provocative than the previous.

Gea’s characteristically judicious use of sulfites and this cuvée’s barrel-free evolution make for a wine that is
defined by its own purity and raw power. This is wine in its most simple and virtually untouched by "human intervention" form. Once opened, decant for 30 minutes max and then enjoy within the first 12 hours. Again, this is wine in its purest form and is fragile. Don't let it sit around.

5/27/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Opened and decanted for one hour. There was a good amount of sediment so be sure to decant and pour properly or be prepared for grit. The color was a very dark, brooding, dark ruby with just a bit of lighter ruby on the rim. On the nose, this is everything a top quality Napa Cabernet should be with black currant, ash, gravel, black cherry, black plums, and hints of earth, baking spice, and cacao. On the palate it is more of the dark fruits with well integrated tannins and the right balance of acidity that tells me this still has a ways to go. The flavors were black currant, black cherry, baking spices, cocoa, cigar box, violets and just a subtle hint of spearmint. Full bodied with a long and lingering finish of dark ripe fruits, crushed earth and more cigar box. Just a special bottle really.

50+4+13+18+8=93

5/25/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

This is an elegant and beautiful Chardonnay whose Burgundian properties shine and lean (did not say are exactly like) Puligny-Montrachet.

The color was golden straw with shimmering reflections of platinum. The nose was white flowers, citrus blossoms, pineapple, yellow apple, white peach, lemon, herbs, wet stones and hints of various spices. The palate was much the same with the citrus notes all in play - yellow apple, white peach, pineapple, white florals, and the Burgundian minerality shows up in droves. It is medium bodied, bright, concentrated in all the right ways, tons of minerals, and bursts of all the classic Burgundy minerality and citrus. This is complex, well layered, and has at least 10 more years to age. It's quite exquisite really.

50+4+12+17+8=91

5/4/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

This is just a beautiful classic Chablis, a standard bearer of amazing French Burgundy terroir and handling of this varietal. This is a wine that displays depth and complexity that only comes from proper cellar conditions and handling and Defaix does this nobly. The 2005 vintage needs no explanation to the knowledgeable, and this has a youthful freshness, strength, and nobility that represents the vintage so well.

There is no premature oxidation like so many older white Burgundies, no watery finish, and not a single chink in the armor of this regal wine. It is a wonderful wine and, if you can get your hands on it (not easy) it is a must buy. It is drinking incredibly well right now and it overwhelms with vibrant yellow apple, bright citrus, minerality and a very silky mid-palate of fruitI, layers of floral, hints of lemon and a long and seductive finish that seems to go on forever. Seriously, this is an incredible Chablis. So thankful I have 3 more of these in the cellar.

50+5+13+18+9=95

4/26/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

This is a beauty of a wine. The Oakville Cabernet is from the “Rock Cairn” vineyard is a true gem in my humble opinion. This is 100% Cabernet and it is made in the classic old school style of Napa. The color gives away its age a bit with some bricking on the rim and at the core but it still has a nice amount of garnet in the core as well. For a wine that is 23 years old, the nose revealed some very lively fruit tones of black currant, plums, dried black cherry with baking spices, pipe tobacco, fertile tilled earth, cedar/cigar box and some herbs. On the palate it is medium to full bodied, which surprised me a bit with some very refined tannin structure balanced with just the right amount of acidity. Ripe plums, black cherry, currant, dried herbs, tobacco leaf and earth were prevalent and very well integrated/balanced on the palate. The finish was long and beautiful. Over another 4 or 5 hours in the decanter it held up very well. I think this is either just at peak or just edging past peak. It may have another 3 years left, maybe, so I would suggest drinking now or soon.

50+4+13+17+8=92

4/21/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Bought this for $20 as a daily drinker. This is a very solid Pinot for the price point but nothing fabulous.

Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of vanilla, red cherries, cranberry, white flowers. On the palate, which was medium bodies with a fairly long finish, there was cherry pie, ripe plumb, pomegranate, a hint of baking spice, and vanilla bean. The tannin and acidity are well integrated but I found this a bit lacking in over all mouth feel and some of the more complex characteristics found in better Pinot. Overall it is a nice wine that is a general purpose drinker and keeps my hands off of other more age worthy wines in my cellar. Drink now but could age 3-4 more years.

50+4+12+16+7=89

4/8/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Melville has long been a favorite producer of mine. They have made a lovely Viognier that is consistently a rival of Rhone. I have never had the Pinot but bought 4 of these on the recommendation of a friend.

Poured through an aerator to just give it some life. The color in the glass was a bright and brilliant ruby with a bit darker garnet at the core. The nose was wafting from my new world pinot glass with strawberry patch, black cherry, raspberries, dried orange peel, dust, and hints of soy, rose petals, and fresh herbs. There is a hint of minerality on the medium bodied palate that is refined, well balanced and oozing with ripe red and black fruits playing on top of that mineral undertone. The tannin was smooth and relaxed, a bright acidity to balance, and the finish was medium with strawberries and juicy raspberries lingering. This is very drinkable right now but will likely cellar well for 10 years or so.

50+4+13+18+8=93

4/20/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Long ago I discovered these amazing Zinfandel wines from Martinelli. Their flagship is really the Jack Ass Vineyard but the namesake bottling, Giuseppi & Luisa are consistently excellent. It has been a long while since I had one and it was time.

As is almost always the case, this is at the high end of the alcohol spectrum but it remains very balanced with palate, tannin, acidity and complexity. It is certain a big, bold, ripe fruit forward wine - voluptuous and over the top in many ways - so it is not for everyone. It was medium to deep garnet-purple in color, floral essence, stewed plums, thick blueberry compote, hoisin, and herbs on the nose. A mouth full of boisterous blackberry preserves, asian spice, hint sage, soy, black currant, and other dark ripe fruits abound on the palate. Full bodies and lush but very balanced.

50+4+12+18+8=92

3/16/2019 - mghomula wrote:

For $20 a bottle this is one of the best QPR's in my recent memory. The Piedirosso grape has been part of Campanian wine culture since Roman times, and apparently is not often seen in pure ‘varietal’ form. This is my first ever tasting of this varietal.

It was a vibrant ruby red with very subtle purplish hue. The nose was super fresh and alive. Aromas of black currant, raspberry, cranberry, florals, smoke, minerals and hints of black pepper. In this sense, it was like pinot noir to me with subtle syrah characteristics. It was medium bodied mouth feel with some bright acidity to make the mouth water. There was good tannin structure to balance out that acidity. On the palate it was more bright red fruits of raspberry, cherry, pomegranate, a bit if black pepper and minerality, dustiness not unlike Pinot but more grit like Syrah. I am fascinated by this wine and eager to search out other expressions and bottles.

This is definitely ready to drink now with a 30 minute decant or so. I decanted for about 45 minutes and the wine got better, more expressive and interesting as the night went on.

50+4+12+16+7=89

3/13/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Opened up this mature and affordable Lalande-de-Pomerol Bordeaux for our wedding anniversary dinner I prepared of filet mignon with a cherry-merlot reduction. 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.

A very slight 30 minute decant prior to tasting. In pouring, I noted there was some very fine sediment so I was careful on the pour into the decanter. In the glass this was very typical of properly cared for aged Bordeaux showing brick orange on the rim with a muted burgundy core. The nose revealed dark fruits with rich earthiness and subtle tobacco leaf. The palate was full of diversity and very complex with red and black currant, dried blueberry,
sweet cherries, red plums, and dried raspberries in balance with damp earth, mushrooms, cocoa powder, baking spices, aged leather, and cigar box. Medium bodied and lovely mouth feel with very smooth and well integrated tannin, elegant and well rounded and a long refined finish. I have three more bottles and I won't let them go bast next year even though I think this could last until 2023.

50+4+12+17+8=91

2/17/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

I did a little research since I knew very little about this producer. Turns out, Moselschild is no longer a winery (the Schild family sold to Weingut Karl Erbes), but the cellar still contains some remnants of old and this 2002 had remained untouched in cellar until very recently. The 2002 was fermented and aged about a year in large, traditional oak vats (called fuder - apparently a few of these still line
the old stone walls of the Moselschild cellars). This wine is showing absolutely no signs of oxidation despite that time in oak. The fruit was picked at elevated sugar levels (thus the Auslese Trocken designation) but interestingly it was fermented to dryness. I totally felt and experienced that added richness in the form of glycerol and combined with the naturally high acidity of Riesling this wine is remarkably well balanced and ready to live a long time.

For a Riesling of this type that is 17 years old, the color is a very vibrant, bright yellow-gold with some light glycerin on the edge. The aroma are a complex and intoxicating mix of white peach, yellow apple, green mango, wet stones, wild herbs and just a subtle hint of petrol that should get more intense with time. The nose of this wine would trick even the most savvy wine drinker into thinking this is a very young Riesling. On the plate it is racy and fresh, again fooling you into thinking this is much younger than it's 17 years, with more white peach, yellow apple, and wet stones. It is medium plus in body (Auslese ripeness all the way) with a some hints of residual sugar on the finish but not so much as to fall into a sweet category. Shockingly, this Riesling may be in the middle of its life span as it has incredible balance of minerals and tropical fruits. I think this could use a 30 minute decant, I popped and poured.

This wine is nowhere near done. It is a fascinating dry Riesling and still has 10+ years of evolution ahead of it.

50+4+12+17+9=92

2/5/2019 - mghomula wrote:

The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like cranberry, strawberry, dust, mushroom and vanilla. It tastes like strawberry, red currant, dust, vanilla and clove. The body is light/medium. The wine has bright texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.

1/27/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

I decided to open another bottle fairly quickly after the last to see if there is bottle variation. This wine is about the same as my previous note so I am not going to write much here at all. These bottles were cellared properly at correct temps/humidity and I am certain that has made a difference in my personal experience. Give it some air and this is a very nice bottle of Bordeaux at the price point.

1/26/2019 - mghomula Likes this wine:

I have always enjoyed the Yamhill Cuvee offering from Domaine Serene due its vintage too vintage consistency. I allowed this one to age a bit as more of an experiment. While not outstanding, this is a great drinking Pinot Noir that serves a singularly great purpose for me - keep my hands off more cellar and age worthy Pinot in my cellar.

In the glass it was light strawberry/cherry in color with some watery edge to the rim. Very much translucent. On the nose it was a strawberry patch, dusty earth, strawberry essence, some strawberry leaf, cranberry and baking spice. The palate was well integrated but, as others noted, much more acidic than one would expect at this stage of development. It was not off putting but noticeable and thus made it a bit unbalanced. On the palate was more strawberry, sweet cherry, vanilla, baking spice, a hint of oak, and some more dried tart cranberry. The tannin is there but masked behind a wall of acidity. The finish was medium in length and I could tell that in its youth it was probably a longer finish with some elegance. If you have any of this left in your cellar, I would advise to drink up.

50+3+12+15+7=87

1/12/2019 - mghomula wrote:

While I generally agree with the scoring of this wine by the community, I have some different thoughts on where this wine stands today and perhaps why there is some variation. First, on a wine with this much age (or longer) storage conditions matter and impact the wine tremendously (as many of you know). A bottle subjected to years of UV torture in a wine shop will not show as well as one that has been properly cellar-ed. I have no idea how others stored this wine but that context is helpful to know if the taster cares to share that context. As for my bottles, they have been carefully cared for in a dark, 55* and 70% humidity wine cellar since I received them back in 2010. So, with that as context, here are my tasting notes:

The wine poured a dark garnet, a bit brooding in color really, with some amber edging on the rim. As I poured into the decanter, a pretty wonderful aroma filled the air - dried dark fruits, cedar, tobacco, and baking spice. I took a quick check in taste before decanting for 2 hours. It was SUPER tight, very tannic, average acidity, and not showing much at all. After two hours, on the nose came delightful bursts of black cherry, stewed plums, currant what were slightly beneath the secondary characteristics of leather, cigar box, and damp fertile earth. On the palate it was pretty lush actually. The tannin that was so bracing were now well integrated and there was just enough acidity to give it some brightness. More black cherry with clove, currant and a hint of raspberry again slightly overshadowed by those well aged bordeaux secondary characteristics of tobacco, leather, cigar wrapper and dusty minerals.

Others are right, the fruit is receding and, depending on the storage or bottle variation, may have receded in some bottles. That said, if you are one who enjoys the secondary notes of aged bordeaux, where the fruit is beginning to take a back seat to traditional secondary notes, this is a very nice wine.

It was medium on the finish and certainly not in the class of others with better pedigree but this is a great wine to enjoy, especially if you are trying to keep your hands off other more cellar worthy wines. I do think this has a bit of cellar time left in it, maybe 2-3 years, but I am going to drink my remaining two bottles in the next 12-18 months.

50+4+13+14+8=89

12/31/2018 - mghomula Likes this wine:

New Years Eve 2019 Champagne. Based on community drinking windows and tasting notes this seemed to be in its sweet spot so NYE19 seemed like the right time. More proof the CT community adds tremendous value because this was humming all the right notes.

After some research and asking others I respect, I shunned the champagne flute and went with a new world Pinot glass. Good call by the way! In the glass this was effervescent bubbles with a light gold color. Great nose with lemon zest, green apples, baked peaches, brioche french toast and white flowers. . The palate it was bright with acidity, crisp green apples, more peach, lemon zest, grapefruite, some minerality, and bread dough. It was elegant, creamy, refreshing, lush and provided a medium/long finish.

This is just an outstanding Champagne - elegant but not grandiose with great chardonnay driven finesse - and, as always, Belle Epoque proves why it is the signature offering from Perrier-Jouët. I would drink this now or within the next year or so. Much longer and you may miss out on enjoying it at its peak.

50+5+13+17+9=94

12/31/2018 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Paired this up with a rosemary and garlic beef tenderloin and it more than held its own. 81% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot Decanted for 75 minutes. In the glass it is deep and dark ruby edging to garnet. Aromas of dark fruit (black cherry/plums?), spice, graphite, forest floor and some minerality. This wine is well balanced with well integrated tannin and some good juicy acidity. Flavors of dark cherry, kirsch, more spice, currant and graphite. Very fruit forward, juicy but well structured. This wine is full bodied, bordering on lush, with good depth at mid-palate and a nice long finish. I can see this going for another 10 years or so.

50+4+12+17+8=91

12/30/2018 - mghomula wrote:

Popped this open while baking and decorating a cake for New Years Eve. The community here thinks this is right at or just past its prime. Not sure I agree. The wine was bright, clear, and a brilliant gold in color. The nose revealed ripe peaches, fresh cut apples, white flowers, baking spice and wet stones. On the palate it was soft, supple, with quite a bit of acidity after all these years. The flavor profile was more fresh ripe peaches, apricot, subtle hints of green apple, and spice. Medium mouth feel, remaining brightness of the acidity, and a nice long finish give me hope that this wine will cellar a bit longer, perhaps another 2-3 years, and reveal some interesting traits with more age. I am going to hold on my last bottle to see what it does 3 years from now.

50+4+12+15+8=89

12/22/2018 - mghomula Likes this wine:

As someone noted in another tasting note, this has tremendous complexity for an NV champagne. Delicate dancing bubbles in the glass that were mesmerizing...at least to me. Light golden-yellow core giving way to greenish hue on the rim. The nose was dried tart apples, lemon zest, pineapple, honeysuckle and gardenia florals, and buttered toast. The aromatics were pouring out of the glass...really nice! A concentrated and evolved palates actually delivered some red fruits (a hint of currant - my guess is thanks to the Pinot Noir) with some lemon meringue, brioche, almonds, and apples. It is full bodies and rich but has the right amount of crisp acidity and minerality to make it lively and fun. It's really excellent and likely has a couple more years though the community here says it likely will reach peak in 2018. I say another 2-3 years is likely.

50+5+11+16+8=90

12/25/2018 - mghomula Likes this wine:

In the glass this was a bright shade of ruby, watery at the edge, clear as a bell. Very lively aromas of crushed strawberry, red cherry's, and flowers (violet?) with a hint of pie crust. This wine is full bodied in the mouth (a surprise for me) yet very bright acidity with tremendous focus. Lots of fruit comes to the front (red fruits mostly), with hints of moist clay and some very fine grained tannin. This wine is surprisingly elegant as I am not normally a CA Pinot lover. It has a fun and energized finish that is long and bountiful with earthy/herbal undertones beneath more layers of bright and plush red fruits. This Pinot is alive, jumping out of the glass in all respects, and has great structure and acidity. I am very surprised at how much I like this and wish I had bought more than 4 bottles. I may go back to buy more.

50+5+13+17+8=93

12/23/2018 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Chinon offer one of the finest and most pure expressions of Cab Franc in the world. Olga Raffault rarely disappoints and is consistently making one of the best expressions of this region every year for the money. Decanted 90 minutes. Beautiful dark ruby in color and offered a complex nose of earth, tobacco, raspberries, red cherries, herbes de provence, eucalyptus and some graphite. This was medium bodies with some well integrated tannin and good acidity. Holding up very well. The wine is elegant and refined, on the palate there was more earth, raspberries, cherries, tobacco/cigar box, some floral elements and just a gorgeous level of refinement to the mouth feel. A nice long finish. It is drinking so well and, as others have noted, it still has some life in a proper cellar.

50+5+13+16+8=92

12/22/2018 - mghomula Likes this wine:

A very typical Sauternes in color, golden with some watery edge. Also classic on the nose with honey, orange rind, white flowers, black tea, pear, quince, baking spices and some petrol. Medium bodied which, for me, makes this not quite great in my book. The palate was more honey, mandarin oranges, hints of ripe lemon, more pear and black tea, oily and warm alcohol and a bit of citrus acidity. It finished fairly long and left a nice mouthfeel of residual honey and warm baking spices. Nothing great but a nice Sauternes at a very low price point.

50+4+9+15+7=85

12/22/2018 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Decanted for 1 hour prior to first tasting. In a previous tasting note from 2010, I noted this was atypical in color for a Vieux Telegraph. At that time it was more burgundy in color, cranberry like almost. While it is still a bit "off" in color for Vieux Telegraph, it was much darker this go around, now more garnet in color. Nose was concentrated and well put together with blackberry, cherry, licorice, smoke, anise, briar patch and sweet baking spices. The palate was full bodied and rich with a silky and elegant texture - blackberry, black cherry, currant, more licorice, anise, game and baking spice. Full bodied with some very bright and juicy acidity but sweet fine grained tannic structure. I think this still has 8-10 years left. The finish was long, enticing and full of more black cherry, fertile soil, briar patch and baking spice. Outstanding! 50+4+13+18+8=93 pts.

12/22/2018 - mghomula Likes this wine:

Decanted for 60 minutes prior to initial tasting review. Dark ruby in the glass, clear, a bit viscous toward the edge. Nose of floral, cherry, vanilla, leather, and a hint of oak. A nice medium bodied mouth feel. Very strong tannic structure and a good amount of acidity makes me think this wine will age quite well with proper cellaring. Dark cherry, dark fruit, dark chocolate (like 90% cacao type dark chocolate), some cigar wrapper, and earthiness. The finish was medium-long with a savory/sweet sensation left behind. It is a bit and bold BdM that, at the price point, drinks much more expensive. A very good QPR really. This will age well, I am thinking another 10 years or so.
50+5+12+15+8=90

12/20/2018 - mghomula Likes this wine:

It has been 8 years since I opened a bottle of this majestic chardonnay. If one pays attention to drinking windows of the experts, even this community (which I respect more than the so called experts), I should have already drank this wine.

Thankfully, I waited a bit longer and I believe I have been rewarded.

A deep, starting to get dark, amber color in the glass. It is really beautiful. The nose was classic aged chardonnay with aged honey (you know, when you let a jar of honey sit too long, sauternes like almost), orange marmalade, creme brulee in spades, with hints of vanilla, and slight lemon. The palate was very full bodied and continues to be as lush as when I drank this last in 2010. All the secondary characteristics of a well aged and properly cellared chardonnay were showing up here demonstrating that Mt. Eden made an exceptional chardonnay in 2004. The flavors were honeyed almonds, baking spice, toasted coconut, and again hints of creme brulee (caramelized sugar and all). Surprisingly, it is still retaining a good bit of acidity. The finish was medium in length with some more honey, clove, and hints of toasted coconut and just another glimpse of that lemon. I am shocked at how well this has aged. I have one more bottle and I honestly think I am going to wait 2-5 years until I open it. It defies a bit of logic, I know, and it certainly flies in the face of the so called "experts". We will see.

It may be just personal preference, but this wine is holding firm at about 94 points for me.

50+5+14+17+8=94 pts

12/15/2018 - mghomula wrote:

This is a rich and modern style Cab (not normally my style) that is drinking really well right now despite its youth. Aromas of blackberry, leather, and toast. Big, lush, and ripe fruit with silky tannin. Black cherry, vanilla, and some baking spices on the palate. A little one note mid-palate which makes this a great, not exceptional, wine.

92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and 4% Merlot.

2/10/2012 - mghomula wrote:

Seeing this on the wine list of a restaurant in Pittsburgh frankly blew me away. Like many others I know, this was on the bucket list. Normally, I would never pay the restaurant highway robbery of a price for a wine such as this. That said, it IS the 1995 Petrus. One must seriously consider giving up some bank for such a legendary and iconic wine from an excellent vintage. The seductress that the Petrus is, she flirted and I gave in.

When the aroma and bouquet hit my nose I knew I had made the right decision and it left me speechless for quite a while. I was starting to think I shouldn't eat a thing and just let this be my meal. Just pure beauty and perfection in a bottle. black fruits, leather, humidor/cigar box, wet stones and flowers wafted up out of the bowl of my glass. I was stupified. Honestly, I have nosed and tasted thousands of wines. NOTHING has even come close to this. On the palate it was bold, thick, rich and powerful. Incredibly full bodied and intensely elegant in the mouth. On the palate it was licorice, fresh tobacco, leather, black fruit and hints of vanilla, mocha and minerals. It just coated my mouth and the finish was practically endless. Again, I have never experienced that length of a finish from anything I have tasted before. It just grabbed on to my mouth and clung there, as if it didn't want to go down my throat. Still some ultra fine and very well integrated tannins and just the right touch of acidity to be balanced and clearly demonstrating the ability to go another 20 years in the bottle.

A majestic, elegant and bold beauty of a wine. 50+5+15+19+9=98 pts

1/28/2012 - mghomula wrote:

Decanted for 90 minutes. 92% Cabernet Franc,8% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Deep ruby in color with a perfectly clear and very dark heart of deep garnet. The color remains concentrated from the heart, all the way out to the edges of the glass. On the nose it was bright, aromatic and intensely floral with heavy dark fruit overtones. Violets, dark plum, blackberry and moist fertile earth are all present.

The mouth feel was soft, daringly supple and fairly light weight at first. It quickly gives way to a deep, rich and gripping feel.
The palate is a delightful balance of bright and tart fruits, blackberries, fresh vegital and fresh herbal characteristics and a bit of toasted oats on the finish. Very layered and complex with some tart cherry, violet, blackberry, and just a hint of pine nut.

A sultry long finish with both tart and sweet red and dark fruits with a touch of herbs and then finishing a touch sweet. The earthy tannins are sweet and full without being overwhelming and the acidity is lively enough to keep things in wonderful balance. At the end, the mouth waters, reminding you to take another taste.

Robust and well balanced, this wine is beautiful out of the bottle now and will gain even more complexity in the next 5-7 years. Rudy Zuidema has crafted a particularly excellent example of Napa Cabernet Franc and I have to say this is the best Franc I have had in a very long time. I really wish I had more of this!

2/27/2010 - mghomula wrote:

Drink it now. It is in decline for sure but still pretty good. Most of the same nose and palate elements as previous notes but it is fading a bit. The acidity is not as bright and the oak and butter qualities are really standing out from the fruit. Some decent secondary characteristcs of burnt marshmallow and caramel but this needs to be consumed now. 50+5+12+16+6=89 pts

2/26/2010 - mghomula wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours prior to first tasting. I agree with someone else who said the color was atypical for a Vieux Telegraph. It was more burgundy in color, cranberry like almost. Nose was concentrated and well put together with blackberry, cherry, licorice, smoke, briar patch and sweet baking spices. There was a touch of that good old barnyard funk that I appreciate in CdP. The palate was full bodied and rich with blackberry, black cherry, currant, more licorice, some minerality and some more of that baking spice. Full bodied with some very bright and juicy acidity but sweet fine grained tannic structure. May age forever and I am confident this is going to gain some structure, complexity and points with some more age. The finish was long, enticing and full of more black cherry, fertile soil, briar patch and baking spice. Outstanding! 50+4+13+18+8=93 pts.

2/3/2010 - mghomula wrote:

Wow has this really developed since I last had it a year and 2 months ago. Lots of great secondary characteristics starting to show through. Beautiful dark gold color with a nose of honey, orange marmalade, lemon and almonds with just a tiny hint of vanilla and oak. The palate was super full bodied, rich and lush. The flavors were uber ripe and sexy with more honey, marmalade, lemon bars, graham cracker, toasted coconut clove and caramelized sugar. Seriously crazy good, layered and complex with great balance of bright acidity. This is, as someone else said, a but and ultra ripe California Chardonnay but it isn't overdone and not a huge buttery oak bomb like so many. It is still very full and a touch oily but all the fruit and secondary nut, toasted coconut and burnt sugar elements are really coming out to shine. I nice long finish of lemon, tart apple, more toasted coconut, honey and clove. This is better with some age on it now and I think it still has another 8-10 years given the lively acidity. 50+5+14+17+8=94 pts.

2/2/2010 - mghomula wrote:

Decatnted for 2 hours. This is so very young and promising. I popped another of my 6 tonight just because I was in the mood for CdP and this was the least amount of infanticide I could commit in my cellar at the moment. Medium garnet in color, nose of black currant, strawberries, florals and mocha with a bouquet of herbs and clove. Plums, blackberry, truffles, strawberries, clove and chocolate shavings on the palate. Luxurious and full bodied it had amazing liveliness and profound yet sweet tannic backbone. Long and rich finish of blackberry, strawberry and mocha with a hint of chocolate and clove hanging on. Wow, what a CdP. So glad I have 4 more to see how this progresses. It easily has another 15-20 years of life in it...if not more. 50+5+14+18+9=96 pts.

2/1/2010 - mghomula wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Garnet color with some cranberry on the edge. The nose was black cherry with hints of sour cherry and raspberry with a bouquet of pepper and other herbs. The mouth feel was medium bodies and the tannins were almost imperceptible. A good amount of acidity but not too lively. The palate was smooth raspberry, pomegranate (others have said it and I agree), vanilla and spice. A medium length finish gave way to vanilla, raspberry and some pepper lingering. It was a bit sweet but not overly so. Overall it is a very good wine. 50+4+12+16+7=89 pts

1/31/2010 - mghomula wrote:

See note from 11/11/09 as this drank almost exactly the same. Just a decent bordeaux that is a good drinker. At the price, I paid $24.99, it is not a great QPR but it's a good bordeaux from an outstanding vintage.

1/30/2010 - mghomula wrote:

I am a fan of all Martinelli Zins as anyone who readsmy TN's would be able to tell. Opened this and gave it about 30 minutes to open up. Very deep and dark purpl bordering on black in the glass. Nose of very ripe blackberry, boysenberry, fruit jam and a bouquet of vanilla and pepper. Rather full bodied and lush on the palate with flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, briar patch, strawberries, vanilla, pepper and sage. Very, very ripe and jammy fruit. It definite could benefit from a bit more acidity. The finish was long with more very jam like dark fruits, vanilla and pepper on the finish. So fruit forward and jammy it almost seems a bit out of balance but that is pretty typical Martinelli style. Not for everyone and you definitely have to be in the mood for this wine or serve it with the right meal. 50+5+12+16+7=90

1/29/2010 - mghomula wrote:

85% Grenache and 15% Syrah blend aged in American and French oak barrels for 9 months. Decanted for 2 hours. Very consistent notes to my tasting in March of 2009. Dark and deep ruby in color. The nose was full of moist soil and dark fruits with a bouquet of vanilla and oak Good acidity and present but not overwhelming tannins. Medium bodied the flavors on the palate were black cherry, herbs, plum and oak. Pretty short on the finish with black cherry and herbs lingering. Nothing to write home to Mom about but a nice drinking wine for the price. After tasting and jotting down these notes I went back and looked at my previous TN"s for comparison and this go around the wine got dinged in nose/bouquet and flavor by a point each. Though not complex at my tasting in March of 09 it was even less so this time. 50+5+10+15+6=86

1/28/2010 - mghomula wrote:

Good old Bob Parker may have gotten a bit carried away on this one but I have to admit it is a pleasant surprise. I bought a case at $8.99 a bottle and at that price it is a very good QPR. Dark garnet in the glass with a nose of blackberry jam, raspberry, black cherry and tobacco leaf with a sublte bouquet of vanilla and pepper. It was medium bodied on the palate with almost no perceptible tannin structure but a decent level of acidity. Over ripe dark fruits, sweet black cherry, tobacco and vanilla all over the palate. It was a bit over ripe and sweet but not too bad given the price. Not something you want to serve to impress but not a bad weekday wine with some food. Good not great but for $8.99 a bottle its a great deal. I would drink now and no later than 2011. 50+4+11+14+5=84 pts.

1/26/2010 - mghomula wrote:

Gold straw color in the glass. A rather muted nose of lemon, wax, oak and vanilla. The palate had a good amount of acidity and a medium mouth feel with lemon, green apple, cinnamon and oak. The finish was weak and short and the wine was not very complex. It's decent and not ridiculously buttery as so many California Chardonnay's can be. I prefer this style minus the secondary malo conversion but this wine just isn't showing enough, lacks complexity and the finish is so short it just isn't great. It's ok but nothing that will wow you. 50+4+10+14+5=83

1/25/2010 - mghomula wrote:

I have 6 of these so I decided to give one a got to see how they are coming along. Decanted 4 hours before initial tasting. Deep and intense garnet core with some purple on the edge. The nose was significant black cherry, licorice, earth, loam, tobacco and hints of floral elements. Really nice but as others observed you could almost smell the big tannic structure. The palate was more of the same from the nose but it was hyper complex to me. Blackberries, black cherries, tobacco leaves, licorice, baked plums, herbs and some pepper were all present. It was big, bold and lush with dark fruit and the tannins were huge but sweet, fine grained and powerful giving it nice backbone. Lively acididty balanced out the tannins and this baby, it is a baby, has a nice long life ahead of it I believe. The mouthfeel was full and lush with a nice long finish leaving black cherry, tobacco and licorice trailing off with some herbal components. A really nice representation of the 05 vintage. I so wish I had a lot more of these. Outstanding really! 50+5+13+17+8=93 pts.

1/24/2010 - mghomula wrote:

Pale and straw in the glass. The nose revealed fresh cut grass, green apple and lemon zest with a tiny bit of wet stones. Light bodied in the mouth it was bursting with acidity and just a touch of sweet. The palate was more of the nose with green apples, lemon zest and grapefruit surrounded with some minerality. Someone else said it was a little tart at first and I agree with that. I really nice and well balanced Pinot Gris that is a very solid drinker. 50+5+12+16+7=90

1/24/2010 - mghomula wrote:

This wine continues to astound me really. Very consistent notes with my 6/18/09 tasting though it didn't score quite as well this time out. A bit more restrained on the nose then previous and I hit it a little bit on the overall quality but it is still an outstanding offering from Domaine Serene. Lots of red cherry, strawberry and raspberries with clove, oak and earth. A nice medium long finish and I agree with others who have noted this is better in the first two hours of being open. 50+5+12+18+7=92pts.

1/22/2010 - mghomula wrote:

Again nothing spectacular but a good, decent drinking bordeaux from an excellent vintage. Very comparable to tasting notes from 11/12/09. Scored 50+4+12+14+5=85

12/28/2009 - mghomula wrote:

Spot on with my previous tasting notes from 7/13/08 and 5/23/09. Definitely wine that needs to be consumed soon as I really think it is at its peak and will not get any better. 50+5+12+18+7=92pts.

9/28/2009 - mghomula wrote:

Virtually exact tasting notes from my tasting in July of 09. Still needs a lot more air but I don't think this is going to be a very age worthy wine so drink by 2012. 50+5+11+13+7=86

10/4/2009 - mghomula wrote:

A very solid wine at the price point and a good representation of a great vintage in 2005. Decanted for 3 hours. A nice nose of dark fruit, red cherry and raspberry with a bouquet of toasted oak. The palate was much of the same with touches of chocolate and florals. The tannins were big but not rough and a decent amount of acidity. A medium bodied mouth feel gave way to a medium finish with plum and cherry lingering. Not bad at all for the price and a really good drinking bordeaux for every day use. 50+4+12+15+6=87 pts