10/6/2021 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Milder flavors than I expected but so well integrated. Gold bronze color. Plenty of effervescence. Mild berry and sour notes on the nose continue on the palate which is creamy but light enough to drink easy. You get a sense of alcohol but wouldn’t guess it’s 11%+. Lovely.

4/25/2021 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

From 375. I thought I'd check in on this given a handful of reviews that were less than stellar but I found it to be in excellent shape. Golden honey bordering on orange. Might have been a little cold to fully appreciate the nose but a lush mouthfeel, nice sugar/acid balance and full spectrum of ripe and dried fruits. As it warmed I got a strong overall impression of heavy cream mixed with the fruit. A lot of life left in this one.

4/17/2021 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

From 375. This has potential to be great but it seemed clear that this was way too early to be drinking it... the tannins were heavy at this point and detracted a little from the experience. Plenty of fruit and acid to carry this and I'll wait until this is at least 10 years old before trying again. Beautiful nose that hit you with plum upfront but subtle layers of flowers underneath was the highlight.

2/28/2021 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Drinking nicely. A clear step up from the Montgolfiere (which we enjoy regularly) with finer mousse and little more cut. Similar flavor profile to the Montgolfiere with a nice ripe apple component; mild sweetness but good acid to keep it fresh.

2/3/2021 - mp6283 wrote:

This needs a decent decant or several more years in bottle. All the elements appear to be there for a very good wine but seems a little rigid right now.

12/19/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Drink up... these are going a little flat and won’t get better from here.

11/24/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

The nose really had me thinking this was older than it was blind but the palate was youthful, bold and with warmth that was valued on cold November evening.

10/30/2020 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Purchased off the list at a restaurant. Showing very nicely. Great body to the wine, plenty of fruit, not overly complex but very enjoyable.

7/2/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

After a 15+ minutes in the glass (after the exuberant effervescence calmed down) this was a really nice straightforward champagne. No bitterness in the after taste, which is a problem I’ve noted with similar priced bottles, but also not tons of complexity either.

6/25/2020 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

One of the more serious rosés I’ve had. The high quality of the grape blend come through. Nice strawberry undertones. Really opened up as it warmed a touch in the glass. Perfect wine for a relaxing afternoon/evening at the shore.

6/3/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Something different today with distinct underripe bananas in the mix, more bitterness than usual, but still a light body and good sour palate. Really enjoyed it and probably the most complex version thus far.

5/24/2020 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Had to open one and see what the fuss was about. 3-4 hour decant. Bright luminescent red coloring (so unnaturally bright that my son mistook it for soda). The nose burst from the glass with sweet red cherries, raspberry and violets. I’m not well experienced in Italian wines and the body was thinner than I expected but it drank very clean, very well balanced. Palate was consistent with the nose with touch of pepper and mint. Some acid yes, some tannin but nothing that suggested to me that drinking one already was infanticide.

5/20/2020 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Pale straw color. Beautiful aromas of yellow apple, apricot and delicate floral element. Medium bodied, a palate consistent with nose, and nice bright acidity. All the pieces meld well together. Very impressed.

5/9/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Opaque red, almost black, but can see a faint browning at the rim. After a four hour decant there was still a faint mustiness to the nose. Strawberries and cherries also. On the palate a bright acidity is the counterpoint to earth, leather, tobacco and reticent red berry mix. Fine tannins. I found this a bit lean at first but after a couple more hours it rounded out and became really enjoyable.

4/25/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

The quality is obvious. The finest bubbles I’ve ever seen (or mostly not seen) in a champagne. No sharp edges and it got fuller on the palate the second night. Beautiful yeasty aroma but (to my slight disappointment) not on the palate. This drank very very fresh. No surprise it has a long life ahead and I’m going to wait before I crack another.

4/26/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

My first Madeira. Reminiscent of port up front with some fig, raisin qualities and mild sweetness... and then the acid which cuts it off, drys the mouth and leaves you wanting more. Took me a couple of sips to really appreciate it but it went perfectly with the custard and fresh fruit tart for dessert.

4/24/2020 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

As close to a house champagne as we have. Such a nicely balanced champagne. Tiny bubbles, nice acid cut through a mild sweetness. Nice as an aperitif or with food.

4/16/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Very pure tonight. Strong sour but light on its feet. Good effervescence.

4/5/2020 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Love the texture here, oily and packed with layers of flavor: Citrus, cream, vanilla, ginger with emphasis changing with each mouthful. Improved since my last bottle. Rare that I can sit with a white so long and remain so interested. (It shouldn’t by now, but I was again surprised by the amount of sentiment.)

4/2/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Initially a little barnyard funk on the nose and a little bland on the palate but with some time in the glass it opened up with some stone fruits present and little more body, becoming an interesting delicate wine.

3/28/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Deep red/purple color, no real signs of age. A little menthol on the nose. Some dusty tannins on the palate but otherwise the smooth, full bodied cab I expect from Hall. Nice buy at auction for cents on the dollar.

3/25/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Purple coloring, powerful red fruited nose. Plenty of sour black cherry on the palate followed by a drying tannin that tells me it’s best is still ahead of it despite drinking pleasantly now. Very nice value on close out.

3/21/2020 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Deep red color maybe browning a little at the edges. Coffee, cloves, dried herbs and some red berry on the nose. Medium-bodied, this is still on the young side in my opinion with plenty of fine grained tannins, strong fruit and only faint hints at any tertiary development. A good acidic cut prevents this from being cloying. Long finish.

2/25/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Soaked cork. Faint aged funk and mild cherry note on the nose. Palate was like water with mild cherry flavor but ended with a strong sanguine iron aftertaste. Not a lot of primary, secondary or tertiary flavors. Not offensive but not much there at this stage.

2/22/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Dinner with Pinheiro’s (Our house): Super interesting wine. The nose was incredible. Slight chemical smell that wasn’t unpleasant. Reminded some of markers/sharpies. On the palate it was strong on plums but with such an assortment of savory notes, cinnamon and baking spices. Great for a change of pace.

2/22/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Dinner with Pinheiro’s (Our house): 3 hour decant, drank with a cassoulet main course. The nose was the real winner here, powerful, red fruits, leather, cigar. So much there. On the palate it was little thinner than expected, fine grain tannins, with leather and herbs being more prominent than in the nose. Fine drinking from a weaker Bordeaux year.

2/22/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Dinner with Pinheiro’s (Our house): Drank from a 375ml, signs of seepage, crumbly cork. Double decanted over 3 hours. Nose was a little reticent at first with a faint whiff of chlorine, color was very translucent brown, none of which filled me with hope... but in the mouth this was still a huge wine! Melted raisins, aniseed, cedar wood... lovely.

2/14/2020 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Love it. Much improved with a few years cellaring. Gone are the overpowering soy sauce-like umami and palate shocking flavor bomb replaced with a caramelized sweetness over chocolate and mild coffee. Still full of flavor but easier to appreciate subtleties. Only slight down mark is that effervescence is almost completely gone.

2/10/2020 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Overdelivered for the price ($29). Darker yellow in the glass than many other recent champagnes it gave nice toasted bread and nutty notes over orchard fruits (apples and peaches). Dry finish. Ready to Drink.

2/2/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Really nice. A step up from the standard Hall Cab Sav but with similar smooth rich texture, dark berries and oak. I didn’t get too much of the green pepper others spoke of. PnP but drank over a couple of hours and it developed nicely.

1/4/2020 - mp6283 wrote:

Maintains a powerful nose of red berries but the body is a little thin. Plenty of acid there to stop it from feeling tired but I’d say past it’s prime.

12/24/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

Suffered for the wines drank with it. This was certainly serviceable with ripe fruit and some good spice but showed a little acidic and out of balance compared to the higher end wines.

12/30/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

I can't tell if it's bottle variation or some other factor but this was showing riper fruit than I remember, higher acid and a hint of barnyard on the nose. Neither the best nor worst I've had of this wine but somehow different again. Still some more in the cellar so the experiment continues!

12/24/2019 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Reading the recent tasting notes here I shouldn't have been surprised by how good this was but it really showed wonderfully. Purple coloring; licorice and eucalyptus nose; just a hint of leather on the palate to show its almost 20 years old; opulent mouthfeel. This would have been the star of the holidays if not for the 2006 RWT that followed it. This probably has another 5-10 years in front of it for those looking to hold.

12/25/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

En magnum. Everything you want from a big house champagne when serving to a mixed crowd. High quality for the wine people but nothing too "interesting" to put off the novices. Just a touch of toast and vanilla on the nose. Lovely mouthfeel but not too rich. Not too dry or too sweet. The epitome of balance in every respect. Plenty of time for those looking to hold.

12/25/2019 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Wow, this blew everyone away. Four hour decant, from magnum, served with beef tenderloin. Deep rich red, almost purple, coloring. A rich array of aromas in the glass: Blueberries; aniseed; pepper; ginger; beef. Lush mouthfeel and a flavor profile in line with the nose... the finish goes on and on. This has a lot of life in it especially en magnum but is in a great spot.

11/29/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

From magnum alongside some Beaujolais Nouveau. This had a cloudy pink/red coloring that very much suggested natural wine to me blind. Lots of berries and (not particularly subtle) barnyard funk. To me it drank pretty well with tart berries, good acid, clean finish but some time might help bring it together. Others in the group were not so forgiving of the more natural style and rated it down.

11/22/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

Wow. Powerful. Strong aromas of caramel, coffee, and glue(?). Powerful hops that weren’t bitter, thick consistency, caramel and sugar. High alcohol is obvious. Hard to tell if this is getting better or worse.

11/22/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

Dark red, good acid, red fruit. Smooth, full bodied, but straight forward red. Perfectly cromulent wine.

11/1/2019 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

PnP from 375. Drank over several hours. Garnet red with a hint of orange at the rim. Explosive nose of black currant, orange blossom and a hint of (delicious) barnyard funk. Bright red fruits, strawberry and again that orange blossom on the palate, nice acid and a little sweetness in the finish. Ton of life left in this even in the half bottle format and a bargain from the recent winery sale.

11/1/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

Lost nothing. Still a rich, strong, smooth stout albeit one that is pretty straight down the line with no bitterness in the coffee, malt flavors. Not “unique” or overly complex but sometimes you want something easy to drink.

10/27/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

Viscous, lightly effervescent, strong pure malt that has no rough edges and just a light bitterness on the end. At just over two years old, this may be reaching its peak.

10/25/2019 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Surprisingly good for the dirt cheap price. The berries on the nose and palate like everyone else mentioned but also some other elements (cola and smoke) and good development through the evening.

9/26/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

Perfect intermezzo: sour, light and bubbly. Unlike some of the other varieties that are losing their character and distinct flavors with time, the Weizen Bam continues to cruise along.

9/5/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

My first Bigfoot. Much stronger hops flavor than many other barleywines and none of the dried fruit or toffee flavors I usually associate with the style. Definitely not the dessert beer that some others are. Nice but not particularly complex at this stage, more like a strong IPA.

8/3/2019 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Jenn, Ryan, Lindsey and Marcus in Baltimore (Our Home, Baltimore): I seem to be the only person drinking this in quantity but this was once again drinking well. Elegant, medium plus body. Black cherries, earthiness and spice.

8/3/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

Jenn, Ryan, Lindsey and Marcus in Baltimore (Our Home, Baltimore): Drinking beautifully. Maybe not too complex but so well balanced. Mineral, red fruit and medium acidity.

8/3/2019 - mp6283 Likes this wine:

Jenn, Ryan, Lindsey and Marcus in Baltimore (Our Home, Baltimore): Wow. Wine of the night. Rich, deep and with all the components for a long cellar life. Got better as the night went on and had a lot of fans around the table.

8/3/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

Jenn, Ryan, Lindsey and Marcus in Baltimore (Our Home, Baltimore): Beautiful light pink (salmon?) color but I would have hard time picking this as a rose based on the nose/taste. Fine bubbles, good acidity but I'd leave this for a few years to gather some complexity.

6/2/2019 - mp6283 wrote:

Drinking beautifully. Sour notes have taken on a tropical fruit quality. This one was clear, light colored and effervescent.