4/22/2024 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Extremely impressive wine. Tasting notes from previous reviewers are spot-on. I think this is at it's peak now, but has a solid 2-3 years remaining before the fruit starts to fade.

12/23/2023 - kerv22 wrote:

Reminiscent of a wine that was probably amazing. From magnum, surprisingly the bottle was over the hill.

8/14/2023 - kerv22 wrote:

Extreme overdone. It’s a nice wine, but not my style. Super (!) ink wine.

8/13/2023 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Excellent bottle. Drinking at its peak.

4/30/2023 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Good stuff. Showing some age at this point. I would’ve guessed it was a little older. Notes of tobacco, tar, earthy, maybe a touch of dark fruit. Slight undertones of floral and herbal aromas, as well as something sweet like papaya or mango(?). Drinking great at this time.

4/11/2023 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Herbaceous, Cherry notes, medium body, medium tannin, beautiful soft mouth feel, well balanced. Very nice wine. I’m suspect of the previous note. Maybe they had a bad bottle. This is a quality bottle of wine.

9/14/2022 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Elegant nose of sour cherry, floral (violets), maybe citrus. Palate well balanced, light-medium body, medium tannin, sour Cherry. Good complexity although I’ll admit I’m having a hard time nailing down descriptors. Probably a bit young, but it’s so good! 91-92

9/14/2022 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Started off bricky and amarone like, but quickly progressed into a beautiful, silky wine. Tasting notes similar to the previous notes. Drinking at peak.

6/7/2022 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

From memory of last night: Subtle, elegant wine. Light to medium bodied. Very floral (violets).

1/19/2022 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Elegant. Velvety. Showing some age but has so much more life in it.

9/16/2021 - kerv22 wrote:

Nose: butterscotch, melon—- cantaloupe, touch of pineapple, sweeter, maybe herbal, maybe vanilla,,,,,nonetheless it’s a beautiful (!!!!) big nose.

On the palate it matches the nose, maybe a touch of green apple. It’s medium viscosity, medium minus acidity…very well balanced. One minute finish. Really nice wine. Wish I had another case or 12.

6/6/2021 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Incredible bottle. I’ve had multiple bottles of this and I’ve never rated it this high. Something seems to have changed with a little more bottle life.

12/4/2020 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

The Marthas showing it’s age. Decanted for 45 minutes; initially lots of funk, but that’s morphed into a subtle perfumey nose of maybe, but just maybe, eucalyptus and dark berries, but I’d call it more garrigue with some dark fruits. Palate is medium minus tannin, well integrated, medium long finish. Good wine but going past it’s prime.

But wait, there’s more! About 1.5 hours in the nose peaked to spectacular status. Exquisite nose....everything above, just more perfume and less garrigue. However it fell off a cliff within 20 minutes. This wine is awesome but it’s at the end of life. I’d drink up within the next year or so.

11/28/2020 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Upon opening, thin on the nose and mouth. After a 2 hour decant it’s a different beast. This is drinking wonderfully right now, but has many years ahead of it. On the nose it’s floral with dark berries and perhaps cedar with a touch of tobacco & dark chocolate. In the mouth it’s silky, concentrated-medium to full bodied, medium tannin, notes of dark berries with a long and beautiful finish. Drink now to 2026? 2029?

11/18/2020 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

I'm not sure if our bottle was something different than the other tasting reviews, but this was a wonderful Syrah. Not sure why it's been bashed with low scores by so many people. From magnum brought back from Australia by a very close friend. Nose of ripe dark berries, eucalyptus, and a touch of spicy pepper. In the mouth it's silky, medium to medium minus tannin, well balanced alcohol, medium viscosity, tastes of dark berry, vanilla (?), spice, perhaps a touch of oak. Long finish. Probably drinking at peak right now, but there might be a few more years remaining.

11/14/2020 - kerv22 wrote:

Subdued, big beautiful wine. 1 hour open in bottle, finally showing signs of what it is. Huge floral nose. Violets, lavender, tobacco, dark cherry, cinnamon, and somewhat meaty...think aged uncooked beef. This is certainly showing a glimpse of the beauty it will be, but it’s still not there.

On the palate it’s super dark and quiet. Tobacco, toasted oak, tar, vanilla, dark berries. It’s almost like the high tannin is hiding something here.,it’s got all the signs of a world class wine, but the tannin is holding it back. This wine needs time. It will most certainly morph into greatness for those that wait. Perhaps revisit in 5 years, but I’m guessing 20 will work also.

10/12/2020 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Drinking wonderfully right now.

7/2/2020 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

I’ve had many Tablas Espirits over the years and I’ve drank them all fairly young. This however takes the prize. It’s entering a mature phase and drinking perfectly. I get a nose of ripe blueberries blended with stewed figs and raisins; I think you could even throw some herbs in there. It’s fresh but starting to show age. On the palate it’s medium to full bodied, medium plus tannins, medium alcohol and a long finish. This paired well with lamb chops (it’s certainly a food wine). I’d say the wine has recently entered its perfect drinking window. Perhaps 2020-2026.

3/13/2020 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

This was everything perfect about Pauillac. Such a beautiful wine. Nose of dark berries, tobacco, leather, cedar. Amazingly silky and well balanced palate. Medium tannins, low-med alcohol. Drinking perfectly right now but will probably be nice for a few more years.

1/1/2020 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

From 3L bought at winery many years ago. Drinking perfectly right now. Beautiful fruit on the nose and mouth. Perfectly balanced. Drinking at it's peak.

9/18/2019 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

What a sleeper of a wine! I'm going from memory so I do not remember the details of the wine, however upon opening, the wine was nondescript and boring in both the bouquet and taste. About 1 hour later [paired with a stew] it morphed into a beautiful corton. Holy cow. I'd say it's at the end of it's drinking window, but certainly not over the hill. Wishing I had more!

8/8/2019 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

This is in a great drinking window. After 0.5 hours of decanting the wine was singing. After about 2 hours we felt it fell off a little bit. Still has plenty of bottle time left, but it's in a good spot at this moment. Beautiful perfumy bouquet with the typical dark berries, graphite, tobacco, etc of a nice Pauillac. On the palate it's big, inky, silky, graphite, mineral, earthy....oh so beautifully integrated. Med-full bodied, still pretty tannic. Super long finish. Nice stuff.

6/19/2019 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Very big wine. Similar to previous tasting notes. Still quite tannic, but it's drinking well now. Definitely a food wine. It drank as well the next day as it did that night, so take that for what it's worth. I don't know how much better it'll get with age. I think it's in a great place right now.

4/3/2019 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Surprisingly youthful CA Merlot. Mute upon pnp, however elegant and very French tasting/smelling about 2&3 hours in. The nose isn’t a huge in your face bouquet, but more of an elegant blackberries/blueberries/pencil shaving/leather. Palate is similar to the smell, but also some Hoison sauce notes in there. Medium+ body, medium alcohol, medium+ to high tannin. Long, 30-60 second finish. This is drinking very well now, but would also probably be great in 3-4 years. Well done Kelham. Always a favorite.

4/3/2019 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Good wine, but drink up.

4/3/2019 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Very beautiful wine compared to the last bottle I had many years ago. At this point it's well integrated and drinking perfect. It could easily go 2-4 more years, but why wait?

9/25/2018 - kerv22 wrote:

Decanted. Drank thin and subdued for the first 2-3 hours then finally got some weight to it. Fruity, earthy, sour cherry on the nose. Similar on palate. Still seems to be primary. I'll give it 3-4 more years before the next one.

9/25/2018 - kerv22 wrote:

From a magnum. Decanted and first half-hour the wine was muted and over the hill. After that it was singing. We couldn't believe how beautiful and expressive the wine got with a little air. Definitely old and at the end of life, but not done yet. Great aged Paulliac on the nose: earthy, tobacco, graphite, cedar, maybe some herb and dark berries. In the mouth, medium bodied, still picking up nice dark fruit. Well balanced and moderate finish. Really nice wine, but I wouldn't hang on much longer.

8/10/2018 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Spectacular. Big, inky, Napa Cab. Begs for a ribeye or a great pizza. I loved it.

8/10/2018 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

I've had the Dead Arm many times and always enjoy it. This vintage was great a couple years ago, but I'm afraid it's getting over the hill. Don't get me wrong, it's still pleasant and very nice, but I think it's nearing the end of it's life. Time to drink up.

5/28/2018 - kerv22 wrote:

Beautiful, complex; notes of blueberry, eucalyptus(or herbs of some sort), perhaps cigar box. Tastes similar. It seemed to integrate better in the mouth with a giganto ribeye vs drinking alone. Furthermore it fell off pretty hard after about 2-3 hours in a decanter. Very nice wine, but drink up.

4/7/2018 - kerv22 wrote:

Spectacular!

8/27/2017 - kerv22 wrote:

Flat and lacking structure upon opening. Decanted and after one hour it blossomed into a beautiful Bordeaux. Earth, leather, tobacco, and hints of ripe dark berries. Good balance, medium tannin, moderate complexity. Medium long finish. Drinking very well now. Unsure of how much more aging it can handle.

12/4/2016 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Light brick in color, subtle pleasant notes of cherry, plum, strawberry jam. Low acidity, medium tannin, well balanced, slight hints of oak and vanilla. Drinking very nice for being a 21 year old Zin! Smells and tastes more like a pinot at this point.

3/8/2016 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

I've had 2 bottles of the '83 Suduiraut in the last 6 months and both times it has had a semi-funky petrol smell to it. It's by no means bad or off-putting, it's just how the wine has progressed through its life. I don't think it will get much better from here, so if you have some in the cellar you may want to pop a bottle and see what you think.

3/8/2016 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

50 years old and still a spectacular bottle. I was amazed to find out that this wine still has some life in it. I must say however, it's drinking beautifully today.

2/3/2016 - kerv22 wrote:

From a magnum; the wine started off with beautiful aromatics of dark fruits, cassis, maybe some spice. On the palate, it drank well over the first hour. Medium body, medium tannins/alc, nice finish. However, after an hour or so the wine changed tremendously. It fell off badly and got an off taste to it. The last bottle we had a couple years ago held on to the last drop, but this one did not. I think it may be time to drink up.

1/23/2016 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Bottle re-corked by chateau in 2011. This was an amazing bottle. The wine was approachable immediately after pop and pour, however after roughly 30 minutes it was singing. On the nose the wine is surprisingly youthful. Notes of blackberries, blueberries, cassis, eucalyptus, and a hint of leather. On the palate the wine is again youthful and perfectly integrated. Low-med tannins, low alcohol, medium bodied with all of the typical St. Julien notes. I felt that it wasn't until the rear palate that you truly got a hint of how old this wine was. Excellent. A real treat.

1/12/2016 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Dark purple color, big elegant bouquet of blackberry, fig, slight vanilla, cherry, maybe some prune (?), medium alcohol, medium tannins, well integrated, great mouth feel, long lingering finish. Certainly got better after a couple hours of being open. Drinking very well right now, but could certainly last some more time.

12/5/2015 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

Dark garnet with a very thin clear ring, vibrant nose with hints of dark berries (black berry?), leather, pencil, eucalyptus, and mint, still holding big dark fruit in the mouth, medium high tannins, well balanced, long finish. Still drinking well and probably has a couple more years in the bottle. I double decanted and now 30 minutes open its still evolving in the glass.

9/17/2015 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

This wine is drinking beautifully right now. Still holds a considerable amount of fruit blended in with that wonderful aged Pauilliac nose. Very well balanced, yet nearing the end of it's life. You'll likely get another couple years out of it, but I'd drink up now if you've got it.

2/7/2015 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

This was an impeccable bottle; I'm quite surprised by the previous lower ratings. We drank the bottle over a three hour period during which the wine evolved beautifully. I'm writing this from memory so I don't have a proper description, however I remember the wine was very French on the nose and palate. On the nose, quite earthy with big notes of dark berries transitioning into dried fruit. In the mouth very well balanced; slight tannins still remaining. Finish was 40+ seconds. Although I will agree that this wine is drinking perfectly right now, I wouldn't say it's finished. Very nice job guys. This reminds me why I like visiting Kelham so much. Drink over next two years?

7/8/2014 - kerv22 wrote:

Exceptional wine. Slightly musty upon opening, however continued to build complexity over a two+ hour period. Dark eggplant in color, moderately viscous. Fruity on the nose with a melody of notes ranging from dark berries, dried cherries, fresh asparagus, and faint tobacco. Finish is long..easily one minute plus. Alcohol medium, acidity medium, well balanced through and through. Many years left in this wine.

6/23/2014 - kerv22 wrote:

- Crimsom color - Phenomenal wine. POP. Smells/tastes of old world, but it's not. Medium legs. Crimson to plum in color with a faint clear rim. Great bouquet; earthy with subdued fruit. Faint oak smell. Possible descriptors: black currant, black berry, slight tobacco, slight pencil shavings, maybe some cassis. In the mouth, moderately tannic, low alcohol, very well balanced. Long finish: easily 45 seconds. Plenty of life left in this one; I'd say easily 5 more years, if not more. Overall excellent wine; especially since I don't remember paying that much for it. Wish I had more!

5/9/2014 - kerv22 wrote:

Funky light brick color, but actually still quite good. Very surprising that it was as nice as it was.

5/9/2014 - kerv22 wrote:

From a magnum: drinking beautifully right now. Picking up a bit of age, but still well rounded with enough fruit to wow the senses.

3/23/2014 - kerv22 wrote:

Drinking very well right now. Beautiful cab.

3/20/2014 - kerv22 wrote:

Nice wine at the price point. Drinking well now. Probably has a year or two left in it.

3/20/2014 - kerv22 wrote:

Deep dark purple in color. Thick, lasting legs. Initially the nose was subdued and smelled of candle wax; however after an hour, it's morphed into a big, expressive wine. Distinct notes of chocolate, tobacco, cassis, espresso, and blue berries. On the palate the finish is long; easily lingering for 60 seconds (wonderful). Medium tannins, with medium viscosity, and distinct oak finish. You can almost taste terroir here; reminds me of Oakville. This wine has changed tremendously since the last bottle I had a year or two ago. Still tons of time left in this wine. Great value...wish I had more.

3/18/2014 - kerv22 Likes this wine:

I couldn't agree more with the review from mattmauldin; crisp, rich, and a beautiful finish. On the nose, notes of citrus, honeydew, and honey. After 2 hours of breathing this wine got better and better with each sniff and taste. The wine still seems to have quite a bit of life in it, but it's excellent right now.