Followup on Mempho Wino

Just a heads up to readers local and afar: Skeeter has started up his wine reviews on his blog. Give it a look--this guy gets to try the kind of wines that I only dream about. For example:

1983 Latour a Pomerol
Welcome to the real world of Merlot! Nose of leather, cigar, tobacco, and yes even a little fruit but almost a black fruit. In the mouth, sweetness and balance, still having acid to clean up the palate. I am a Bordeaux lover and I love this one. The thought that a wine 24 years old leaves this kind of impression is awesome.

(As a side note, a couple of years ago he brought a magnum of the '83 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon to a dinner party I hosted. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and I've still got the pine box it came in.)

He's using a five-glass rating system for the wines, along with an explanation of his dislike of the common 100-point scale. Personally, I don't really rate wines on this blog--I'm not experienced or influential enough to do so--but at tastings I use a simple scale when taking notes:

- = didn't like or wouldn't buy
+/- = neutral, not exciting or boring (probably better with food)
+ = enjoyed, would buy
++ = really spectacular wine

Beyond that my notes and reviews mostly focus on things that will be important to me later when matching with food or choosing between two wines: varietal, acidity, tannins, specific aromas or flavors, whether or not there's a good story behind the wine, etc.