Ming L

9.5

375ml. A magnificent 30-year young Sauternes. Orange peel, molasses, caramel, ginger spice, and brown sugar. The intense flavors waltzed across the palate with grace and precision. Fresh, vibrant, and not as rich as expected. The finish lasts forever.
Paired with homemade chocolate chip cookies using Levain Bakery recipe and vanilla bean ice cream. — 5 years ago

Riccardo L.

9.0

Such a nice blend of sugar and spice. And so so nice. — 7 years ago

Aivars Lode

9.4

A cognac esk rum delectable — 7 years ago

John Miller

9.2

Full bodied, earthy pinot. Tart and crisp with and round and buttery finish. Fantastic. — 8 years ago

Justin Curtis Koch

9.0

Very well balanced! Good acid, lingering sugar. — 8 years ago

Michael Sinowitz

9.1

Great value on this wine. Good acidity, bright fruit,. Though not bone dry this is not particularly sweet and really the residual sugar only shows against certain foods. — 9 years ago

with Robin, Marion and 1 other

Luke Frost

9.5

A personal favourite. Untouchable. — 9 years ago

with Jen

Dawn Eastridge

10

Fell in love with the dark rum, Havana Club Aged 7 Years, back in 2003. Received this bottle and the other as a birthday gift earlier this year... Both are smooth and clean with great flavors. — 10 years ago

Scott Taddeo

9.2

Apricot nectar, marmalade, Italian honey and bread. Beautiful balancing act between acid and sugar with effortless depth and length. You pay for it though — 10 years ago

Christine Havens

9.2

'Les Picasses' lies along a riverbank on a fairly steep slope that is primarily alluvial clay overlaying chalk and limestone. The vines are over 50 years old and the site is known to produce wines with fabulous purity and minerality. As such the Olga Raffault 'Les Picasses' Chinon 1989 has had time to mellow, the aromas are quite lovely—lavender, game, worn leather, a touch of barnyard, and cellar dust. There is a throaty, sensual wildness to this wine, punctuated by a vein of bright acidity and minerals. Everything I love in Loire Valley Cab Franc. — 11 years ago

Liz Babb

9.1

Very delicious blend! Smooth. Berry. — 11 years ago

S.R.Alexander

9.2

Lady marmalade, apricot, caramel with grapefruit sugar. — 5 years ago

with Eric

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

2016 is such a beautifully, ripe and elegant vintage. The 16 stands tall from the other vintages we tasted.

The body is rich, bold and thick. Beautiful dark fruits of ripe, ruby; blackberries, plum, dark cherries, strawberries and amazing blue fruits shine as it sit on the palate. There is more balance in the 16...fruits and earth. Saddle-wood, tobacco, leather, dry soil, dry & moist clay, dry stone, rich dark earth, lead pencil, bright, fresh, red, blue, dark flowers with violets. Very nice acidity with a beautiful finish.

Don’t even touch a bottle for 15 plus years. This nice now but, you will only be cheating yourself out of a very special wine 15 plus years from now.

Photos of; Clyde and Alfred at the bar, their Amphora style cement tanks they ferment part of each vintage now, road signs of the good neighbors they keep and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago

Tom Ellis

9.7

No tasting notes necessary. Almost unreal flavor, textures capable of restructuring your brain cells. This wine almost ruined me by raising the bar impossibly high for everything else that followed. Now regretting I sold my double magnum of '70 in 1997. "Dark chocolate-covered berries, fresh moss, leathery clay bound in a sensory rush that lingers all evening". This is what separates the classics from so many wines; One thinks of it and can taste it for the rest of your life. — 7 years ago

Natalie Griffin

9.0

medium berries — 8 years ago

April Wang

9.2

Medium minus to pale lemon. White field flowers, cotton candy, green grass, hint of chemical things. Medium plus acidity, medium plus sugar, high minerality — 9 years ago

Marc Vacossin

9.6

Fresh noze abricot papaye dried fruits low sugar. Faboulous ! — 9 years ago

with Gilles

Tim Herrmann

9.1

A Chardonnay of unusual and almost Riesling-like character, this was full of aromatic pineapple and mango tropical fruits, melon, botrytis honey, pithy citrus, grippy acid, and phenolic character--bitterness and quite detectable tannin. Plus there's a small dollop of sugar. If this sounds good, drink now--after an hour decant, which softened the wine considerably--but I think this has the mineral energy to improve and integrate for 10 or so years. — 10 years ago

Lindsey Arata

10

Favorite rum, perfect in a dark and stormy (ice, rum, ginger beer and dash of lime if you like) — 10 years ago

Christine Havens

9.5

From the famed Prichard Hill estate vineyard, this 100% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a cult wine, rubbing shoulders with Screaming Eagle, Harlan and Colgin. The nose is typical of Napa Cab, with rich aromas of steeped blackberries, cassis, saddle leather, spice box and carmelized brown sugar. On the palate, it's silky, sexy and nicely balanced. There is a lovely, polished interplay of fine tannins and glycerol, along with darker notes of saddle leather, cedar, and espresso beans. Medium plus finish. — 11 years ago

Kir Beardy

9.7

Very unusual rum. Cherry casks made their job very well - smell of cherry is awesome! — 12 years ago

Catherine Leith

9.7

Love this. Tons of flavour. Vanilla, brown sugar, toasted oak. Pairs well with food but also great on its own. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The Seasonal Grand Opening of the D&S Lounge. That’s going to require some BSR to celebrate.

As well, going to detail notes of this with my new Riedel Vintage Sommelier flutes, center picture. I’ve been wanting to write notes on this Champange in the new flutes as I wanted to do it one I am very well acquainted. As @Paul T- Huntington Beach & @Severn Goodwin have pointed out the many times I have posted it.

The nose is definitely more vibrant. Tangerines lead where they haven’t in my previous notes now using the new flutes. More pink rose petals, blood orange, pink grapefruit, leaner; strawberries, watermelon, warmed, creamed raspberries, apricots & cherries, liqueured marmalade, hints of scorched rhubarb, lemon/lime aid, chalky powder, delicate, grey volcanics, sweet, sea spray, bread dough, baguette crust, touch of brown sugar/molasses light, haunting, dry herbs, limestone and bouquet of; white, red, pink & orange roses.

The body is round with some gummy or gluiness. Everything about the mouthfeel is more delicate and softer. The bubbles smaller & more refined. Pink rose petals, blood orange, pink grapefruit, leaner; strawberries, watermelon, warmed, creamed raspberries, apricots & cherries, liqueured marmalade, hints of scorched rhubarb, almost a date presence on the long set, chalky powder, delicate, grey volcanics, sweet, sea spray, lighter intensity of white spices but, still has the heat & palate penetration, bread dough, baguette crust, touch of brown sugar/molasses light, haunting, dry herbs, limestone and bouquet of; white, red, pink & orange roses. The acidity is all fresh & lively with this cuvée. But, even that seems better. The finish is as always; well knitted & balanced, polished, fresh, persistent and never disappoints.

Photos of; the best room in our house for 6+ months of the year, our backyard. Aka, the D&S Lounge on Memorial Day Weekend 2020. — 6 years ago

Neville Weston

9.6

New house = time for First Growth 👍 Super smooth, Blackcurrant, Brown Sugar/Cola
😋 — 8 years ago

with Marta

Danny Vigneault

10

Sur glace un delice... — 9 years ago

Brandon Luedeker

9.5

Excellent run full of flavor. Smooth finish! — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Brown sugar, molasses, butterscotch, caramel, toffee nuts, orange peel. It's like candy. This would be great over pancakes or ice cream as well. Nice pairing well with Cari's tasty Pot de Creme. Thank you for a great evening and dinner. — 10 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

Outstanding. Ethereal. Sugar plumb fairies dance in the season floating across my palate with arms full of toasted brioche, citrus zest. So light. Must drink at temp, as the fairies start falling if they warm up. That's not a pleasant experience. — 10 years ago

Molly

9.2

Nose- steamed spinach, salted caramel, hay, grainy, burnt sugar... Taste- very sweet, creme brûlée... Have it with blue cheese — 11 years ago

Mark Schumacher

8.9

Drank at Sportello with Ev. Aged in clay pots — 11 years ago