Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Photos of the D&S Lounge taken at night with all the candles on my friends iPhone 11. Not there yet...waiting for a 5G phone. Our weekend oasis!

Ruinart one of our favorite n/v Rosé Champange’s. A great way to start any night.

The fruits are always ruby & rich. Black cherries, strawberries, Rainer cherries, tangerine, grapefruit with pith, watermelon, dry yeast, baguette crust, grey volcanics, granular chalk, saline with red flowers, red & pink roses. Lively acidity. Excellent balance and a smartly polished long finish. — 5 years ago

Chris England

9.2

A surprising lighter style Pauillac for an 05 but @ £90+ it’s in a nice place, but a touch disappointing compared to others such as the amazing 2000 😁

🏵 92-93 points

🍇 64% Cab S, 29% Mer, 6% Cab F, and 1% Pet V

🍷 Blackened ruby

👃 Warm oak, soggy earthy leaves, gravel, minerals, pencil lead through dark berries & plum w/ mocha

👄 Med body of smooth rich blackcurrant, damson & red/black currants w/ a mineral mocha & mineral undertone

🎯 Med red & dark berry kick w/ touch dry minerals, light mocha & liquorice

— 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Rich fruity 😈 for £45 that will please most 😉 should age nicely but lovely now 👍

🍇 68% Cab S, 22% Carmenere, 6% Syrah & 4% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Ripe bramble bush & blackcurrant, mint, pencil lead, red berries & mineral rock in light soggy earth

👄 Med++ bodied punchy rich plummy forest fruits w/ blackcurrant & raspberry coming through w/ a mocha & dry mineral undertone

🎯 Med+ touch dry mocha filled dark & red berry fruit splat 💥 — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.6

😈 A Suckling 💯 pointer limited release @ £76 that’s superb now but has massive potential 👍

🍇 Merlot, Cab S, Carmenere & Pet V

🍷 Deep opaque ruby

👃 Thick gloopy cocoa through black berry fruits w/ blueberry, melted liquorice, light soggy earth, farmyard, minerals & figgy fudge

👄 Full bodied creamy silky rich blackcurrant, blueberry & dark plum bathed in cocoa butter w/ a dash of cherry & raspberry coulis

🎯 Long creamy dark & blue fruit chocky liquorice bang bang 😍😈 — 7 years ago

Chris England

8.9

2nd Wine of Ornellaia in top year @ £40 showing fabulous value that could be lovely in 3-5yrs once the dry tannins ease 😉 89 going 90-93

🍇 64% Mer, 17% Cab S, 10% Cab F & 9% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Rich bramble blackcurrant & dark plum in dark cocoa cream w/ violets, minerals, light smoked wood chip & soft earthy farmyard spiced blackberry

👄 Med+ body of dark plum w/ blackcurrant/berry in cocoa & minerals w/ green stalky tones & fine dry tannins

🎯 Med dry dark fruits w/ unripe green tones & a mocha grounds kick & hint of black tea — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.5

🎅 Advent 📆 Day 2️⃣4️⃣

💥 It’s the big £195 halfy I’ve been waiting for & wow what an Epic bottle of a top vintage Opus One 💯 Suckling Pointer 😍 Mrs E has outdone herself here 🕺 Great but needs 10yrs to shine as too overpowered 👍 95 going 98-99

🍇 79% Cab S
🍇 7% Cab F
🍇 6% Merlot
🍇 6% Pet V
🍇 2% Malbec

🍷 Inky black ruby

👃 Sticky toffee pudding covered in blueberry jam w/ blackcurrant, fig & rich cocoa cream

👄 Full+ bodied rich toffee, blueberry pancakes, blackcurrant & caramel velvet chocolate sludge

🎯 Long gloopy teeth staining dark & blue fruit caramel lip sticker w/ violet after-burn — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.5

My favourite St Julien in great year @ £85+ that's so hard to stop drinking as it's good young & old 😍 Given 5-15 years this will be a 98+ wine but 95-96 today 👍

🍇 68% Cab S, 26% Mer & 6% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Soft smokey oak through spiced blackcurrant & dark plum w/ double choc mocha & liquorice - yummy 😉

👄 Med+ bodied silky intense mouth coating blackcurrant & dark plums w/ cocoa & liquorice in fine dry tannins

🎯 Long slight dry earthy dark fruits smothered in cocoa w/ liquorice 💋 — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It’s Friday night, time for Champagne. It’s been a number of weeks since we had one of our very favorite N/V Rosé Champange’s.

One of the last nights in the D&S Lounge before we close it up for the season. It’s getting into the 50’s at night with fog hovering. But, it’s 75-77 degrees inside our propane fray. Rainy season is coming as well. 😞

Plate & Bottle dinner tomorrow night. 😋

Have great weekend everyone! Cheers! 🍾🥂

Numerous previous notes apply.

Photos of; the sunset over one of Billecart’s Grand Cru vineyards, inside the House of Billecart and the beautiful manicured grounds of the Billecart Estate. — 5 years ago

Chris England

9.3

New Stags Leap find for me @ £81 / $71 that’s a rich full on Napa but w/ a lovely balanced complexity that should age nicely 👍

🏵 93-4 points

🐮 Paired perfect w/ roast beef

🍇 80% Cab S, 9% Pet V, 5% Cab F, 4% Malbec & 2% Mer

🍷 Black opaque ruby w/ purple tint

👃 Rich plummy dark berry spiced fruit through blueberry w/ soft smoked oak, minerals, lavender & cocoa goo bomb

👄 Med+ body of creamy rich dark berry/plum fruits w/ cocoa cream & blueberry

🎯 Med+ dark fruit explosion through chocy goodness & a touch of dry minerals — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.2

Performing well @ £72 just past peak so enjoy soon 😉

🍇 60% Cab S, 33% Mer, 4.5% Cab F & 2.5% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Crushed rock gravel & pencils through char smoked oak & black berry/plum fruits w/ a mocha grinds, wet earth & liquorice sooty kick

👄 Med body of chocy mocha covered dark fruits w/ a herby raspberry liquorice kick into dry minerals

🎯 Med+ dry mineral touch bitter mocha dark fruit earthy burnt liquorice linger — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Really enjoyed this £120 Pessac as the fruit was alive & kicking w/ a ton of flavour & aroma showing the true characteristics of the region 👍

🍇 55% Cab S, 34% Mer, 10% Cab F & 1% Pet V

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick edge

👃 Stoney, gravelley, sooty, herby smoky dirty earthy dark fruits in leather, mushroom, damp cellar & pencil lead

👄 Med bodied smooth mocha chocky infused earthy dark fruits

🎯 Long dirty earthy chewy mocha driven dark berry dry minerals — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Fab @ £46 drink well now but will improve with age 92-94 rounded up on value 👍

🍇 48% Cab S, 48% Merlot & 4% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Flinty, gravel & mineral through earthy blackberry & currant w/ a plummy liquorice & blueberry mocha undertone

👄 Med body of plummy rich blackcurrant in a liquorice & dry mocha smooth body infused w/ minerals & a hint of blueberry

🎯 Med+ earthy dark fruits bathed in liquorice & mocha w/ a dry mineral tone — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.1

You'd have to be quackers not to like this 😉 Fab blend from Duckhorn @ £40 that makes me quack with delight 😁 a Purple sweet fruity punch 🤛

🍇 60% Cab S, 37% Zin & 3% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Soft smoked oak through blackcurrant, gravel, minerals, raspberry, blackberry & sweet blueberry vanilla cream pie

👄 Med+ creamy body of rich ripe purple dark fruits lead by blackcurrant & blackberry w/ sweet blueberry, vanilla & liquorish tones

🎯 Med+ plump dark fruit smack w/ a creamy blueberry linger — 8 years ago

Jaehyuck Lee

9.0

드라이하고 가볍게 마시기 좋은 논빈티지 샴페인. 모르고 시켰는데 기분좋게 마셨습니다 :) — 6 years ago

with Boin

Ebbe Bonde Soerensen

9.0

After some champagnes with dosage like Chartogne Taillet , the wine gives you a slash back to the Real stuff no make up. Still it needs time, though I had never tasted an old V&S, but my two other bottles will be saved for later at least 3-6 month🥂 — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.2

When first tried this 2011 $95 🇺🇸 Cab was not showing well but since a few years ago it has evolved into a yummy 😈 drop - reminds me of the non overpowered 🇺🇸 Cabs of old 😉

4.25 ⭐️ / 92-93

🍇 95% Cab S, 3% Pet V, 1% Malbec, & 1% Cab F

🍷 Opaque dark ruby

👃 Chocolate covered blackcurrant w/ minerals, blueberry, plum, red berry, lavender, light oak & gravel

👄 Med+ body of rich warming dark berry & plummy damson fruits in creamy chocolate w/ blueberry & purple blackcurrant ooizing through

🎯 Long smooth velvety full flavoured dark fruit in gooey choc — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Superb top year St Julien @ £60 that’s drinking great already but could be fantastic - what a great buy 👍

🍇 70% Cab S, 22% Mer, 4% Cab F & 4% Pet V

🍷 Opaque glass slicking ruby

👃 Plummy dark cherry & blackcurrant through light smoked soft oak w/ herbs, soggy earth, mocha, liquorice & minerals

👄 Med+ body of rich opulent smooth blackcurrant & dark plum w/ a mineral infused liquorice mocha creamy undertone

🎯 Long minerally plump dark fruit w/ a touch of stoney dryness — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Top year @£145 that’s drinking great already but will improve more 😉 but slightly disappointed for money so give 5-10yrs 😁 as 92-94 now

🍇 75% Cab S, 18% Mer, 4% Cab F and 2% Pet V

🍷 Opaque deep ruby

👃 Rich ripe blackcurrant through earthy gravel, pencil lead & minerals w/ blackberry, dark plum, mocha & liquorice

👄 Med+ body of cream divine silky blackcurrant in liquorice mocha w/ dry minerals & blackberry

🎯 Med+ dark fruit & mineral clean finale showing that a few more years will reward more 👍 — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

One of the best QPR St Estephes I've found in a top year @ £32 showing attributes of a top Cos d'Estournel 😉 & owned by Montrose 👍

🍇 51% Mer, 42% Cab S & 7% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Smokey tobacco infused oak through blackcurrant & dark plum w/ soggy earth, crushed rock minerals, cocoa & farmyard - yummy 😍

👄 Med+ body of creamy ripe deep bkackcurrant & dark plum smothered in chocy mocha & minerals

🎯 Med+ dry chocolatey earthy dark fruit — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Top year Margaux @ £55-70 drinking superb already but will improve next 20yrs 👍 gorgeous @ this price 😍

🍇 56 % Cab S, 30% Mer, 4% Cab F & 10% Pet V

🍷 Garnet dark ruby w/ brick edge

👃 Lovely wet earth, minerals, pencil lead, soft smoked oak & mocha through dark berries w/ a whiff of prune

👄 Med+ creamy silk body of earthy rich mocha infused dark berries & liquorice

🎯 Med+ double mocha shot & black fruit slight dry earthy kiss — 8 years ago