Ned Gray Creed

9.5

W&S Top 100. I just had the 2016, now the 2017 appears. Blau is wow. — 7 years ago

with Mark

Mike Mayer

9.1

Another wonderful Merlot. Mountain wines are known for beautiful dark color, intense aromatics and full bodied flavors. This Howell Mountain wine does not disappoint. Beautiful ruby red color and great aromas of blue fruit, cedar and a little earthiness. The tannins on this young wine are very apparent but seem to integrate nicely with the intense flavors of blueberries and baking spices while in your mouth. I am sure this wine will improve with age but it drinks very well today. — 8 years ago

with Lisa

B

10

2011 Clos St. Jacques Gevrey-Chambertin. Dinner w A&S. Didn’t decant and it was great, but next time, definitely note to decant. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.6

Fab £157 Sass now £234 😱 but life is short 😁

🍇 85% Cab S & 15% Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Stewed & spiced blackcurrant/berry & plum through smoked earthy dusty herbs & burnt oak w/ rocky minerals, leather, prune, liquorice & vanilla choc mocha

👄 Med smooth velvet body of herby earthy blackcurrant w/ mocha, prune & red cherry/currant tones in dry minerals & a liquorice hint

🎯 Med+ earthy dark & red fruit touch dry mocha herby earthy happiness 😍
— 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

After the amazing 01 I rushed out & grabbed a case of 2013 @ £65 each - 98RP 😁 Wow it's beautiful now but give this 10+yrs & you have a fab priced 96-99 wine in the making 😍 28k bottles so buy 👍

🍇 49% Grenache, 25% Carignan, 10% Cab S & 16% Syrah

🍷 Opaque ruby w/ purple hue

👃 Rich mocha infused spiced dark cherry/berry bang w/ minerals, pencil lead, herbs & crushed violets

👄 Full bodied ripe creamy dark berry/cherry oozy chocy mocha infused boom

🎯 Long deep dark fruits & cocoa linger — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.6

After the fab 09 Sass does this @ £137 stack up? Oh yeah 😍 blind I'd say this was top Bordeaux 👍

⭐️ 95-96 now, but 97-99 in 5yrs 😉

🍇 52% Cab S, 22% Mer, 21% Cab F & 5% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Sweet cedar & oak, through smoked herbs, mint, blackcurrant, blackberry & dark plum in gravelly minerals w/ red flowers, spice, leather & mocha

👄 Med++ body of creamy ripe rich chewy bcurrant/berry & dark plums bathed in thick choc mocha w/ fine dry tannins

🎯 Long mineral & mocha infused dark fruit lasting stain — 9 years ago

Marcio Morelli

9.5

Not a rose as identified.
A blend of 2005 botrytised sauvignon blanc (SB) and dry SB from the subsequent vintages through solera system.
Sweet, freaking acid w/ slight oxidative notes. Unique! — 9 years ago

with Otavio

Brian Reedy

9.2

Delicious. Classic Bob Cabral and W/S. Deep luscious fruit, bright acidity and balance. — 7 years ago

B

10

1993 Leroy Clos de Vougeot. Dinner at Ac House w A&S. Opened for 45 min but didn’t decant. Amazing. Plum, strawberry, cherry. Not too sweet. Excellent. — 7 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

— 8 years ago

Chris England

9.5

😍 @ £31 this Musar is top & I’ve reviewed a few times 👍 personally i find it the best of many vintages I’ve had & not as funky as others 😉

🏵 495 points

🍇 Cab S, Cinsault & Carignan

🍷 Garnet cherry w/ brick edge

👃 Smokey oaky spiced leather infused cherry choc gateaux, red potpourri, prune compote, red berry jam, barnyard, mushroom risotto & herbs - gorgeous in a Zalto Burg 😎

👄 Med balanced body of earthy smooth red cherry in mocha, date & prune sauce w/ strawberry & redcurrant tones

🎯 Med+ earthy red berry/cherry gateaux💥 — 8 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 — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Off year Pape Clement @ £76 but one of the best in 07 😁 & drinking lovely today 👍

🍇 51% Cab S, 46% Mer, 2% Pet V & 1% Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Flinty mineral & gravel stones oozing through crushed pencil lead in dirty blackcurrant & dark mashed plum w/ soggy earth, farmyard & soft oak

👄 Med body of rich ripe blackcurrant & dark plum in earthy mocha & liquorice infused with crushed mineral rocks

🎯 Med+ dirty dark fruits surrounded with mocha, liquorice & minerals — 9 years ago

Chris England

9.5

Lascombes is one of my favourite Margauxs 😍 & the earthiest Margaux I've found @ £85

🍇 52% Cab S, 45% Mer & 3% Pet V

🍷Black opaque ruby

👃Iintense smoked oak, thick lead pencil, flint, gravel, stewed dark berries, mocha, minerals & dirty earth & soggy leaves w/ stinky farmyard hint 😍

👄 Med+ silky smooth soft body of deep earthy creamy mashed dark black fruits, liquorice & mocha w/ fine dry tannins & mineral rocks

🎯 Med+ lead, mineral, gravel, mocha, dark berry slight dry earthy linger — 9 years ago

Chris England

9.4

II’ve loved all the Sandhi 2012 range of whites & this £65 S&B is superb 👍 Paired with enough curry to get a small village going regular for a week 🤣 💨 sorry I didn’t take pics of that feast 😁

📍 Sandhi Sandford & Benedict Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2012 @sandhiwines

🏵 94 points

🍷 Golden yellow

👃 Chopped pineapple, crushed rock mineral, lemon oil, key lime pie, honey gloop & white jasmine flowers w/ light oak, vanilla & apple

👄 Med+ body of creamy refreshing clean tropical & citrus yummyness without being overly syrupy & a hit of green apple, pineapple, honey & minerality in med acidity

🎯 Med+ fresh apple, citrus & tropical trickle w/ a dry mineral honeyed pineapple slapette — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.6

I 💗 Figeac & as one of the top wines of 2015, that I paid £110 for but now £200+ as it’s a 98-100 pointer, I couldn’t wait to pop one 😊

This is drinking superb young & will indeed be a superstar 😍

🏵 96 points w/ 98+ potential

🍇 43% Cab S, 29% Merlot & 28% Cab F

🍷 Opaque deep purple ruby

👃 Heady deep rich blackcurrant & dark plum w/ soft oak, red liquorice, cocoa cream butter, rock minerals, minty herbs & soggy earth - Bordeaux nasal sex

👄 Med+ body of silky creamy plump oozy blackcurrant & dark bursting plums through cocoa, violets & minerals w/ a touch of raspberry liquorice

🎯 Long mineral infused, touch dry, black fruit bomb w/ a cocoa tickle — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.6

I very rarely say this for an expensive wine but this Graves is worth every penny @ £117+ as it will just kept getting better & better but is already divine 😍

🏵 96 points

🍇 64% Cab S, 30% Mer, 5% Cab F & 1% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Minerals & pencil lead through spiced black berry/currant & blueberry w/ soft char-smoked oak, mocha & gravel

👄 Med+ dark plummy silky smooth body of gloopy blackcurrant in chewy liquorice & creamy mocha goo

🎯 Long dark gooey fruity plummy sticky liquorice linger w/ mocha & mineral hit — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

A yum 01 @ £74 that is singing right now with a sexual nose teasing tickle 😍

🍇 63.5 % Cab S, 33.5 % Mer & 3 % Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Deep rich tantalising smokey oaky blackcurrant plummy plump squishy earthy oozy nasal tease w/ minerals, pencil lead, leather, herbs & mocha

👄 Med body of silky cream dark plum & blackcurrant in a mocha liquorice w/ a touch of dry minerals

🎯 Med+ dark berry bang w/ a liquorice mocha mineral smooth kiss — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.7

Been a few years since I've had one of my favourite wines but when in 🇪🇸 I had to treat us to this €275 Vega goddess 😍 Drinking fab but will sure age gorgeously 👍

95-97 today but 98-99 in time 😎

🍇 Tempranillo w/ a dollop of 6% Cab S

🍷 Opaque blackened ruby

👃 Thick dark cherry black forest chocolate gateaux w/ infused smoked oak & liquorice

👄 Full bodied ripe black cherry bathed in rich creamy cocoa silk w/ liquorice

🎯 Long dark chocy cherry liquorice boom 💥
— 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

My favourite St J Chateau & been eager to pop this 💯 Parker pointer @ £180 just entering its early drinking window 😁 Already good but a sure 98-100 in 10-30yrs 👍 93-95 today

🍇 60% Cab S, 29% Mer, 6% Pet V & 5% Cab F

🍷 Deep opaque inky ruby

👃 Smokey oak, dark plum, blackcurrant, minerals, pencil lead, soggy earth, gravel, charcoal & sweet cedar

👄 Med+ body of creamy mineral infused ripe black berries & plum in mocha & liquorice

🎯 Long dark fruits filled w/ minerals & lashings of mocha & liquorice — 9 years ago