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

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! — 8 years ago

with Otavio

Chris England

9.2

Great Pomerol Chateau & @ £105 this 08 still needs more time to shine 😉 Good now, great in 5yrs 👍

🍇 70% Mer, 20% Cab F & 10% Cab S

🍷 Dark ruby

👃 Smokey oak through squished spiced dark plum w/ herbs, cocoa, minerals & red fruit tones

👄 Med body of creamy smooth dark plum & blackcurrant

🎯 Med dark fruit finish - a little short for VCC 🤔 — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Bend me over a spank me 😁 92 going 94-95 with age

One of my fav St Em in top year @ £67

Drinking great already but a long life ahead in this bad boy 👍

🍇 85% Mer, 14% Cab F & 1% Cab S

🍷 Deep opaque ruby

👃 Deep smokey oak & prune infused mocha & thick plum bar w/ earthy liquorice, mineral & blackcurrant

👄 Med+ ripe chewy soft silky punchy slight sweet black berries & dark fat charred plum w/ touch of cherry, prune, liquorice & mocha

🎯 Long dark & red berry/cherry/plum smooth linger w/ hint of dryness — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.2

One of the best vintages of this fab Chateau @ £52 drinking lovely now & next couple of years 👍

🍇 53% Cab S, 45% Mer & 2% Cab F

🍷 Deep ruby red

👃 Crushed wet mineral rock covered in earth & leaves w/ mocha, liquorice pushing through plump dark plum, squished blackcurrant & smokey oak

👄 Med body of silky smooth fully integrated ripe dark fruits in liquorice, mocha & earth

🎯 Med+ mocha liquorice dark fruit — 8 years ago

Chris England

8.9

One of my favourite St Estephe chateaus on great QPR 👍 @ £40 this 04 was at its peak 2yrs ago but still an enjoyable drop that won't improve

🍇 48% Cab S, 50% Mer & 2% Cab F

🍷 Dark ruby

👃 Mellowed gravel, minerals, leather, wet leaves & earth through aged stewed blackcurrant & fresh blackberry w/ light smokey oak & herby tones

👄 Med smooth body of deep earthy blackcurrant, dark plum & double shot mocha

🎯 Med earthy muted dark fruit mocha kiss — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

First, a person has to pause and realize how lucky they are to drink this wine from 3L. Thanks Clyde for opening. This is in a perfect stage. Such evolution, length, balance, structure. Love the lower 80's alcohol levels. It's rich, lush and near perfect. Dark cassis; ripe and resolved blackberries, dark cherries, black plum w/skin, mixed berry liqueur, tobacco leaf, leather so soft you would wish it as a pillow cover, dry pebbles, dark rich earth, perfect acidity and a rich, elegant, ripe dark fruit finish. In 3L, this wine still has 10-15 years. — 9 years ago

B

10

1996 Salon S Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne. Champagne to kick off the house dinner w A&C BG and MR&GR. We love! — 9 years ago

B

10

1993 Screaming Eagle Cab. Drank at Press w K, Iana, S, and AG. Such a treat and very interesting as Kplanned it as a comp with the 1991 Harlan. For the first hour or so, we all favored the SE. Super unctuous and round, like velvet in the mouth. Then the wines came to temp and the picture completely changed and we all grew to favor the Harlan. Interestingly, the SE got flabby and very, very sweet. A thought it was bc it lacked the tannins that the Harlan showed. Anyway, SE turned almoSt port-like, with a nose of dates, raisins, and prunes. Amazing and fun to see the change throughout the night. — 10 years ago

Larry Edelman

9.6

Smooth and silky w/body — 12 years ago

Doug Sayed

9.1

Bright and savory red fruits with solid acidity and fine tannins. Savory red fruit and slightly exotic (in a good way) finish. Another winner from W-S. — 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 — 8 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

Chris England

9.1

An off vintage that shouldn't have improved! @ £47 this 07 is drinking lovely right now w/ all tannins soft & integrated 👍

🍇 70% Cab S, 27% Mer & 3% Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Mineral & pencil lead driven earthy spiced blackcurrant & dark plum w/ leather, wet leaves, mint & smokey cedar/oak

👄 Med+ body of creamy smooth blackcurrant & dark plum w/ mocha & minerals, all well integrated now

🎯 Med+ ripe dark fruit, mocha & mineral coating — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.6

Latest vintage of Tig @ £67 & wow it's another winner 😍👏 drinking great already after 3hrs 💨 but set for stardom - buy this beauty 😉

🍇 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cab S & 5% Cab F

🍷 Deep Ruby w/ purple hue

👃 Red cherry, spiced blackcurrant w/ sweet black & blueberries through mocha, minerals & smoke

👄 Med+ bodied ripe creamy smooth rich blackcurrant, red & dark berries through mocha in super fine tannins

🎯 Long black & blue berries slight sweet finessed linger — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

This 22yr old Montrose @ £115 is drinking lovely right now - Forget nasal sex, this is a nostralic-orgy 😍

🍇 63% Cab S, 31% Mer, 5% Cab F & 1% Pet V

🍷 Dark garnet Ruby

👃 Delicate minerals, gravel, earth & wet leaves through stewed spiced blackcurrant, prune, date & plum w/ farmyard, liquorice, herbs, smoke, leather, mocha & black tea - yummy 😉

👄 Med body of incredibly smooth silky blackcurrant, plum & red berry in dark mocha & black tea

🎯 Med earthy dark aged mashed fruit soaking
— 9 years ago

B

9.0

1999 Gianfranco Soldera Riserva Brunello. Lunch at T w Roger S and BP. Drank alongside the '99 Insignia. Decanted this wine ~30 min. We think this was an off bottle. Thin, high acid, no finish. Too bad. — 9 years ago

B

10

Magnum 1990 Chateau Latour Bordeaux. Dinner at Bouch w S&L DiM and P&S Co. Drank this after the '93 Ponsot Clos de la Roche out of magnum. This wine was definitely more green and peppery- altogether bigger and less soft. Table was split in which wine was preferred- K and I preferred this wine, but PC and SD, who prefer bigger CA-style wines, enjoyed this better. — 9 years ago

Ed Lehrman

9.0

Very youthful fruit. Layered and lots of spice. Some bottle development and a touch of VA even at 14.3% alc. Pleasurable but not as classy as many W-S at this age. — 10 years ago

Travis Scarborough

9.3

If this is only $27, it's s steal for sure! Wow! Thought it was Russian River! Thnx for sharing Mark W! — 10 years ago

Timothy Eustis

Wine Director, Red Lion Inn

9.7

Wonderful lite-bodied CDR, w/ charming spice. @jmolesworth1 says it "reveal[s] a gentle shiso leaf hint." I call BS. But I quite like it. — 12 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 — 8 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 — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.3

🕺 @ £62 this is OK now but 10-20yrs big potential QPR dancing in the street 💃🕺 like the 2 chaps on the label 😀

🍇 50% Cab S, 36% Mer, 11% Cab F & 3% Carm & Pet V

🍷Opaque deep ruby

👃 Sweet cedar, light burnt oak, blackcurrant, ripe cherry, liquorice, mocha, pencil lead & earthy minerals

👄 Med+ smooth body of slight sweet dark & red rich fruit, mocha & liquorice w/ soft slight dry tannin

🎯 Med+ earthy liquorice blackcurrant, black cherry & mocha — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.8

I ❤️ Solaia & @ £145 this 09 is a lip smacker cracker goddess palate puncher 👊💥 Superb!

🍇 75% Cab S, 20% Sangiovese & 5% Cab F

🍷 Deep opaque ruby

👃 Melted rich cocoa through ripe oozing stewed black fruits, plum & blueberry w/ subtle minerals, gravel, earth & leather

👄 Full bodied impeccably balanced silky punchy creamy blackcurrant, blueberry & cherry seduction

🎯 Long teeth staining power packed black & blue fruit touch dry wallop — 8 years ago

Chris England

8.9

£99 Magnum that RP said "one of the most disappointing St.-Juliens I tasted 84pts" well I think he should retry the great numpty 😜 Still could do w/ 2-5yrs 👍 Great nose but palate still a little tight

🍇 63% Cab S, 25% Mer, 9% Cab F & 3% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Smokey oaky earthy farmyard through shy blackcurrant & spiced plum w/ minerals, leather, musky cellar & wet leaves - fab nose 👍

👄 Med earthy mocha blackcurrant body w/ dry tannins & touch of tart cherry

🎯 Med dry earthy blackcurrant finish — 9 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Been on my wish list to try this wine a while now 👌 @ £62 this didn't disappoint 👍

Great young 92-93 & not as tannic as I expected but will age into a beauty 94-96 me thinks 😍 Give a good decant 3+ hrs

🍇 55% Cab S, 25% Mer, 18% Cab F & 2% Pet V

🍷 Deep opaque ruby

👃 Ripe mocha infused spiced plum & sweet blackcurrant w/ smokey herby earthy tones

👄 Med-Full bodied smooth plump sweet blackcurrant & chewy plum w/ mocha tones & fine tannins

🎯 Long dark fruit mocha super stain — 9 years ago

B

10

Magnum 2008 Peter Michael Point Rouge Chardonnay. Dinner at Tap w S&L DiM and P&S Co. Super. Loved especially at Susie and Lydia- the Chardonnay lovers. Not overly oaky- just rich and oaky enough to know it's a CA Chardonnay, but not so much that it's buttery and too rich in oakiness. Enjoyed. — 9 years ago

B

10

1985 Sassicaia. Second red wine at Redd Wood lunch w A, S, and K. This wine was perfect. Epic. We could not believe how perfect this wine was drinking. Thoroughly enjoyed it- it was enjoyable the way truffles are- hard to describe, but pleasing to all relevant senses. — 10 years ago

Bryan Garcia

Sales Grand Cru Selections

9.7

The notes on this one read "considered old in 1850". Was to me the most complete & elegant Maderia in a lineup of old bottles. The flavor spectrum this plays in blows my mind. — 11 years ago