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

9.5

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 — 9 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 — 9 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! — 10 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

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

9.4

Fab Tig @ £67 now £115 which I actually preferred younger but it's ageing lovely 👍 & has evolved to show intense coffee 😁

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

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brown edge

👃 Smokey mocha infused dark earthy ripe plummy/cherry fruits w/ a herby, oak, mineral & red flower potpourri backbone

👄 Med+ body of creamy mocha through dark plums, berries & cherries w/ liquorice undertone

🎯 Long rich double shot mocha dark berry earthy touch dry mouth coating — 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 — 9 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 — 9 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 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

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

9.2

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 🤔 — 9 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 — 9 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

1996 Screaming Eagle. Dinner at Tap w S&L DiM and P&S Co. Superstar. We all remarked how unbelievably balanced this wine was, despite how big it remained at 20 years old. Finish lasted forever and was a truly memorable finish to the evening. — 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

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! — 11 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