Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

23 is so far all they say it was. This is stunning. Silky, clean, fresh and smooth. Purity and absolute beauty. Delicious. Only a 1/2 a hectare. — 4 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.6

Deep Ruby with aromas of fresh berry fruits, floral and slight spicy notes. Blend of 90% Sangiovese with the rest Canaiolo and Colorino, aged 24 months in oak. Fruit comes primarily from a 2.5 hectare parcel of vines planted in 1982 on a south – southeast facing slope. On the palate cherry and black raspberry flavors, adding lovely floral notes, well balanced with acidity and fine tannins. The finish is long ending with slight earthy smoky minerality. Very Nice!! — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

The Reserve is made from 5 rows of vines in the centre of the closely spaced (9000 vines per hectare) north east facing vineyard planted on silky loam. The unfiltered Reserve is matured for 20 months in new Alliers oak. Regarding colour this is mid crimson with tawny notes. A stunning nose - a red fruited perfume (cherry) with loamy Sous Bois notes (compost heap). Those aromatics translate to the medium bodied palate finishing with fine silky tannins. Very Bass Phillip. Obviously in the conversation regarding the best Pinot Noir in Australia. I would give the mantle to the BP Reserve. It should be for the price. One should not approach a BP Reserve under 10 years of age. This is of top 1er Cru and Grand Cru standard. — 2 years ago

Martinez

9.0

Riesling from less than one hectare on a hillside overlooking the village of Riquewihr, Andrée Trapet’s hometown. Like all their holdings in the Côte de Nuits, all plots here are farmed biodynamically. Fermented in tank, aged for 10 months in neutral oak barrels and concrete eggs. Elegant, precise nose with citrus, floral and stony notes. Dry, pure, quite refined. Nice tension, subtle minerality — 4 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

8.9

1990 vintage. An under the radar Pomerol, bought in 1961 by the grandfather of current owner Nathalie Despagne. He also owned La Tour Figeac in Saint-Emilion and La Rose Figeac is just across the Saint-Emilion border. The 4,56 hectare vineyard consists of 9 parcels (all within 500 m of each other) on gravelly sandy soils and is planted with Merlot (90%) and Cabernet Franc. My bottle had a near-perfect level and as the smell was a bit musty upon opening, but there was still good fruit in the mouth and the colour looked very solid, I took the risk to decant it. It turned out to be a wise decision as the wine evolved positively, even if the tannins remained a bit rustic. On the other hand it still has lively fruit and freshness, it is a testimony to the ageing potential of Bordeaux wines and an attractive food wine. Abv. 12,8% . — 4 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.7

Tasted & immediately looked up what I had bought, $50.00 but so worth it.
K&L notes,

This is no cheap rosé, it's true. But consider, for a minute, that this is no simple quaffer of a pink wine. It hails from Palette, one of the smallest appellations in all of France. It is, in a sense, a sort of Provençal monopole, since Château Palette owns nearly all the acreage in this tiny 23-hectare zone. Their vines are old, too. In some cases, more than 100 years old. The red grapes are the usual suspects for this part of France: Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah with small amounts of Cinsault, Carignane, and other local varieties. But at Simone, they translate into a rosé unlike any other. We're talking power here, and a certain something serious. The rosé is fermented in small foudres and is then racked into barriques and left on the lees until the following spring. Rich with raspberries and herbs, this mouth-filling rosé holds onto its natural acidity, as it does not undergo malolactic fermentation thanks to the very cool cellars of this historic chateau. This wine costs as much as many reds. Fortunately, it has the concentration and complexity to go along with the price. Serve it with serious food and be prepared to broaden your appreciation of what rosé can be.
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— 4 years ago

Martinez

9.3

Silky, elegant Pinot Noir by Thierry Mortet, Denis Mortet’s younger brother. This wine comes from a 0.22 hectare plot in Aux Beaux Bruns, one of Chambolle-Musigny’s 25 officially classified premier crus and at little over 1 hectare, also one of the smallest. Domaine Denise Mortet owns another 0.22 hectares in this climat - I suppose, the other half of parcel split between the two brothers when their father Charles Mortet retired in 1991. Delicate. Ripe black fruit, smoke and pepper aromas. Very smooth tannins, good length and satin-like finish.
— 6 years ago

Vanessa

9.5

Prior notes continue to apply…

When we visited Billecart-Salmon in October of 2021, we received a tour of the stunning estate. Along the way, our guide, Jerome, paused near a traditional “Clos” (a single vineyard, enclosed by a wall) on the property. 

We could see a beautiful stone wall, surrounding a tiny 1 hectare parcel of “Clos Saint-Hilaire,” named after the Patron Saint & local church in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, where Billecart-Salmon is located. 

Although we didn’t go into the Clos, we learned about how special this parcel is to the family; how it’s exclusively planted to Pinot Noir with vines dating back to 1964; how work in the vineyard is performed by hand and horse-drawn plows; how this parcel is farmed according to an age-old savoir-faire, adhering to principles of sustainable viticulture.

The wine is pale gold with a prominent bouquet of yellow apple, Anjou pear, raspberry, lemon curd, white peach, white blossom, desiccated white rose, wet stones, biscuit, brioche, almond paste, marzipan, crusty croissant, pie crust, toast, creamy texture and persistent, fine-beaded mousse and long elegant finish.

This is a 2005 “Blanc de Noirs” Champagne, comprised of 100% Pinot Noir, all coming from Le Clos Saint Hilaire, vinified entirely in oak casks to lend texture and body, and aged over 13 years sur lie prior to its recent release.  Due to the vineyard’s small size, production is very limited, and wine only produced in the best vintages.

Cheers to beautiful wines expressing a singularity of time and place!

Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire (2005).  — a year ago

with Deked1

Bob McDonald

9.3

Pepper and spice and all things nice as the saying goes as well as a violet note. Very youthful at 10 years of age. The following night a blackcurrant peppery note. Good persistence and length on the medium bodied palate. Tom Carson, the owner and winemaker of Serrat (a Catalonian word meaning close planting - in this case 8800 vines per hectare - one bottle of wine per vine). Tom is also the chief winemaker at Yabby Lake and an in demand Show Judge with a very good palate - Serrat is his private venture with French wife, Nadege. They also import a small excellent range of Burgundy. Had my last bottle 111 weeks later on 14/8/25 with no discernible change to my previous notes. — 3 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

A steal on auction
I wouldn’t consider it a 🥩 wine but great with charcuterie
Web info
Chateau Valandraud is represented by the passion of a couple: Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud. Following the great success with the wine merchant business in Saint Emilion, they opened their own vineyard to produce their own wine.
In 1989, they bought a small parcel of 0.6 hectare (1.48 acres) located in a small valley near Saint Emilion between Pavie-Macquin and La Clotte. The origin of the wine name is as much geographic (Val: Vallon de Fongaban), as sentimental (Andraud: Murielle’s maiden name). Thus Chateau Valandraud was born.
Little by little, Jean-Luc and his wife purchased several other parcels of vines, and now, the domain represents a total surface of 10 hectares (24.71 acres), located in various areas of Saint Emilion. The diversity of soils and varietals permit the production of 6 different wines: Chateau Valandraud, Chateau Valandraud Casher, Virginie de Valandraud and the 3 de Valandraud (the second wine of Chateau Valandraud and Virginie de Valandraud), Blanc de Valandraud N° 1 and N° 2.
The final blending of the various parcels occurs in the month of March, following a blind tasting with the help of the world famous oenologist, Michel Rolland. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

My first of 7 bottles from the 2015 vintage and the ultra close planted Issan vineyard of 5 Hectares planted 9000 vines per Hectare. Rich red fruits with bunchy earthy notes. Not quite as impressive as the 2013 vintage (see previous Delectable notes) which Philip Jones called a freak wine. Medium to full bodied. Lots of fine tannins. Have the remaining bottles every year for the next 6 years. I ended up having the last bottle 175 weeks later on 31st May 2025. This wine was best in its youth and did not develop as hoped. This Issan Cuvée not produced any more under the new French ownership. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Chateau is a 17 hectare estate located at the extreme east of the village of Saint-Emilion. A blend of about 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc with rich aromas of red fruits and cedar spice. On the palate flavors of black cherry, currants and blackberry with notes of licorice, tobacco and leather noting toasty notes. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit and toasty character. Very Nice. Drinking well now! — 5 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2015 vintage. This 5.5 hectare estate was owned by famous consultant Alain Raynaud who sold it in 2016 to Tom Sullivan. Mainly Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Attractive nose with red fruits, cedar wood and a hint of truffle. Structured, a little severe still, but good balance and complexity. Will benefit from further bottle ageing. Decanting recommended if you want to enjoy it now. — 5 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2020 vintage. Only 1 hectare, owned by the Estager family ( also La Cabanne in Pomerol among others). 66% Merlot and 34% Cabernet Franc. Round and ripe, very good value. Even better the next day. — a year ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2019 vintage. Château Julia owns less than 1 hectare of Pauillac (65 are to be precise), situated between Latour and Lynch-Bages. They also produce a Haut-Médoc from 4,5 hectares.
Merlot dominates here (70%), with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. Therefore, it is no surprise to find some floral Margaux-like sexiness here. The wine has a solid stucture, but elegance prevails over power. Typically, only 3000 bottles produced. A hard find, but well worth the search. — 2 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.2

Well stored bottle, No problems whatsoever Dark web info, Chateau Lalande Borie is a relatively new estate in the Medoc. The vineyard was initially created when the Borie family purchased 18 hectares of vines from Chateau Lagrange in 1970. To that, they added 12 more hectares of vines from various other growers, some of which needed planting.

Things changed with the 2018 vintage when the estate was renamed Le Petit Ducru.

Chateau Lalande Borie Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 25-hectare, Left Bank vineyard is planted to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard has a terroir of gravel and clay soils. The clay in the soil is part of the reason that today, you find more Merlot in the vineyard. Previously the Cabernet Sauvignon occupied 65% of the vineyard makeup.

The vineyard is well placed in the western part of the St. Julien appellation. It is situated inland, not too far from Chateau Lagrange, Chateau Talbot, and Chateau Gruaud Larose. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 8,500 vines per hectare.


Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/st-julien/chateau-lalande-borie-st-julien-bordeaux-wine/ — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Had this a few days ago and again misplaced my notes. I recall intense raspberry on nose and palate. The Rayner vineyard in McLaren vale is a small 0.7 hectare vineyard of 48 year old Grenache vines renowned for the quality of the fruit. Picked early to show the freshness and aromatics of this special patch of Grenache. Some of the ferment spent 120 days on skins in a ceramic egg. Only 210 dozen bottles made. I managed to get 3 bottles. This is the first. I think the style doesn’t lend itself to extended cellaring. Had another bottle 22 weeks later on the 15th June 2023. Raspberry notes with a jujube character. As in first note made for early consumption I believe. — 3 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

Not the team’s I wanted to see, so I’ll just stick to the basics. Went well with some A5 coffee crusted New York Strip, the steak 🥩 is so rich you don’t want to waste it on a fruity wine

The 2010 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is situated on deep gravel deposits in the Macau and Ludon villages of the appellation and has 9,600 vines per hectare.

Vinious 93 The 2010 Cantemerle is vigorous and open on the nose, a mixture of red and black fruit with cedar and humidor scents. I admire the focus and detail. The palate is rounded in texture on the entry. This is a plumper, richer, more fruit-driven 2010 with a lush finish on the context of the growing season. You could broach this now, although I would prefer to leave it another three or four years. This is another excellent wine and candidate for most over-performing cru this vintage. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

See previous note which was my longest ever Delectable note. This wine has such an interesting story. Virtually unknown and surrounded by Right Bank royalty like Evangile, La Dominique and Petrus. Mainly Merlot with a small % of Cabernet Franc. Dark fruits with blackberry and a touch of vanilla. Only medium weight with soft fine tannins. Quite detuned. Cost $45 and drinks to its price point unlike the expensive wines produced by the neighbours. This tiny 0.4 hectare block’s grapes would normally be absorbed by one of the neighbours and end up in a much more expensive Cuvée. The previous Delectable note is incorrectly called Chateau Vieux Chantecaille but the lengthy description refers to this same wine. — 5 years ago

Daniel Bloom

9.3

Perfumed and well knit, all of this in a harmonious package of flowers, earth, spice, acid, and tannins. A Nebbiolo clone, Rosé, with only 1 hectare grown.
Delicious. The ‘14 was ready with a two hour decant. — 6 years ago