Alan Snitow

9.1

Disgorged 06 so 99 or so — 6 months ago

Peter Nyvall

9.5

Stellar grenach blanc, perfect summer wine — 2 years ago

Shengli Hu

8.9

Since 2020 wild yeast fermentation with at least 20% whole cluster (layering in fermenter). They’ve been using whole cluster since 2010 hovering around 10-15% gradually increasing. 1992-1995 vintages not destemmed completely either. Sweet cola nut, cranberry, red juicy cherry, sweet baking spices. High acidity, medium soft tannins. 2018 meatier and weightier locking in at 13.6%. In 2020 they separated the native yeast vs non native yeast ferments. According to Tim, native yeast led to better alcohol conversion, richer wine at same alcohol compared to without.

Precious old vines and newly replanted vines. Completely dry farmed no drip lines at all! Some of which are suffering from Pierce’s disease and leafroll virus.

I was told back in 2016 Kelli White and her husband had a deal with John and Nancy to lease their vineyards but they backed off at the last minute… I for one memorized every little detail about School House from Kelli’s tome Napa Valley Then and Now
— 4 years ago

Mario Vaillancourt

9.2

Nez de citron, coquillages entre autres et ce côté salin et assez stylé Droin, assez vif sans excès avec finesse et fraîcheur, juste assez de rondeur avec quelques années en bouteille pour en faire un vin plus équilibré, beaucoup de classe et d'élégance, très typé Vaudésir, toutefois, pas le Chablis GC avec la finale la plus longue mais un fort joli vin. 91-92

Gorgeous Droin GC with sea shells, salinity and lemon aromas and tastes, fresh, crisp, yet elegant and classy, nice balance with a medium length finish but a very nice bottle. — 5 years ago

Ryan Tate

9.1

Juice bomb — 6 years ago

Pierre de La Ville-Baugé

9.0

Des tanins encore prononcés, on peut encore le faire attendre un peu, mais il est excellent ! — 6 years ago

Fredybeans

9.4

Robe noire très peu évoluée
Nez de tabac blond de fruit noire fumé goudron
Bouche ample suave superbe volume et longueur énorme sur le tabac
À faire rougir un très beau bordeaux — 7 years ago

Peter Anthony Riso

9.0

70 Mourvèdre
15 Cinsault
15 Grenache
Mis en Bouteille par SAS Gueissard 83110 Sanary sur Mer-Var, France
Estate located in the heart of Provence.
Low yields, hand picking, exceptional terroir, and our ‘savoir-faire’ reveal the elegance, character, and finesse of this great wine!
14.5%ABV — 7 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

Mollie Laidly

8.9

had this slightly chilled — 4 years ago

Mario Vaillancourt

9.1

Un beau vin sur la finesse, la pureté et l’élégance, l’acidité est un peu en retrait mais elle est tout de même suffisante pour en faire un bel ensemble, meilleur au jour 2. 91-92

Very classy and elegant wine with a backward acidity but enough to support the whole thing, very pure and clean, precise. Better on day two. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Pale to mid Ruby in colour with great clarity. Aromatic red and black Cherry notes with rose petals. A stalky whole bunch note with a little spice. Those fresh cherry notes of medium weight but medium plus intensity transfer through to the palate. Very fresh, young with great potential for future complexity. I can see why it won the Trophy for Best Pinot Noir at both Royal Adelaide and Royal Hobart - both shows with extensive and high quality Pinot entries. Too young but I had to try the first of 6. Next in a year plus. Technical background: (whole berry ferments with 20% whole bunches. Aged in 25% new puncheons and Barriques). Ended up having the 2nd bottle 195 weeks later on 25th October 2024. Just a stunning Pinot Noir and even improving on that 2 Trophies standard. — 5 years ago

Matt Lublinsky

9.3

Good structure and acidity and some unexpected effervescence — 7 years ago

with Jessica

Yan Gagnon

9.0

Robe: Profonde et concentrée, reflétant la richesse du millésime. Nez: Superbe bouquet où dominent les fruits noirs intenses. Des notes de graphite et de crayon à mine apportent une élégance minérale caractéristique, signature d'un vin de grande classe. Bouche: Attaque riche et structurée. La matière est dense avec une belle longueur en bouche. Les tanins, légèrement râpeux, témoignent de la jeunesse du vin tout en promettant un beau potentiel de garde. L'ensemble est harmonieux et parfaitement équilibré. Finale: Persistante, avec un retour des arômes de fruits noirs et de minéralité. Remarque: Ce vin s'inscrit dans la lignée des grands vins bordelais, d'autant plus intéressant quand on sait que Jean-Claude Berrouet, ancien maître de chai de Pétrus, a apporté son savoir-faire à l'élaboration de ces cuvées. Son expérience dans l'un des domaines les plus prestigieux du monde viticole se ressent dans l'équilibre et la finesse de ce 2019. — a year ago

Ginny DeLacey

9.3

Excellent brutal. Drank during jazz fest weekend. — 3 years ago

with Joseph

Josh Dragseth

9.2

This is a nice, crisp and smooth Chardonnay. — 4 years ago

TClark

9.0

Love it when my shipment from them arrives !! — 5 years ago

Mario Vaillancourt

9.0

Very Droin in style, crisp and tight, fresh and mineral, with just enough density to make it a very good 1st growth, drinks like a charm.

Très beau premier cru de Droin, frais et mineral, serré et vif, avec juste assez de densité et texture pour en faire une bouteille qui se siffle en un rien de temps. 90-91
— 5 years ago

Nicolas Duchesneau

9.1

Bon mes attentes étaient quand meme éleve, dans mon CellarTracker c’était indiqué 2005, je voulais me faire plaisir mais en enlevant la capsule je remarque l’inscription 2003! Bon sang, le producteur s’est trompé de bouchon... mais non l’acheteur c’est trompé de millésisme qui est timidement indiqué à l’endos de la bouteille. Somme tout, la bouteille était tres agréable, on reconnaissait la chauffe du millésisme, la prune, les fruits cuits. Rien de comparable à un 2005 bu il y a deca quelques années déjà! Helas! Il m’en reste une autre que j’ouvrirai tres bientot probablement à l’automne avec un bon plat mijoté — 6 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.0

I always enjoy D&R wines for their tasty, quaffable nature. Great weekday easy drinkers. Where I’m let down is in their homogeneity. Each bottle seems like same wine repeated with little varietal character. Maybe it’s the concrete ferments and/or carbonic maceration. — 7 years ago