Doug Griffin

9.4

Nose: One of the most captivating Chardonnays I’ve encountered. Enticing layers of lemon tart, ripe lychee, fragrant perfume, and a distinctive touch of holy basil.
Palate: Medium-bodied yet intensely flavorful, bursting with bright lemon curd, silky cream, and toasted notes. The acidity is vibrant and refreshing, keeping everything lively. Oak is present and supportive, adding structure without ever overpowering the fruit. — a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois NV
Champagne, France 🇫🇷

Overview
This distinguished cuvée from the esteemed family-run house (est. 1818) earns its name “Sous Bois” (“under wood”) by being fully vinified and aged in oak barrels. The blend features ~34% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, and 33% Pinot Meunier—a balanced trio that brings both richness and finesse. The oak elevates its texture, resulting in a strikingly layered and structured Champagne that’s a step above the usual non-vintage Brut. 

Aromas & Flavors
Lively orchard fruit like pear, green apple, and citrus mingle with decadent notes of brioche, roasted nuts, vanilla, and a tertiary spice layer from the oak. A mineral undertone provides brightness underneath the creamy, toasty character.  

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet refined, with a fine and lingering mousse. The palate feels velvety and textured, balanced by bright acidity and a satisfying, mineral-driven finish.  

Winemaking Notes
Fermentation and aging are conducted entirely in oak barrels at cool temperatures. A portion of the wine includes reserve wines, which contribute depth and consistency. Lees aging ranges from 6 to 7 years. No malolactic fermentation in most lots, preserving freshness and clarity.   

Food Pairing
A versatile and luxurious Champagne—ideal with roasted poultry, creamy shellfish dishes (think lobster or scallops), and earthy mushroom preparations. Works elegantly as both an aperitif and a gastronomic accompaniment.

Verdict
Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois NV is a masterclass in barrel-fermented Champagne. It blends textural richness with precision and finesse—bold yet balanced, complex yet harmonious. A standout choice when you want something unforgettable and elegant. — 10 months ago

Michael Chelus

9.1

Black currant, raspberry preserves, blackberry, licorice, cherry and oak. Full-bodied and soft tannins. — 3 years ago

Gary Nishimura

9.1

Anniversary dinner at Summit House. Delicious!!! — 3 years ago

Scott E. Becker

9.1

[Tasted on November 21, 2022 at City House in Nashville with Michael and Rachel]

Purchased wine at winery during visit in September 2022. Fruit sourced from Pope Valley. Wine aged in 75% new French Oak with Medium to Medium+ toasting. Blackberry, black cherry and ripe raspberry fruit, with graphite, mocha, cocoa, caramel, toffee, toasted marshmallow and cinnamon. Darker fruit profile than 2017 vintage. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Ruby in color with a wide reddish/brick rim.

Pretty nose of black currants, black cherries, raspberries, spices, light earth, light oak, wild flowers, tobacco leaf and black pepper.

Medium bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, sweet raspberries, earth, light oak, spices, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates and black pepper.

Long finish with very little tannins and sour cranberries.

This 12 year old Pinot Noir from Napa Valley is delicious now. Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel.

Actually, it feels more like a Burgundy Pinot Noir. Interesting stuff.

Easy drinking and good right out of the bottle. Nicely balanced and good by itself.

This Single Vineyard Pinot Noir is peaking now. A great sipping wine.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

I had the 2014 a year ago, and this is even better. Delicious wine.

100% Pinot Noir grapes were aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Unfiltered and unfined.

13.4% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$210. ($65 current vintage). — 4 years ago

with Scott

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Angelo Gaja, owner of Gaja Winery, began a new venture - Ca'Marcanda, Piedmontese term for “house of endless negotiations”-Blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Syrah & 10% Sangiovese, aromas of berry fruits and sweet oak and floral notes. On the palate fresh red berry fruits with a smoky oak character. Fine tannins, lingering, ending with fruit and oak character. Nice! Tasting Sample! — 8 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim and medium intensity.

Strong nose of red and black fruits with light wood, spices, coffee and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, stewed cherries, cedar, licorice, chocolates, light earth, coffee, herbs and spices.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 6 year old Pinot Noir from Carneros is still drinking nicely, although will not last long, so drink up.

Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel. Fruit forward and easy drinking, and good right out of the bottle.

Good by itself as a sipping wine.

100% Pinot Noir grapes were aged in French oak barrels for 9 months. Unfiltered.

13.8% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$32. — 7 months ago

Grace LemMon

9.5

a perfect sip, a bit acidic on the finish, but no oak. — 2 years ago

Devin Brown

9.0

The Description: Dense deep red color. Complex and true to House Style and brimming with mocha/coffee ground aromatics, heightened by tar/bitumen "black" notes. Appealing char and creamy, vanillin oak detected ever-so-subtly in the background. Naturally, a flurry of fruits, spice and varietal markers abound. The palate, in a couple of words, voluminous and powerful. A sensory stratification of layers of taste – separated via time-of-detection and unravelling of flavors. At first, Christmas pudding with roasted nuts, then rare lamb and black olives, then sarsaparilla spice. Tannins awashed, oak absorbed, fruit awakened.
The opinion: agree with above, excellent — 3 years ago

Willie Carter

9.6

Youthful but exuberant and already showing itself to be special. An aesthetically pleasing light golden hue with effusive tiny bubbles. Really fun aromas of oak and mint with cigar smoke and a dab of honey. It honestly just keeps getting better and better. Cherries and lychee with plums and dried herbs. This is already off to a good start.

Everything from this house is fantastic year in and year out. Mostly Grand Cru Pinot from Bouzy, this has a bit of Chardonnay added in. Energetic and lively with terrific structure. This has the bones to be super in the future. Based on the glorious year of 2012, it’s already a great wine.

Elegance and explosiveness in the mouth. Purity and freshness for days. A citrus attack to start off with followed by red fruits. Biscuits and cigars on the long, lusty finish. If you’re familiar with Bara champagnes you probably already have this tucked safely away and if you’re not, you should be. — 3 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

9.0

School House Vineyard ’Mescolanza Syrah Blend’ 2012: Medium-full bodied. High acidity. Fine tannins. Bold dark fruits. Plum. Vanilla. Spice. Earth. Oak. Smooth fruity dry finish. Consisting of a mixed black blend of Syrah, Grenache & Mourvèdre, this mountain wine packed a lot of subtle but powerful fruit. For me, this was a pleasant representation of a Rhône style blend from the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley. All in all, great depth, complexity & tremendous QPR! Happy weekend to all! Cheers🍷 — 4 years ago

Gabby

9.0

Cab sauv at Kenlee’s house with jens and Palm. Ate with Lagnaa. Spicy bold mid tannins mid acidity on the dry side; plum/prune/oak/chocolate — 6 years ago

Sam Agami

10

Wow, old school perfection! California wine from a forgotten age. Pure Italian-American greatness. Reminds me of the wine my childhood landlord would make from the vines that grew behind our house just upstate from NYC. Dark fruits abundant, soft acidity and tanins, nice touch of oak, without obscuring the graps as so many California wineries are obsessed with doing for some reason these days. Found this at a random liquor store on a road trip, will seek it out now. Even better than the Cribari Chianti or Coppola Rosso, which were my previous favorite in this genre, the wonderfully underappreciated "backyard" wine... — 8 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.1

I don‘t know. This has so much oak it overpowers everything. Might need another 10 years to be approachable. Cigar box, black berries. Deep, big and profound. I am not sure I would spend 70$ on this. It needs much much more time. Probably needs to be open for 2 days. Out of the machine at the Wine House in LA. — 8 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This pours a darker yellow.

Part of this has spent time in oak.

Nice mousse but leaner in style as it fades a bit on the long set.

Starts with slightly macerated stone fruits-peach, nectarines & a touch of apricots, tropicals-pineapple, cantaloupe, bruised pear-apple, zested lime-lemon, blood orange, ginger to ginger ale, malt, light caramel notes, light vanillin, cream, some nice yeast, bread dough, baguette crust, limestone intermixed with volcanics, sea fossils, saline, yellow slightly wilting lilies, spring bouquet, excellent crisp acidity and well knitted, balanced, structured, elegant finish finish that lands on crumbled minerality.

This cuvée is a blend of equal parts of three varieties; Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Disgorged 7/23.

Pointing again, this is labeled an Extra Brut, yet it’s only 2g dosage, making it a Nature. Not sure how these producers get away without sticking to French Wine Laws.

Photos of, House of Egly-Ouriet, their Chardonnay & Pinot vineyards at harvest & Owner and Winemaker Francis Egly. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.0

As far as I’m concerned, these School House Mescolanzas are like, the anti-Napa Zinfandel. They are just so different from anything else out there. Until they get close to 10 years from vintage, they are backward; lean, green and mean. But if one has the patience, they eventually become quite charming. For this bottle, I did not follow my own advice.

Popped and poured, consumed over four days. On Day 1, this was completely coiled and the oak seemed a bit out of balance. I finished my glass and placed the cork back in the neck of the bottle. I checked in for a small taste on Day 2 and 3. By Day 4, it had opened enough to really enjoy. The 2016 School House “Mescolanza” Zinfandel Blend pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. There appears too be some very faint signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing. Expressive of dark bramble fruits, stone minerals, and baking spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is medium(+). This has all of the trappings for very nice expression of this wine but it’s a little young to my taste. Best after 2025 and these will drink well through 2037…and possibly longer. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

This is a nice Pinot Noir from Oregon. Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice balance.

Showing raspberries, bing cherries, earth, light oak, spices, chocolates, coffee, licorice and peppercorn.

Soft finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

Good right out of the bottle and good by itself.

Will continue to age nicely in the next few years.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$42. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Mid 20th century fashionable country resort, popular with Hollywood due to 1892 stone Manor House & historic gardens. Blend of 81% Cab Sauv, 11% Merlot, 4% Malbec, rest other Rhone varieties, aged 20 months in 37% new French oak. Dark Ruby, aromas of ripe berry fruits, herbs & spice. On the palate flavors of black cherry & black currant with vanilla oak and earthy notes. Well balanced, fine tannins long finish ending with fruit, espresso notes and sweet spice! Nice now and will drink well over next decade. — 4 years ago

Ron from VA

9.3

I might have reviewed this at the time of purchase, but I follow up review to say that it is still all that and a bag of chips! Sincerity and purity of flavor, just enough oak and texture from its aging, and length and width to be world-class!  — 7 years ago