Better Half

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2007

No formal notes . medium deep ruby , medium bright ruby rim. Quite spicy a little oak noticeable at first . Mixed dark fruits . A bit more round and juicy on the palate , good acidity , slightly grippy but polished tannins . This becomes a bit more restrained and reserved after a while. Served blind , I actually put this as Haut Brion , due to its generous personality, and polished tannins. Overall showed well in the flight was my top wine (though the Cheval Blanc may well be better in absolute terms) . Can be enjoyed now , though has the substance to last a further decade or so, a good showing for the Mouton. — 8 days ago

Anthony, Andrew and 8 others liked this

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

My second time trying the 2016 vintage. I’ll hang on to my remaining bottles as it’s only getting better. — a month ago

David, Peter and 4 others liked this

Château Latour

Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2014

I had the 2014 Latour a couple of years back. It was from a half bottle and I remember it was rather disappointing. But this wine has really come around. Or maybe it has been developing much better in a full size bottle. Today it’s graceful, with great posture and in perfect balance. A timeless beauty. I had a few 2014 (both left and right bank) lately and I find them very appealing right now. A unsung vintage that turned out pretty good imo. — 2 months ago

Billy, Andrew and 3 others liked this

Château Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2007

No formal notes . Medium deep ruby . This seems a bit more advanced . This is a bit harder and more structured on the palate , more tannin , less velvety and a bit more astringent . More spicy , drier on the palate . This needed more time to open . This was quite difficult to judge , I wasn’t 100% convinced about this bottle as it just seemed a little oxidative, however it did actually seemed to come together better after an hour or so , but still quite hard and astringent in comparison to the others (especially La Mission) . Showed a touch more mineral and grafite on the finish too after a while. This needed time , and I would imagine another bottle might tell a different story . — 8 days ago

Anthony, Andrew and 5 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2010

Spritely Rioja with excellent length. This was a fun little half bottle. Always a treat from Heredia! — a month ago

Tom, KCG and 16 others liked this
GaryWEdwards

GaryWEdwards

Among the best price-values in Europe. Love love this juice. I have several vintages but haven’t delved into the 2010. Soon though. 375 would be magic.
Vino Joe

Vino Joe Premium Badge

Thank you Gary. Yes I agree with you. Whenever I am an a steakhouse with an overpriced wine list a quality Rioja is my choice and Lopez De Heredia is usually fairly priced. I have been fortunate to have a few long aged Grand Riservas.

Dom Pérignon

Brut Champagne Blend 2013

David T
9.3

Better on its own and still needs lots of time. Hold another 5-8 years and beyond. — a month ago

Jay, Douglas and 24 others liked this

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne Chardonnay Pinot Noir Blend 2015

Quite light lemon yellow , very persistent , fine bubbles . Quite taut and strict on the nose , chalk dust , white flowers , honey suckle and elderflower , lemon peel , touch oyster shell and a touch of fresh baked bread . On the palate really good volume and density , lively acidity . Lots of citrus with good mineral , oyster shell notes . Long and mineral , saline, tinged finish , hint of toasty brioche on the end . This is really quite young and shows tighter and more mineral than the first bottle we had . Would leave this a few years and will have a long life , better in 10 -15 years and last well a further 10 or so . Great potential — 20 days ago

David, Jan and 12 others liked this

Taittinger

Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Chardonnay 2013

Working is always better with Champagne. Deep acidity, bright citrus notes, racy on the palate, and a lasting finish. Cheers. — a month ago

Andrew, Ted and 15 others liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

Just a half bottle test.. way way too early. Decanted and it needed a solid hour before it unfolded at all. Great structure lurking but this experience was impaired by immaturity. — a month ago

Andrew, Jan and 19 others liked this