Klein Constantia: stellar whites, sweet and dry 
Marqués de Riscal: Gehry hotel outshining solid Rioja and Rueda 
La Rioja Alta: benchmark classical Riojas especially top flight Gran Reservas 
Marqués de Murrieta: Rioja aristocracy built around Castillo Ygay 
CVNE: Combining volume and classical quality 
Contino: Château-style Rioja and Graciano pioneers Red
375. Bolla, Le Poiane Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso, 2004
So I was debating what should be the last entry in Book 2 – something grand? Something famous? Then I just went for something …
366. Château Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Médoc, 1995
So, austere, uncooperative, takes years to become accessible… and that was just the label… Bordeaux… surely not! Anyway, I saw this in Boston and …
365. Château-Figeac, Saint Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé, 1995
So to continue my dinner theme of 1995 (after repeating the Schmitges experience), we came to a pair of Bordeaux. Served with roast rack …
362. Lucien et André Brunel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Cailloux, 2003
First bottle of this was subtly corked, which was extra-annoying because I could see the quality smothered by the TCA. But the POTG lads …
361. Castello di Ama, Chianti Classico, 2004
Christian and I grabbed this when having a working dinner at Pearl. In spite of this being the 2004 rather than the advertised 2003, …
359. Château Léoville Las Cases, Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, 1997
Wine of the night at my birthday, and although drinking well now, it’s still fairly youthful (for an “early drinking” vintage like 1997!). Picked …
358. Domaine Bois de Boursan, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 1998
This was probably the night’s disappointment for me. Not a bad wine, but given the vintage and a pretty good producer, this should have …
349. Joseph Phelps, Le Mistral Monterey County, 2003
This was going to be the vintage of Mistral that went into the 2nd Optimor Wine Club case, but the lads ended up with …
348. Bodegas Montecillo, Rioja Gran Reserva, 1996
A very pleasant way to say goodbye to my 1-month flatmate, Lucy. Having said that, it definitely improved over days, suggesting that, as a …
347. W. & J. Graham & Co, Late Bottled Vintage Port, 1997
This one gets in not so much for being a reasonably decent LBV, but because of the abuse it survived! I’d kept this 3/4 …