The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | wine writing competition | 🎁 20% off annual memberships

Maturing red bordeaux

Image

Continuing our British Airways tasting notes theme, I took the following notes last October on their collection of maturing red bordeaux. The image (visible on the home page) is one of the hundreds of distinctly superior bottle shots on Berry Bros' website. The wines are listed in the order tasted.

Deep crimson with hardly any evolution. Sweet and rich on the...
Very deep crimson. Rather odd wood note. Then well behaved...
A slightly grey look to this. Sweet and a bit simple. Very light...
Healthy crimson. Nicely melded on the nose. Lovely freshness and...
Very dark crimson. Nicely silky nose – really Margaux. Silky...
Dark and brooding. Still a bit of oak on the nose. Very backward...
Mid depth of crimson. Slightly harsh nose but easy and fresh...
Smudgy crimson. Fruity and a bit simple. Sweet and easy and a...
Dark and glossy. Correct and quite intense. Soft and smooth –...
Mild ruby.  Light, fully developed nose.  Juicy sweet fruit. ...
Dark glowing crimson. Sweet, easy and glossy with a hint of...
Bright crimson. Lightly charred, smoky note. Pretty lightweight...
Very dark for a 2002. Scented. Sweet start and definitely not...
With quite a bit of evolution at the rim. Really quite a lot of...
Dark ruby with considerable evolution at the rim. Lightly funky...
Rather pale ruby. Vibrant fruit. Very correct though in lesser...
Dark and rich on the nose. A little funky on the nose but lovely...
Dark crimson and very lively and meaty on the nose. Very nice...
Lively ruby. Something a little bit reminiscent of charcoal on...
Big and beefy and still very young and even quite raw. Still...
Become a member or log in to continue reading
25th

For the dad who loves wine

Start your membership this Father’s Day with 20% off a full year. Expert reviews, honest writing, no guesswork. Or, gift a membership and save 20%.

Enter code DAD20 at checkout. Offer ends 22 June.

Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 295,569 wine reviews & 16,101 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors

Everything in “Member”, plus:

  • Early access to the latest wine reviews, 48 hours in advance
  • Early access to the latest articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 295,569 wine reviews & 16,101 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade

Everything in “Professional”, plus:

  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
  • Access to submit wines for review
  • Offer memberships to your employees and manage them from a single place
  • API access available for an additional fee
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Tasting articles

Dalla Valle vineyard
Tasting articles A banner vintage. Above, Dalla Valle Vineyards in Oakville produced two of Sam’s highlights of this vintage (image courtesy of...
La Réméjeanne vineyard
Tasting articles A taster of the quality potential in wines grown in the southern Rhône’s ‘north-west corridor’. Above, one of Domaine La...
Hugo, Rui, Francisco and Ricardo of Cas’amaro
Tasting articles A tour of the southern half of this Portuguese wine region. See part 1 for producers and wines from the...
A castle in the Espera vineyards
Tasting articles A tour of this underappreciated and sometimes misrepresented Portuguese wine region. Today, we cover the northern half – Encostas d’Aire...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Mont Ventoux seen from Les Deux Cols at dawn
Free for all It’s not all turbo-charged Grenache down south. A version of this article is published by the Financial Times. See also...
Flowers in the Meinklang vineyard
Wines of the week A magical sparkling wine from Austria, from €9, £15.50, $16.95. It is, some say, the time when magic is strongest...
WWC26 announcement graphic
Free for all 18 June 2026 Prizes announced! Académie du Vin Library, the sponsor of the 2026 wine writing competition, has just announced...
Ch Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Don't quote me Nick Martin reflects as another en primeur campaign winds up. Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (pictured above) bundled a visit to the property...
Institute of Masters of Wine logo
Free for all Here are the questions posed to those striving for those coveted two letters, among them our very own Sam Cole-Johnson...
Azenhas do Mar, Portugal
Inside information The wines of this Portuguese region are emerging from the shadows of their history. Above, Azenhas do Mar in Colares...
Wild menu - yellow background
Free for all Carefully cultivated wildness in the Home Counties. And an unmissable wine list. Farm to fish to fork to frying pan...
Jota Tanaka at Gotemba distillery
Drinks not wine An exploration of the transparency of Japanese whisky – and how that sensibility is influencing whisky-making back in Scotland. Above...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.