Lalande de Pomerol Marius Bielle 2018

Elena Vasquez - Nice wine, bit pricey

7/10

Saw this on a restaurant menu and ordered a glass. It's smooth and the fruit flavours are lovely, with a clean finish that doesn't overstay its welcome. But when I looked up the retail price afterwards — £42 is steep. I'd buy it on offer but probably not at full whack.

Jackson Wu - Perfect with a roast

8/10

Opened this with a slow-cooked lamb shoulder on Sunday and it was a cracking match. Big dark fruit smell when you pour it, then it's got this structure to it that holds up really well with rich food. The finish just hangs around in a really satisfying way. Will be picking up another bottle for Christmas.

Olivia Park - Solid Right Bank red

8/10

Been exploring Bordeaux lately and the wine shop guy pointed me towards Lalande de Pomerol as good value compared to Pomerol itself. He wasn't wrong. This has genuine depth and a nice freshness that stops it feeling heavy despite the 14% ABV. Would happily buy again.

Marco Andretti - Way better than expected

9/10

Not gonna lie, I grabbed this mostly because I liked the label and fancied trying something French. Blown away. It smells incredible — all dark berries and something almost earthy underneath. Really complex once you sit with it for a bit. My new favourite red.

Carlos Mendez - Good but not amazing

7/10

Had this at a dinner party last weekend. It's a perfectly nice red — dark fruit, well balanced, decent finish. But at over £42 a bottle I was expecting something that really knocked my socks off and it didn't quite get there for me. I've had £25 bottles that impressed me more.

Alex Ramos - Great for a date night

8/10

Picked this up for a home-cooked steak dinner with my partner. Poured beautifully dark in the glass and smelled amazing. It's got a bit of weight to it but doesn't feel heavy if that makes sense? We finished the bottle without even realising. Job done.

Herbert Muller - Birthday treat that delivered

9/10

Bought this for my 40th and honestly it was the highlight of the evening. Really deep, dark fruit on the nose — you could tell straight away this was proper stuff. Smooth and well put together, kept getting better as the bottle opened up. At £42 it's not cheap but felt worth it for a special occasion.

Rosa Paredes - Impressed the in-laws

8/10

Needed something decent for when the in-laws came round and this was recommended on a wine forum. Really confident, bold nose on it and it opened up nicely over the evening. Father-in-law asked me to send him the name, which is basically the highest compliment he gives. The acidity keeps it fresh even though it's a big wine at 14%.