A champagne and a mature Californian - what more could you want?

The Deutz NV Rose Brut is over 10 years old and shows that even a standard champagne from a Grande Marque can benefit from ageing. The champagne has brioche, strawberry, slightly phenolic notes, medium body, perfect ripeness and balance and a long finish. 18/20 points.

The Gundlach-Bundschu 1986 Sonoma Valley Merlot dates back to the days when classic Bordeaux-style red wines were produced in California. Sonoma Valley and Merlot had no reputation at that time. The wine is mature and at the end of its lifespan, but offers still a lot of fun - more than the points would suggest. The wine has cassis, plaka, California prune, underbrush, forest floor, light animal notes, medium body, age sweetness and a medium-long finish. 16.5/20 points, but with a lot of fun.