Reviews & Scores

Restaurants, Bars, Pubs, Wines, Spirits.

Bar: 28-50 Marylebone, London

Patronising 28-50 Marylebone for the first time on two separate occasions on the same weekend was certainly not an intention, however, I am extremely happy I did. Should I be surprised? Absolutely not! Especially given all the great reviews and plaudits it has received from people within the wine industry, London locals, and tourists. Both occasions were simply for a bottle each time, nothing fancy, just an impromptu sit down to share wine among friends.

First afternoon a bottle of £41 - Maison Saint Aix Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence 'AIX' Rose or more simply known as 'AIX' Rose. A mark-up of x2.73, from an average of £15 per bottle. I do always enjoy a good Provence Rose as you do know where you stand with one, and AIX is always a good choice. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault with flavours of Raspberry Sorbet, Cherry Blossom, Grapefruit Rind, everything to make you think of summer. The Medium Body and very Linear Acidity offers a ridiculously refreshing tipple.

28-50 Marylebone were extremely attentive and impossible to be criticised. The interior is welcoming yet a touch of sitting in a glass fish tank allows for some great people watching in Marylebone.

The second frequenting came on a Monday evening celebrating a Birthday, so bubbles were the only option. Very straightforward. Deciding which bubbles was the tricky part. 28-50 Marylebone do have a nice and extensive Champagne and Sparkling list, however their prices do tend to gravitate towards the more premium range. At first glance we did notice a 2012 Benjamin Bridge Brut, Canada at £70, a mark up of x2.8 from an average of £25. Unfortunately, no more bottles were left, so we decided for the NV Ayala 'Majeur' Brut at £80, a mark up of x2.76 from an average of £29, and subsequently the waiter offered to reduce the price from £80 to £75 by way of making up for the lack of Benjamin Bridge Brut. Certainly not expected but a show of truly exceptional customer service from 28-50 Marylebone. Little touches like this will always have me going back and recommending venues to others, over non existent or Two-Dimensional customer service. The Champagne was very classic in style, fresh, vibrant, and racing acidity. A strong touch of minerality and salinity with flavours of Lemon Pulp, Lemon Skin, and Fresh Brioche.

Will be back to 28-50 Marylebone without question as their wine list is lovely and expansive, with service that should make owners and managers extremely proud.

Wine: Bodegas Navarro Lopez Gran Reserva, Valdepenas, Spain 1995

Bought at auction for an extremely reasonable £6. The wines 'MOT' was completely unknown, so method and quality of storage since its release could have been anything. When opening, the cork disintegrated instantly and required the wine to be filtered a few times.

It was a wine which showed a previous life of brilliance and abundance as there were still notes of dark Blackberry and Raspberry. Age was certainly showing with Tobacco and Dried Fig flavours, but the structure of the wine was unfortunately non existent.

A Tempranillo based wine which is now probably non-existent and I am always excited to try 'last' bottles. It is a wine which I am unable to critique or rate as it was far past its prime, however I would always recommend purchasing vintage wines which are reasonably priced, just to be able to experience a piece of some producer's history.

Wine: Ayala 'Majeur' Brut, Champagne, France NV (15/20)

This wine does exactly what it says on the tin. Crisp, refreshing effervescence with flavours of Lemon Pulp, Lemon Rind, Brioche, Stoney Minerality, and a striking resemblance to Apples similar to Appletiser. The acidity is extremely linear, starting from the moment it enters your mouth to well after it has left your tongue. It is an enjoyable wine, and certainly well priced at under £30. Rating: 15/20

Wine: Southern Lights Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (16/20)

From Kingsland Drinks - 'Southern Lights' Sauvignon Blanc is a beautiful display of when a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is done well.

Full of Green Bell Pepper notes as would be expected, and subtle aromas of Passion Fruit and White Pepper. This is one which needs to be enjoyed well chilled as the characters fast creep up on you as the wine warms. It is a very easy drinking Sauvignon Blanc, racing acidity exasperated through lack of residual sugars.

For an average price of £10 / £11 it really is worth it.

Rating: 16/20

Wine: Le P'tite Pierre Villages de France Rose 2024 (10/20)

A new range to grace the shelves of Tesco. La P'tite Pierre available as their Red, White, and Rose, each for a price of around £6.75. Extremely good value for any wine these days!

Unfortunately, its price point is the wine's only real redeeming feature. Extremely prominent acidity, with obvious production techniques used to remove what would have been excruciatingly high levels of acidity. If someone were to create a wine that is the epitome of rose, but lack the finesse to make a pleasant wine; this is it! Want Strawberry and Candyfloss flavours? You can have it in the heap load. Extremely unbalanced wine.

I will try the Red and White to see if the whole range is the same. Something tells me it is.

Rating: 10/20

Wine: Mauricio Lorca / Gaucho 'Vina Patricia' Malbec, Lunlunta, Argentina 2015 (15/20)

Gaucho's own wine - Vina Patricia Malbec. Having purchased a vineyard in 2007 in Lunlunta and seeking the expert help of Mauricio Lorca. This wine is exactly what is needed when enjoying steak. Strong and powerful Tannins definitely dictate the body of this wine, and the flavour profile is dominated by the use of American Oak giving Vanilla and Cedar. There is a lot of juicy, almost Cooked Black Fruit characters. A big drawback however is its lack of noticeable acidity to offer a refreshing respite from the richness.

Average price when found: £15

Rating: 15/20

Wine: M&S - Denbies Bramble Hill White 2024 (14/20)

What a shame to see! I for one am a huge advocate for British wines, and to see a Denbies special for M&S reduced from £14 to £6 and still not one taken off the shelf is a travesty. My reasoning for this reduction and also lack of purchase is not one of quality but one of understanding, or lack of. British consumers need to begin to realise that Britain (Wales and England) is capable of making some truly outstanding wines.

Unfortunately, this Bramble Hill White isn't outstanding. However, it certainly isn't bad. When you put it on the same pedestal as Italian Pinot Grigio, Spanish Viura, and Chilean Sauvignon Blancs at the same price range, it more than competes if not beats them. Extremely vibrant acidity which is to be expected from a Bacchus / Ortega blend and fresh Green Apple and White Peach notes. There are better wines out there but for £6 it was really impressive.

Average Price: £12

Rating: 14/20

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