We’re back with another round of Tiny Tastings, and this one might be our favourite yet.
We dropped into one of London’s most exciting new wine spots—Lower Wine Bar—to catch up with the brilliant Alex Pitt, sommelier, co-founder, and all-around authority on all things fermented and fantastic.
On the menu: a 2005 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from Nicole Tapon. Bordeaux royalty. A Merlot-dominant blend with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, from a knockout vintage.
First up: the full bottle. Opened that morning, poured fresh. All the expected aged claret character came through—tertiary notes, savoury edges, and that classic mellow warmth you want from a well-aged right-bank red.
But then we hit him with the twist.
Same wine. Same vintage. But fractionalised six months ago into our Tiny Wine tubes using Coravin’s Vinitas technology.
And Alex’s response?
“It’s in better condition than this bottle.”
Let’s be clear: we didn’t pay him to say that. We barely had time to react before he doubled down:
“A lot more defined… the tannin feels tighter… everything feels a bit more held together.”
This is exactly what Tiny Wine is all about. Taking exceptional wines, preserving their integrity with cutting-edge tech, and making them more accessible—without compromising quality. In fact, in this case, our tube was actually outperforming the freshly opened bottle.
What we like about the Tiny Wine, is that it’s protecting the wine. It’s been fractionalised and protected by Coravin technology… and there’s a little bit more tension through the wine, which is exactly what we’re trying to do.”
We’ll raise a glass to that.
Cheers to Alex, to Lower Wine Bar, and to the future of wine—one Tiny tube at a time. More tastings coming soon. Stay tuned.