Six Hats Shiraz 2010 (South Africa)

Nose: sweet; berries - black currant? A bit of woodiness to it as well.

Taste: Dry; a bit of sweetness or berriness to it, but it's dry and gets kind of tart.

Finish: Super powerful finish.

What we say: V- 'It smells a little like the one you (S) thought was like cheese.' V - 'We've had something similar before. It isn't as strong as the other stuff, though, which was more pronounced.' S - 'It's like jam almost.' S - 'Packs a powerful punch...'  - V- '...that you don't even see coming.' V - 'It's like the berries unripen in your mouth.'

What they say: Aromas of cracked pepper, spice and juicy red fruit flavours combined with a rich texture.

Rating: 4.5 (S=4; V=5)

Reina Mora Special Selection Torrontes 2011 (Argentina)

Nose: Citrus. Super, super light nose. Slightly sweet, citrusy.

Taste: Floral with a lemon taste - lemon and rose.

Finish: Slightly acidic finish to it that doesn't really linger that much.

What we say: V - 'It's a bit like rose water or Turkish Delight.' 'It smells a little bit like lemonade, but just a tiny bit.' 'I'm not quite sure what you would pair this with because at the end of the day, it's pretty acidic.' S - 'The rose bit is interesting.' V - 'On one level, it's interesting because the rose and lemon is not like anything that we have had before, but on another level I don't really like it that much so it would really depend on your taste.'

What they say: Floral aromas and ripe, honeyed citrus and exotic fruit flavours. Long and elegant finish. Makes a fine apératif.

Rating: 6 (V=6, S=6)

Burra Brook Merlot 2010 (Australia)

Nose:  Medium nose, slightly oaky.  Not really sweet enough to be berries.

Taste:  Like red wine - seriously generic, but drinkable.

Finish:  Lingering and slightly bitter.

What we say:  S - "Raisins?  I think I smell raisins" "I can almost taste the water in it, and then the bitterness kicks in, and that's it"  V - "It's pretty underwhelming given the other wines we've drank recently"

What they say:  Flavours of red fruit and peppery, smokey notes.

Rating:  4.5 (S - 4; V - 5)

High Dive Chardonnay 2010 (USA)

Nose:  Sweet, with vanilla and citrus, maybe grapefruit.  Smooth and fresh.

Taste:  Bold flavour.  Pineapple, maybe grapefruit, definitely citrusy and acid.  Pretty dry

Finish:  Somewhat acid citrus finish, but not in a bad way, though quite pronounced.

What we say:  V- "It's a really nice combination on the nose."  S- "It's like a heavy white." "Every time you put your nose in the glass, you get a hit of vanilla."

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rating:  8

Can Rafols dels Caus Gran Caus 2003 (Spain)

Nose:  Quite strong and sharp, maybe moss, woody, or damp wood?

Taste:  Tangy cherry at the beginning - pretty full flavoured.

Finish:  Lingering, slightly sweet, with cherry

What we say:  S - "Smells like nothing I've ever smelled before." "Maybe sewer, but not in a bad way."  "When I smell deeply it's like greasy chicken."

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rating:  6.5 (V - 7; S - 6)

Star & Vine Shiraz 2010 (USA)

Nose:  Sweet, maybe syrupy.  Nutmeg or cloves - smells like Christmas - maybe lingonberry?

Taste:  Remarkably close to the nose - spicy or lingonberry.

Finish:  Smooth - not really different from the taste.

What we say:  S - "It's interesting, because it has some sweetness, but only slightly.  I feel like I know this flavour - that we've had it before, but I can't place it"  "It's certainly good and unique, but maybe not something you would want to drink all evening."

What they say:  Rich and full, with ample briar-fruit.  A lingering finish with luscious vanilla-edged hints.

Rating:  7

Hardy's Crest Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot 2010 (Australia)

S&V, with special guests S's Mom and Dad!

Nose:  Sharp, maybe liquorice?  Pretty generic.

Taste:  S's Dad - 'It's just dry enough so that it doesn't impede the aftertaste.  It doesn't have anything that comes back and haunts you.'

Finish:  S - 'Sweet finish,' S's Mom - 'Really, I think it's quite dry.'  V- 'I think the finish is sweeter than the taste'

What we say:  S's Dad - "I don't know what it smells like, red wine!"  "In Norway we had a liquor monopoly that was a big purchaser of wines from Europe.  They would sometimes have good bottles, and then the standard Norwegian bulk wine.  This reminds me of this.  With some wines you have a fruity bouquet, here it's just red wine.  In a positive way, nothing really fancy, but just good'

What they say:  Soft, round, full bodied with plum and dark berry flavours with undertones of oak.

Rating:  6.25 (S's dad/mom - 6.5, S/V - 6)

Casa Leona Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (Chile)

Nose:  V - "Whoa, that's strong, what is it?" S - "Smells like sharp cheese"

Taste:  Less harsh than you would expect from the nose.  Really quite unique.

Finish:  Relatively smooth

What we say: Unique, you might like its style or might hate it.  S - "I think it still tastes kind of like ripe cheese"

What they say: Ripe and intensely fruity ... smooth and easy-drinking, packed with cassis and blackberry flavours.

Rating: 5.5 (V - 6; S - 5)

Côtes du Rhônes Villages 2010 (France)

Nose:  Fruity and and particularly spicy, maybe cardamom?

Taste:  Initially pretty light, but gets pretty sharp and peppery in the mouth.  Pretty dry.

Finish:  Definitely peppery

What we say: S&V - "Decent and drinkable, and the peppery bit is interesting - this kicks it up a notch from what we might otherwise give it."  Tom Waits - "The piano has been drinking....."

What they say: A wonderful combination of soft peppery Grenache and spicy Syrah.  A warm combination of white pepper and silky dark plums.

Rating: 5

Belle Tour Chardonnay 2010 (France)

Nose: Definitely fruity, maybe warm tropical fruits.  Sort of like a ripe pineapple, pear, maybe some grapefruit?

Taste: Slightly sweet, but not sickeningly so. Has a bit of carbon to it.

Finish: More bitter than the taste, but not in a bad way.

What we say:  S - "The initial taste is almost the syrup of canned fruit, but just not as sweet."

What they say:  Blend of ripe peachy fruit and subtle creaminess with a touch of oak.

Rating:  4.5 (S - 4, V - 5)