Mezquiriz La Mancha Tempranillo 2008 (Spain)

Nose: Strong and oaky, with a slight fruitiness.

Taste: Woody/oaky flavour, with a little bit of sweetness. Reasonably high in tannins.

Finish: Really light in comparison with the initial taste.

What we say: S - 'It reminds me of church. Definitely pencil-crayon.'

What they say: Strong and fruity bouquet.

Rate: 4

Marquis de St. Vincent Médoc Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (France)

Nose: Oak; dark red berries

Taste: Smooth; dry

Finish: Bitter - the tannins really bloom in the finish. Peppery. The finish really lingers.

What we say: It's so middle of the road, we have no comment.

What they say: Aromas of red fruit and cores. Well-balanced. Structured and fruity. Will seduce you (!).

Rate: 4

Château Bellegrave Cru Bourgeois Médoc AOC 2008 (France)

Nose:  Deep scent; dark red fruits, possibly cherry.

Taste:  Very smooth; initially pretty light, but the taste gets a bit more full as you go along.  Super dry cherry, like unsweetened cherry flavour.

Finish:  A bit unremarkable

What we say:  V - 'It's a standard wine.  It's not bad, but not something to write home about.'

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rating:  5

Cepa Lebrel Rioja 2008 Crianza (Spain)

Nose: Sharp; fruity. A bit syrupy - it has some sweetness to it.

Taste: Quite tart. Monodimensional. 

Finish: A bit of a woody finish, but it's not persistent. It's pretty shallow. A little acidic.

What we say: SS (guest star) - 'It smells like summer fruit pudding. And it kind of looks like Ribena.' 

V - 'It's like, boom! Tart! Hey!....and then it's gone.' SS -'It's like Ribena but with lemon put into it, but it's not as nice as lemon or lime. It's a bit weird.'  'No, it's more like a bit of grapefruit juice and grapefruit zest pimping up some Ribena.'

What they say: Full of character, structure and body.

Rate: 3.5 (S=3; V=4; SS=3.5)

Campo Rojo Gran Seleccion 2008 (Spain)

Nose: Sweet red berries, nice aroma.  Cherries, blackberries and strawberries? Definitely a hit of cherry at the beginning.

Taste: Pretty dry and almost a bit pungent, particularly towards the end.

Finish: Quite a long, bitter finish.

What we say:  V - "Not quite as sweet as I expected it to be from the nose - it's far more dry." S - "It started off better, but then it got bitter, and I don't know why."



What they say: Mineral notes with berry and licorice hints, followed by smokey aromas.

Rating: 3.5 (V - 3, S - 4)