ICONO El Boqueron 2009 (Spain)

Nose: A little sharp with dark woody berries.

Taste:  A little fuzzy on the tongue, a bit bitter, but smooth in the middle.  Pretty fruity overall, but dry.

Finish:  Nice balanced tannins  - well balanced overall.  We recommend for Christmas dinner

What we say:  V - "I'm getting a lot more oak on the nose on the second go around"  S - "Is it peppery?"  V- "I quite like the nose.  It's good balance between berries and wood."  S - "It's a forest.  In the fall.  But not soggy.  Like a fresh, crisp day"  "I can smell the greens - like parsley."  S - "The taste is not caramelly, but it's something like that.  Like thick, dark, berry juice."  "It's well-balanced... I think... I'm not even sure what that terms means, but I'm going to use it anyway.'  V - "There's a tiny hint of festivities."  S - "Do you think it's cinnamon?"

What they say:  Shows an array of ripe fruits, swathed in dense and sweet-cured oak flavours.  A polished nose of black cherries and cassis, the same on the palate with hints of cocoa and molasses and hints of mineral to finish.

Rating:  7.5 (S - 7; V - 8)

Price:  £11.99

Le Pinvert Rouge Pays d'Oc AOC 2009 (France)

Nose:  Oaky, woodiness, red berries, with slightly sweet overtones

Taste:  It's much sweeter than we expected, a medium red

Finish:  Bitter

What we say:  V - 'What the hell is that taste?' 'It's almost like a red wine version of cranberry juice, minus the initial sour hit.  Maybe it's like cran-grape?'

Them:  Nuttin'

Rating:  2

Les Combelles Côtes du Rhône Villages 2009 (France)

Nose:  Strong with red berries and oakiness.  It's definitely foresty.

Taste:  Sharp but not popping in flavours, almost pungent.

Finish:  Almost a mineral finish

What we say:  S - "The nose reminds me of a heavy forest"  "I'm a bit disappointed given the other Côtes du Rhône we had"  V - "It's one-dimensional with pungency that fades into bitterness"

What they say:  Subtle aromas of licorice and black fruit with an elegant mouth.

Rating:  4

Oltesse Cahors AOC 2009 (France)

Nose:  Sweet, pretty heavy.  Syrupy, maybe cherry?

Taste:  Slightly fruity, but definitely drier than expected.

Finish:  Pretty unremarkable, bit of sourness.

What we say:  V - "It almost smells like cherry syrup." "It's difficult to place a distinct flavour"  S - "I can't pinpoint a flavour either"

What they say:  Strong and elegant

Rating:  4.5 (V - 4; S - 5)

André Brunel Côtes du Rhône 2009 (France)

Nose: Rich; syrupy, but not sweet. Definitely berries. There's something that hits you at first - is it flowers?

Taste: Definitely berries, but there's something else as well. Pretty dry. Maybe a bit of pepper - there's something a bit pungent to it and the pepper seems to carry through to the finish.

Finish: Pretty medium finish on it.

What we say: V - 'Does it smell like avocado?' V- 'We've had finishes that have lasted a lot longer and others that have gone away pretty much instantaneously. This one is just like, "I'm there, dooodoo doo dooooo...I'm gone.'

What they say: nuttin'!

Rate: 6.5 (V=6, S=7)

Ramada Tinto 2009 (Portugal)

Nose: Sharp, maybe floral? Musky?

Taste: Sweet at the beginning.

Finish: Nice finish given the rather unremarkable beginning.

What we say: V - "I like the finish." S - "I don't know what to say about it, but it's not bad."

What they say: Dry, soft and smooth taste. Fruity aromas of fresh cherries and raspberries. Fruity aftertaste with a spicy note on the palate.

Rating: 5

Sandpiper Carignan-Shiraz Reserve 2009 (France)

Nose: Sharp, possibly something sweet underneath.

Taste:  Tart, tastes like something familiar in the beginning, like cranberry maybe?

Finish: Bitter

What we say: V- "It's not really distinctively anything."


What they say: Soft and approachable

Rating: 4

Hacienda López de Haro Tempranillo 2009 (Spain)

Nose: Super light to non-existent.

Taste: Pretty unremarkable, maybe a little woody.

Finish: A tiny bit of bitterness, but almost nothing to it.

What we say: S - "There's nothing exciting about it. I wouldn't buy it again." V - "That's about as light as you can get in a wine. It's almost the opposite of full-bodied - it basically does nothing. I think the only good thing about the wine is that it's not gross and it will get you tipsy, but I can't say anything more than that."

What they say: Tastes like red fruits and licorice.

Rating: 3  

Saint-Chinian Special Reserve 2009 (France)

Nose: Pretty sharp

Taste: Little bit bitter, but not upfront. Sort of nondescript.

Finish: Pretty bitter

What they say: Strong concentrated rich bouquet of wild fruits and berries. Well-rounded with silky tannins.

What we say: V - "I'm not down with the bitter aftertaste."

Rating: 5