La Mascota Malbec 2012 (Argentina)

Nose:  Dominant oakiness with a hint of fruit

Taste:  A bit sweeter than the nose would suggest, reasonably full-bodied and velvety.

Finish:  Quite powerful tannins at first - this got better as we kept drinking.

What we say:  S - 'Pencil crayon!'  S - 'What's that taste?  It's almost smooth - chocolatey.  Caramel?  We've had it before'  V - 'The tannins are almost a little bit tongue-numbing at first - it took a bit to get used to it'

What they say:  Expresses and aroma of black fruit, jam, and vanilla with a subtle hint of liquorice.

Rating: 6

Price:  kr. 100

Spier Vintage Selection Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier 2012 (South Africa)

Nose:  Deep oak with underlying cherry notes.

Taste:  Pretty smooth with a good mix of fruit and oak.  A little bit sweet?

Finish:  Medium tannins at the end

What we say:  S - 'A hint of zest in the nose.'  V - 'What kind of zest?'  S - 'I don't know, it just tickled.'  V - 'The taste is lighter than I expected given the nose'  V - '♫ I'm so tired of being alone... These penitent walls are all I've known... ♫'  S - 'It's not that exciting, but it does the job'  'Hey!  I caught the fly!  I just pulled an Obama!'  V - 'I think it's growing on me a bit'  S - 'It's not bad, it's drinkable, it's just really straight-forward'

What they say:

Rating:  6.5 (V - 7; S - 6)

Price:  kr. 99

Blaxland Estate Verdelho-Chardonnay 2012 (South Eastern Australia)

Nose: citrusy, maybe a very light floral.

Taste: sweet. Melon-y. Exotic fruity and not citrusy at all. Pear maybe?

Finish: a bit of a sour finish, but it doesn't really linger and it's not overpowering.

What we say: V: 'It's quite nice. I like it, which is good 'cause it's in the risotto!' V: 'I think this is one of the better whites we've had.'

What they say: Notes of lemony-citrus on the nose and a palate of tropical fruits, citrus peel, and a well-balanced acidity.

Rate: 7 (S=7, V=7)

Price: £5.50

Planeta Alastro Grecanico 2012 (Italy)

Nose:  Fresh and citrusy, a little bit sweet - maybe honey?

Taste:  Honey and a bit of floral.  It's pretty fresh though, not sickly sweet at all.

Finish:  Citrusy, with kind of a sour/bitter finish, but it doesn't linger

What we say:  V - 'Maybe a bit of green apple or melon in the nose? Because it's sweet with that tinge of sour.'  S - 'I think it tasted like black liquorice for a second there.' V - 'I find the nose even more bizarre now that I've tasted it.'

What they say: Fruity with a sense of white melon, fresh citrus and white flowers.

Price:  £14.99

Rating:  6

La Croix des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012 (France)

Nose:  Heavy oakiness, peppery, not a whole lot of fruit but the generic 'dark berries' where they exist

Taste:  Dry, a bit fruity.

Finish:  Mild to medium tannins, lingering bitterness.

What we say:  S - "It kind of burns the nostrils"  V - "It's a less chemically fruit roll up smell, so probably cherry?" " I think the most interesting thing about this is the nose"  S - "It's not bad for a French wine"  V - "Yeah, it grew on me a bit as the night went on.  Not fantastic, but reasonably drinkable."  S - "I wish I could score 5.5, because 5 is almost a bit unfair, but 6 might indicate that we'd buy this again."

What they say:  Rich, concentrated wine with flavours of soft summer fruits through to dark chocolate.

Rating:  5.5 (S - 6; V - 5)

Price:  £9.99

Marques de Casa Concha Merlot 2012 (Chile)

Nose:  Quite powerful, very big, heavy on the oak, with some dark berries to it.

Taste:  Big flavour, a bit tart in the beginning, and the oakiness carries through.  Big in the fruit as well, but mitigated by the oak and tannins.

Finish:  A bit tart in the finish as well with medium tannins.

What we say:  S - 'Slight hint of pencil crayon... No, wait... It's pretty much the only thing I smell.'  'I'm going to guess from the nose that this is slightly more on the sweeter side.'  V - 'It's a pile of oak, with an aside of dark berries.'  S - 'It's like thick cherry oak, like syrup.  Not in the sense of sweetness though.'  V - 'Yeah, there's nothing subtle about this whatsoever.  If it wasn't for the oakiness this would be fruit-bomb territory, but the oak keeps it down'

What they say:  It abounds in dark fruit aromas that fit perfectly with the generous barrel-supplied vanilla and chocolate notes.  Full-bodied it is a wine of supple, velvety tannins.

Rating:  7

Price: kr. 109

Famille Perrin l'Oustalet 2012 (France)

Nose:  Deep cherry and oak, but perhaps more on the cherry side of things.  Not overly sweet.

Taste:  Smooth and berrish - pretty medium and nondescript overall.  Pretty drinkable though.

Finish:  Bloom of medium tannins at the end with a little bit of lingering sweetness.

What we say:  S - "Maybe those raspberries, but black?  What are they called?"  V - "Blackberries?"  S - "Yeah, those!"  V - "I keep going back and forth about whether it's predominantly cherry or oak" S - "It's kind of like typical French wine, isn't it?  They're all kind of like this."  V - "It's unremarkable but not bad."

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rating:  6

Price:  £13.99

Tesco Finest W.O. Swartland Shiraz 2012 (South Africa)

Nose:  Cherries, dark berries, with definite oakiness.

Taste: Like a dark berry fizz. It's hard to pinpoint.

Finish:  Somewhat bitter.  Medium tannins that don't last particularly long.

What we say:  S - "I smell a little bit of gym sock" V - "I think it's a hint of cough syrup."  "Oh, I spilled it a bit.  I hope I didn't spill it on my thesis.  Can you imagine if I came into the viva with wine stains on my thesis?'  V - "The mouth feel is really liquidy."  S - "I don't think it feels as thin as other watery wines.  Do you think there's something bubbly to it, almost prickly?"  V - "The finish almost stays on your tongue" S - "Yeah, like you can scrape it off.  Like moss in a forest."

What they say:  Spicy, packed with dark cherry and bramble fruits.  A hint of vanilla and a smooth, elegant style.

Rating: 5.5 (S - 6; V - 5)

Price:  £6.99

Domaine les Herbes Blanches Ventoux 2012 (France)

Nose:  Quite potent with dark red berries and good bit of oakiness.  Almost a bit tart.

Taste:  Dry, with some dark berry flavour overall but not particularly distinct.

Finish:  A bit of spiciness at the end.  Lasting tannins.

What we say:  V - 'Almost licorice on the nose?'  S - 'Yeah, a bit bitter.  I can almost taste it in the smell.'  'I think I recognise the smell.  I want to say... grapes?  No!  Apple juice!'  S - 'There's a little bit of Christmas in the taste'

What they say:  Round, balanced, fruit-driven wine with spicy notes.

Rating:  4

Price:  ‎£11.99

Tesco Finest Mendoza Malbec 2012 (Argentina)

Nose:  Cherries, some sort of spice (but not a Christmas spice), with a bit of oak.  Almost damp or like cheese.

Taste:  A little bit of spice, sort of Christmas, but only a hint.  Almost a bit caramelly.

Finish:  Minerals or pepper - not much in the way of tannins.

What we say:  V - 'It's almost like some type of green herb on the nose.' 'Almost like that weird M&S wine we had ages ago.'  S - 'It wouldn't be clover, right?  They don't put clover in wine' V - 'Cloves?' S - 'Yes, cloves.'  S - 'It's pretty straight-forward, and decent - it's not bad.  There is something Christmassy about it'

What they say:  Blackberry and plum flavours with lighter notes of blueberry and a dry yet fruity finish.

Rating:  5.5 (V - 6; S - 5)

Price:  £7.99

Vespertine Old Vine Zinfandel 2012 (USA)

Nose:  Originally pretty light, but it got heavier as things went along. Definite cherry, dark fruits and some oakiness, maybe with something spicy at the end.  Has an overriding earthiness/dampness.

Taste:  Pretty dry, cherries/dark cherries.  Small elements of sweetness.

Finish: A bit tart with medium tannins.  Minerals at the very end.

What we say:  S - "The nose is almost damp, or musty?'  V - 'Sort of like a spiced cherry cake?'  S -  'I just smell all kinds of weird things.  Like I just smelled meat, which I'm pretty sure is not actually in there.'  'Is there a smokiness to it, like hickory?' 'Now I smell wet dog - it changes all the time'  V- 'Definitely has the aftertaste of mineral water' 'It's dry, but the tartness is messing me up a bit.'  S - 'I taste hickory now'  V - 'Yeah, it's just a little bit smokey'  S - 'Every time I sip this I think it tastes like something different.  It's like the candy in Willy Wonka'

What they say:  A wine of immense charm and character. Fruit is at the fore - blackcurrant and classic raisin notes, supported by perfectly structured vanilla oak tones.

Rating: 5.5 (V - 5; S - 6)

Price: £17.99

Tesco Finest Malbec Pays d'Oc AOC 2012 (France)

Nose:  Definitely on the oaky side of things, with a bit of dark berries and cherry.

Taste: Maybe blackcurrents?  Some sort of fruit.  A little bit watery.

Finish:  The tannins bloom quite quickly and linger quite a while.  A bit too much overall - it detracts from the experience.

What we say:  S - 'The nose is definitely pencil crayons and cherry.'  V - 'What else is going on there, is it more than just wood, something slightly harsh?'  S - 'The taste reminds me of some type of juice - something purple.  Maybe like my Dad's gløgg.' 'Do you think it will taste different after eating an olive?' V - 'Oh yeah, it tastes sweeter'

What they say: Rich aromas of plum, bramble and wafts of wild herbs.  A rich mouthfeel with dark fruit flavours with a smooth, plummy finish.

Rating: 4

Price: £6.99

Hardys Stamp of Australia Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2012

Nose:  Definitely dark red berries and a little oaky, but in a damp way.

Taste:  Pretty tart overall, with a quick smoothy-sweetness at the beginning.  But the tartness lingers in your mouth.

Finish:  Some tannins, but pretty thin.

What we say:  V - 'The nose is a bit mossy?'  S - 'Yeah, a little bit of moss at the end.'  V - 'Moss is kind of a funny word.'  S - 'The taste is pretty generic, a little sweet, but not too much, a bit sour, but not too much.'  'There's not much to the finish....  Aaaahhkkk.' V - 'The tartness of the wine doesn't really go well with the tannins in the finish. It's not a great transition from sour to bitter.'  'Is Hardys Australian for wine?'

What they say: This vibrant wine displays ripe berry and plum fruit flavour, complemented by a soft, sweet vanillin oak background.

Rating: 3.5 (S - 3; V - 4)

Price:  £6.00

Aldi Côtes du Rhône AOC Cuvée Réserve 2012

Nose:  Somewhat light, mostly on the oaky side with a touch of fruit.

Taste:  Medium dry, based mostly on cherry but not overpowering or sweet.

Finish:  Medium tannins on the finish that are reasonably long.

What we say:  S - 'Definitely woody in the smell, but I can't really tell much except that.  Seems dry'  V - 'I think I'm liking the nose more as I smell it.'  V - 'It tastes like the opposite of a sun dried cherry - as if they just sucked a bit of the sugar out of it.'  S - 'Yeah, it's not like cough syrup.'

What they say:  Bright, fresh and packed with juicy, fragrant fruits.  A great food wine.

Rating: 5.5 (S - 5; V - 6)

Price:  £3.59

Hagnauer Burgstall Müller-Thurgau Kabinett 2012 (Germany)

Nose:  Initially pretty citrusy, but there's something else going on there. A bit of lemon meringue? There's something.

Taste:  Dry. There's something a tiny bit sweet in the very beginning - something that slightly sets it apart from a normal dry white.

Finish:  A bit mineral-y in the finish.

What we say: V - 'Is there banana here again? A bit of 'spargel'? Or have we just been in Germany too long?'

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rate:  5

Price:  €5.95

Araldica d'Aria Pinot Grigio Rosé 2012 (Italy)

Nose:  Citrusy, though nothing too sweet.

Taste:  Maybe something floral, or strawberry?  But not overpowering.  Pretty dry.

Finish:  A bit tart.

What we say:  S - "I don't know if it's floral, or it just tastes like flowers"  "I've had some bad rosés, but this is ok."

What they say:  Has all the zest and verve of a Pinot Grigio, with some of the flavour and colour from the pink skins squeezed into it.

Rating:   6

Price:  £7.99

Billy Bosch Pinotage-Shiraz 2012 (South Africa)

Nose:  Reasonably sweet and juicy, almost no oakiness.  Cherries

Taste:  Definitely cherry, but with something else.  Slight sweetness.

Finish:  Quite tart with long lasting tannins.

What we say:  V - 'It almost smells like dessert, or maybe cough syrup'  'Well, that's a finish that keeps going.'  S - 'What's the fuzziness of it?  It's sort of tickley on the tongue.'  'It is a bit cough-syrupy in the taste.'  V - 'It's pretty easy drinking once you get into it.'

What they say:  Perfect balance between upfront spicy red fruit flavours and wonderfully warming notes of liquorice and cherries.

Rating:  5

Price:  £8.49