Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (South Africa)

Nose:  Light and oaky, not a lot of fruitiness.  Maybe a bit smokey?

Taste:  The berries come out, unlike in the nose.  Dark red berries, but not sweet.  Still tastes a little smokey.

Finish: Some tannins, but mostly just a bit sour at the end.    

What we say:  S - 'Smells like red wine that you cook with beef - there might be a little beef in there, in fact.' 'Might be good cooking wine for beef?'  V - 'It almost has a hint of forest fire...'  S - 'I still think this would go well with beef.'  'It's not bad, nothing spectacular, but decent - slightly about average.'  V - 'Yeah, it isn't bad, but not great.'

What they say:  Wild berry, chocolate, mocha notes and a waft of vanilla on the nose.  On the palate a burst of ripe fruit complimented with delicate oak spice flavours.  Full bodies with firm yet approachable tannins.

Rating:  5.5 (S - 6; V - 5)

Cost:  £8.99

Lateral Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (Chile)

Nose:  Sweet berries, a little bit of wood

Taste:  Medium-dry, kind of non-discript.  Not particularly exciting.  Borderline light 'smooth drinking' wine.

Finish:  Minerals?  Almost no tannins.

What we say:  V - 'What's the nose?  It's a bit unusual.  There's something there that we've had before that's almost earthy.  It's almost like that weird M&S wine we had ages ago.'  S - 'Maybe something damp and wet?  Like salt water or seaweed?'  S - 'There's a mineral finish that I think is linked to the dark wet.'  'This certainly isn't one of my favourites.'  'Maybe it has Llama in it?  Could that be the wet damp?'

What they say:  Fruity and deep  with smooth tannins and a chocolatey finish.

Rating:  4.5 (S - 4; V - 5)

Price:  £6.79

Boschendal Lanoy Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (South Africa)

Nose:  A bit sharp; definitely on the fruity side. Dark berries. A bit oaky.

Taste: Starts off fruity, with spicy notes.

Finish: Medium tannin. Maybe pepper?

What we say: V - 'Smells a little bit like alcoholic fruit roll-up.' S - 'I love the smell of butter [as an aside].  I always think it's fish, but I realise that's just the state' V - 'I think it's ok over all. It's not spectacular, but you know...it's drinkable.'

What they say: Aromas of red berry, fruit and spice. Long finish. Excellent integration of wood and fruit with smooth tannins.

Rating: 6

Cost:  £8.99

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)