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

Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2011 (Chile)

Nose:  Good balance between dark berries and oak, maybe some spiciness or pepper?

Taste:  Definitely red berries, with a little bit of sweetness.  Sort of a medium-dry.

Finish:  Medium-light tannins

What we say:  S - 'Ah, it's one of those smells we've had before.  I always forget what this is!'  V - 'The nose is sort of dessertish'.  V - 'There's a bit of sourness in the finish.' S - 'Yeah, almost like you want to chew on something?'

What they say:  Aromas and flavours of cherry, plum, and strawberry, finished with subtle spiciness.

Rating:  6

Price:  £7.49

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

Pérez Cruz Single Vineyard La Miguera Block 2010 (Chile)

Nose:  Quite woody with a hint of dark berries.

Taste:  Definitely berries, maybe cherries.  Definitely a medium-dry, but not too sweet.

Finish:  Very light tannins, super smooth.

What we say:  S - 'Oh, the taste is definitely berries!'  V - 'I think I like my wines to have a bit more bite at the end.' 'It's really drinkable, but maybe a bit boring?' S - 'Yeah, but it's not bad.'  'There's really not too much to the finish.'  'I don't think it's too boring, because you do get that taste of berries - it's not 'generic' red, but it's not that complex.  It's just a decent, drinkable wine.'  'It's a wine you could certainly enjoy just sitting, typing away, and sipping from time to time.'

What they say:  Tremendous structure, concentration, and fruit expression.

Rating:  6

Price:  £19.99

Pérez Cruz Winemaker's Selection 2010 (Chile)

Nose:  Fairly light oakyness, not particularly sweet - a bit spicy, maybe pepper?  Reasonably pleasant.

Taste:  Pretty dry, somewhat tart.  Maybe a bit of pepper.

Finish:  The finish 'goes on and on and on....'

What we say:  S - "Wow, there was something really familiar about that"  V - "I think the finish is the majority of what you're getting out of this wine"

What they say: Well balanced, complex and elegant.

Rating:  6.5 (S - 6; V - 7)

Indomita Reserva Pinot Noir 2011 (Chile)

Nose:  Really light, slightly berryish and sweet.

Taste:  Light, slightly sweet, definitely red berries, maybe blackberry as well?

Finish:  Relatively tanniny.

What we say:  V - 'It's like Kool-Aid with tannins' S - 'It's like a light, light, light cough syrup, or a really light carbonated cherry drink.'

What they say:  Scent of violet and blackberry.  Taste of cherry and woodspice.

Rating:  5

Monos Locos Valle Central Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Chile)

Nose:  Citrusy, not a pineapple, but not quite tart enough for grapefruit.

Taste:  Pear at the beginning?  Definitely something sweet about it

Finish:  Sour fruit?

What we say:  S - Pear initially, but then it ends on something really familiar that we've had with whites.'  'Pretty smooth, with a bit of sharpness'  'It's above average, but not as good as other whites we've had.'  V - "I can't tell if the finish if more sour or bitter."

What they say: Nuttin'

Rating: 6

Colchagua Valley Carmenère 2010 (Chile)

Nose:  Very light, maybe something sweet at the very end.  Maybe spicy?

Taste:  There's a sweetness to it, very smooth and velvity.

Finish:  Pretty smooth, maybe berries?

What we say:  V - 'It's a nice colour.  I think I smell cheese.'  S - Do you remember the book the Velvateen Rabbit?  It's so sad.'  'It's heavy, but not overpowering or in the tanniny headachy way.'  'You could bring this to a dinner party where you're not sure what people like - it's a safe dinner party wine'

What they say:  Deep red and black fruits with a gentle wild herb perfume.

Rating:  6

Ariki Reserva Cabernet Syrah 2010 (Chile)

Nose:  Dense, heavy, musky, woody.  Only the slightest hint of fruit.  It's interesting, but there's something else we can't put our fingers on.

Taste:  Reasonably powerful, sort of tart, definite woodiness.  Super dry.

Finish:  Definite tartness, lingering.

What we say: S- 'Oh! There's the pencil crayon smell again.  What is that supposed to be, oak?'  'The nose is almost sappy piney humid woods with a lot of foilage'  V 'I wonder if it almost smells like Christmas - not in a spicy way, but in a tree way.' S 'I don't know if I like it - it's just a bit to tart for me, almost sour.'  

What they say:  Red fruit aromas, blackcurrent flavours and a weighty finish.

Rating:  5.5 (S - 5; V - 6)

Isla Negra Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Chile)

Nose: Too weak to actually say.  A weak fruity smell - sweet.  Maybe a hint of vanilla?

Taste:  Sweet, grapefruit, tart.  Not nicely balanced - rather rough.

Finish:  Grapefruit acidity, even bitterness

What we say:  S - 'There's something to the nose, almost like Band-Aids or light plastic.'  J (guest) - 'Smells sort of like gummy bears?'

What they say:  Aromas and flavours of grapefruit, lime and gooseberry.

Rating: 3.7 (V = 4; S = 4; K = 3)

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)

Cimarosa Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (Chile)

Nose:  Fruity in a sour way, like soured fruits. :)  Quite pleasant though.

Taste:  A little bit sweet, certainly not as dry as the previous Sauvignon.

Finish:  Sour but not poorly so.

What they say: Fresh and fruity.

What we say: S - "I'm having trouble smelling today."

Rating: 5

Tronos Shiraz Reserva 2010 (Chile)

Nose: Strong smell - pretty aromatic.  Could smell it even before we poured it into the glass.  Sharp, definitely not berries.

Taste: Quite nice at first, maybe cloves or something similar?  S thinks it's floral.

Finish: Good lingering finish that's pleasant.

What they say: Aromas of blackberries, chocolate and vanilla. Full bodied aromatic wine with a long-lasting finish.

What we say: V - "Velvety from the taste all the way down. This is definitely the best we've had so far. This is a wine I'd buy again."

Rating: 6.5 (V - 6; S - 7)