Les Gravières de Marsac Margaux 2011 (France)

Nose:  Moderately sweet and fruity (dark fruits) with woodchips and pepper.  Really nice and subtle.

Taste:  Smooth and lighter than I expected, with peppery notes towards the end

Finish:  Moderate to light tannins and lingering pepper.

What we say:  V - "Kind of smells like a really good dessert."  S - "Small hint of cat pee? ... no, I'm joking!"  S - "Is there something caramelly in the taste?  But not in a sweet way?" S - "I can't think of how to rate this. How harsh have we been in the past?"

What they say: Expresseive notse with fruity aromas of blueberries and blackcurrants.  Supple and balanced with a frank attack.

Rating: 6.5 (V - 6; S - 7)

Price: 119 kr (or a 20-minute presentation on Russian foreign policy)

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

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

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 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

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

Arc du Rhône Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011 (France)

Nose:  Definitely on the oaky side, with underlying dark berries.

Taste:  Thick and almost a little syrupy, dry.

Finish:  Medium-light tannins, a little bit tart

What we say:  V - "It was mostly oak on the nose at first, but I think I'm getting some of the berries now."   S - "There was a flavour I had initially, maybe dark cherry?"  V - "I don't know, I don't think there's a lot more to say about it" S - "Yes, it's certainly not a flavour explosion.  It's solid for what it is, but a bit boring."

What they say:  Ripe, full flavoured with black cherry, plum, black pepper, tapenade, and kirsch.

Rating:  5.5 (V - 6; S - 5)

Price:  £19.99

André Brunel Vin de Pays de Vaucluse 2011 (France)

Nose:  Quite oaky, almost a bit pungent, with dark berries underneath.  Certainly dry.

Taste:  Sweeter than we expected it to be, almost a little bit caramelly.

Finish:  A little tart, not a lot of tannins, but with a little bit of a bite.

What we say:  V - "It's almost like wasabi in your nose."  S - "There's something tingley on your tongue at the end - is that pepper? Or is it just because I have garlic on my fingertips?"

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rating:  6

Price:  £9.99

Cuvée Émile Fleurie 2011 (France)

Nose:  Pretty light, but with some oakiness

Taste:  Dry with berries, most likely cherry or the darker red berries.  Maybe a bit sour.

Finish:  Medium tannins that linger.

What we say:  V - 'It's hard to get much from the nose.'  S - 'Maybe it will be better with food?'  'This is drinkable, but might not be our taste.'

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rating:  5

Price:  £6.00

Leroy Chevalier Puisseguin Saint-Émilion 2011 (France)

Nose:  Really light, with a tiny bit of oak

Taste:  Definitely oaky and dry

Finish:  Medium tannins, but nothing else of note

What we say:  S - 'The nose has a tiny hint of wet dog.'  V - 'This is possibly the lightest nose we've had.'  S - 'Tastes a little bit lie smokey wet dog.'  V - 'It's pretty unimpressive.  This is why we don't drink French wine.'

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rating:  3

Price:  £6.99

Les Audrelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (France)

Nose:  Super light.  Maybe a hint of citrus and a hint of vanilla?  Definitely pear after a while.

Taste:  Really dry and orchardy.  A little bit of sour apple juice.

Finish:  A bit perfumy in the finish?  But there's a lingering sour fruit.

What we say:  S - 'there's somethign sweet by orcahrdy to the smell.'  V - 'It's like it you have a basket of sour fruits.  That's what it takes like.'  S - 'I think it's pretty subtle  but I like it.  It's a relaxed wine for when you want to chill without the over the top flavour explosions.'  V - 'I'm less impressed.  I find it a bit dull.'

What they say:  Citrus fruit with a streak of minerality and gooseberry aromas.

Rating:  5.5 (V- 5; S - 6)

Price:  £9.99

Seraph Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (France)

Nose:  Quite citrusy, possibly pineapple, reasonably light.  Maybe vanilla, we weren't quite sure - something slightly sweet.

Taste:  Pretty light and smooth overall - not particularly sweet.  Definitely has citrus going on.

Finish:  Floral finish - still pretty smooth.

What we say:  S - 'Almost apple juice in the initial smell - or... coconut?'  'Yep, it's apple juice (when tasting)' 'Ah - it's flowers, it's not vanilla.  It's like perfume in the finish.'  V - 'Yeah, but you get a dominant citrus punch initially.'  S - 'Yes, but the floral finish is the second layer.'  V - 'It's true.  This is just complex enough to be more interesting than the usual wine we've been drinking.'

What they say:  Fine and minerally with intense fruit.

Rating:  6.5 (V - 7; S - 6)

Price:  £9.99

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages AOC Combe Aux Jacques 2011 (France)

Nose:  Light and definitely fruity, almost no oakiness.  Dry berries - maybe cranberry.

Taste:  Dry and cranberry-like.  A little tart but not in an unpleasant way.  Quite light overall.

Finish:  Very few tannins - somewhat tart.

What we say:  V- 'It smells like an upscale version of Crangrape.'  S - 'I hate when I almost sniff it up my nose.'  S - 'Is there something nutty about it?  Maybe I'm just hungry.'  'It's not bad, I enjoy it for what it is.'  V - 'My only problem with this is that it's so light that it's a little reminiscent of that terrible British wine we had.  But the more I drink it, the more I like it.'  'Whoa, it really doesn't go with garlic.'

What they say:  Succulent fruits with soft tannins and real depth.

Rating:  6.5 (S - 6; V - 7)

Cost:  £10.49

Calvet Roc Saint-Gilles Montagne Saint-Émilion 2011 (France)

Nose:  Reasonably light, but with noticeable oakiness with red berries, particularly cherry.

Taste:  A little watery at first, nothing really strong.

Finish:  Sour cherry, but not tart.  Definite tannins.  S - 'It kind of hangs out on the front of your tongue.'

What we say:  V - 'It smell a little bit like cough syrup, right?'  S - 'Yeah, a heavy berrish scent, but not uber-sweet'  V- 'the more I smell it, the more I lose the oakiness.'  S - 'yeah, but there's still a bit of wood-chips there.'  'It might be good with a dollop of cream, maybe ice cream.'

What they say:  Powerful nose with red fruits, black currents, strawberries and blackberries.  Long aromatic finish.

Rating:  4

Cost:  £12.99

Grenache Vermentino Pays des cotes de Thau 2011 (France)

Nose: citrusy; grapefruit; vanilla

Taste: floral, quite tangy. Fruity, but not in a sweet way.

Finish: Pretty dry - it sticks on your tongue in the sour spot. Almost a bit bitter at the end.

What we say: S - 'It tickles.'  SS - A bit grapefruity-floralness. Maybe it's grapefruit blossom. It has a bite to the end of it that makes it not quite easy drinking.'

What they say: Nuttin'


Rate:  6.5 (V=6, S=7, SS= 6.5)

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

Roc de Lussac Lussac St. Emilion AOC 2010 (France)

Nose:  Sharp, with darker berries - maybe blackberries.

Taste:  Dry berries?

Finish:  Medium tannins.

What we say:  S - 'At the very beginning there are berries'  'It's quite not like sawdust, but what's another type of wood?'  V - 'I'm having trouble with this one - nothing really stands out.'

What they say:  Black fruit flavours and subtle tannins.

Rating:  4.5 (V - 5; S - 4)

Gloria de la Roche Touraine AOC Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (France)

Nose:  Citrusy, with something fresh in the end.  Reasonably light - maybe a bit of floral?

Taste:  Not dry; almost like a semi-sweet at first taste with a bit of floral at first.  Reasonably thick in in the mouth.

Finish:  Moves to citrus and dry.

What we say:  S - 'I think it's good, but I don't know what to say about it.  It's more interesting than your standard white.  There is a clear development on the palate.'

What they say:  Fresh and zesty.  Very aromatic with citrus fruits notes.

Rating:  6.5 (V - 6; S - 7)

Château Tour Saint-Germain Cuvée Prestige 2010 (France)

Nose:  Sharp, red fruit

Taste:  Dry, with berries

Finish:  Light - a little bit woody

What we say:  S - 'It smells like a new batch of pencil crayons'  V - 'As soon as you get your initial hit of the nose, there is not that much going on'  S - 'Berryish - still a little bit of pencil crayon in the taste.  I've only chewed in the ends of them while  drawing but....'  V - 'I would buy this again just to drink'

What they say:  An intense nose with fruit.  A soft taste with a good tannic evolution.

Rating:  7

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