Hardy's Crest Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot 2010 (Australia)

S&V, with special guests S's Mom and Dad!

Nose:  Sharp, maybe liquorice?  Pretty generic.

Taste:  S's Dad - 'It's just dry enough so that it doesn't impede the aftertaste.  It doesn't have anything that comes back and haunts you.'

Finish:  S - 'Sweet finish,' S's Mom - 'Really, I think it's quite dry.'  V- 'I think the finish is sweeter than the taste'

What we say:  S's Dad - "I don't know what it smells like, red wine!"  "In Norway we had a liquor monopoly that was a big purchaser of wines from Europe.  They would sometimes have good bottles, and then the standard Norwegian bulk wine.  This reminds me of this.  With some wines you have a fruity bouquet, here it's just red wine.  In a positive way, nothing really fancy, but just good'

What they say:  Soft, round, full bodied with plum and dark berry flavours with undertones of oak.

Rating:  6.25 (S's dad/mom - 6.5, S/V - 6)

Kumala Zenith Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz 2010 (South Africa)

Nose: Sharp, blackberries?  Maybe even blueberries.

Taste: Earthy, super well-balanced, smooth.

Finish: A little bit of bitterness. The finish is sort of unremarkable.

What we say: V - "It smells like strawberry fruit roll-up - a hint, right at the end .... it's totally strawberry fruit roll-up!" "The taste grows towards the middle and has a nice fade.  If there were a taste graph over time, it does what you want."

What they say:  Smooth, full-bodied with red berry fruit, plums, and a hint of spice on the rich, lingering finish.

Rating:  6.5 (S - 7; V - 6)