Alianca Dão Quinta Da Garrida Reserva 2005 (Portugal)

Nose:  Smoky wood with sweet berries.  Definitely smokey wood - the wood predominates, actually.

Taste:  Dry.  Smokiness comes through in the flavour.

Finish:  Medium tannins with a lingering smokiness.

What we say:  V - 'It's a nice combination with the smoky wood and the cherry.'  S - 'It's that familiar flavour again that I can't place.'  'It's like a bonfire.'  'It reminds me of whiskeys.  It has that sophistication about it.'  'The colour is like thick, fresh blood.'  'If you feel like a smoky wine, I say this is the one you take.'  V - 'I imagine it would be good with beef and stuff.'

What they say:  Subtle balance between fruit flavour and elegant tannins with a long finish.

Rating:  7

Price:  £8

Targus Creek Shiraz and Trincadeira 2011 (Portugal)

Nose:  There's quite a bit of oak in there - S smells nothing but 'pencil crayon.'  Almost no berries whatsoever.

Taste:  Very smooth, with some berry-like properties, but relatively light overall.  Spicy?

Finish:  Has a bit of a buzziness at the end, maybe pepper.  Almost semi-sweet, with moderate tannins.

What we say:  V - 'The nose is really unusual.' S - 'Is there pepper in the nose?  I don't know - I could just be making this up.  There has to be something other than oak right?  I mean, at the end of the day it's based on grapes...'  'Even thought I can't really pinpoint many of the flavours, it's still really nice - quite subtle, perhaps.  Like the quiet one in the room.  Still waters run deep.  Something about books and covers.'  'It's not like explosions in your mouth, but it's very good - I like it in its simplicity.'  'A decent wine to bring to someone if you don't know their preferences (unless they're wine snobs)'

What they say:  Medium body that combines red fruit characters with pleasant spiciness.

Rating: 7 

Price:  £5.99

Mateus Rosé (Portugal)

Nose:  Sweet, floral, a bit of citrus - almost lemon

Taste:  Light, slightly carbonated, semi-sweet

Finish:  Almost nothing

What we say:  V - 'It's a nice scent.  It's pretty fresh.'  S - 'It doesn't taste like much, but its not bad either' 'Rosés are summery drinks and should be refreshing, and this is.  It's not sickly sweet and its not too heavy either'  V - 'It's a little bit too much like juice.'

What they say:  Young, fresh, fruity and versatile

Rating:  5.5 (V - 5; S - 6)

Ramada Tinto 2009 (Portugal)

Nose: Sharp, maybe floral? Musky?

Taste: Sweet at the beginning.

Finish: Nice finish given the rather unremarkable beginning.

What we say: V - "I like the finish." S - "I don't know what to say about it, but it's not bad."

What they say: Dry, soft and smooth taste. Fruity aromas of fresh cherries and raspberries. Fruity aftertaste with a spicy note on the palate.

Rating: 5