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 Mascota Malbec 2012 (Argentina)

Nose:  Dominant oakiness with a hint of fruit

Taste:  A bit sweeter than the nose would suggest, reasonably full-bodied and velvety.

Finish:  Quite powerful tannins at first - this got better as we kept drinking.

What we say:  S - 'Pencil crayon!'  S - 'What's that taste?  It's almost smooth - chocolatey.  Caramel?  We've had it before'  V - 'The tannins are almost a little bit tongue-numbing at first - it took a bit to get used to it'

What they say:  Expresses and aroma of black fruit, jam, and vanilla with a subtle hint of liquorice.

Rating: 6

Price:  kr. 100

Vendemmia Amarone Della Valpolicella 2011 (Italy)

Nose:  Very fruity, mostly dark berries, a bit of oakiness

Taste:  Very slight sweetness at first, but then moves into a peppery finish

Finish:  Reasonably strong tannins with a definite pepper flavour

What we say:  V - 'Smells a bit like an expensive alcoholic dessert'   S - 'Yeah, it's a bit sweet, and flavourful.'  V - 'There's something slightly different about the nose from your typical red'

What they say: Dry with fruity notes of plums and prunes and soft tannins

Rating:  5.5 (S - 5; V - 6)

Price: kr. 210

Spier Vintage Selection Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier 2012 (South Africa)

Nose:  Deep oak with underlying cherry notes.

Taste:  Pretty smooth with a good mix of fruit and oak.  A little bit sweet?

Finish:  Medium tannins at the end

What we say:  S - 'A hint of zest in the nose.'  V - 'What kind of zest?'  S - 'I don't know, it just tickled.'  V - 'The taste is lighter than I expected given the nose'  V - '♫ I'm so tired of being alone... These penitent walls are all I've known... ♫'  S - 'It's not that exciting, but it does the job'  'Hey!  I caught the fly!  I just pulled an Obama!'  V - 'I think it's growing on me a bit'  S - 'It's not bad, it's drinkable, it's just really straight-forward'

What they say:

Rating:  6.5 (V - 7; S - 6)

Price:  kr. 99

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

M&S Italian Vino da Tavola (Italy)

Nose:  Definitely oaky, but with something else we can't identify

Body:  Not much at the beginning - pretty watery.  Kind of boring.

Finish:  Almost a sour/bitter finish.

What we say:  V - "There's something that gives it a slightly more sophisticated nose than normal, but I don't know what it is" S - "Yeah, I can't place it.  I really smell the pencil-crayon more than anything else"  V - "Maybe like the glue that you have as a child?"  S - "No, it's still bringing me back to elementary-school art class with the pencil-crayon"  S - "It just has the after-taste of wine"  "Does it have an aftertaste of bacon?  Or like bacon bits?  Which is kind of like, fake bacon?" "You can drink this, but it's just not enjoyable"

What they say:  Juicy Italian red packed with flavours of morello cherries, blanched almonds and crushed black pepper.

Rating: 3

Price:  £4.99

Fincas del Sur Malbec 2011 (Argentina)

Nose:  Rich, dark berries with definite oakiness.  Pretty nondescript in terms of most of the red we've been drinking.

Taste:  Really smooth, with something a little bit sweet.  Maybe a bit caramelly (but only slightly).

Finish:  Pretty balanced tannins, but not much else.

What we say:  S - "It's a little tickly in the nose at the end.  Is that pepper?  I dont' know if it's pepper, but it's tickley in the nose..."

What they say: full bodied with powerful aromas of plum, cocoa and blackcurrants; long finish dominated by soft, sweet tannins.

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

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

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

Tesco Finest W.O. Swartland Shiraz 2012 (South Africa)

Nose:  Cherries, dark berries, with definite oakiness.

Taste: Like a dark berry fizz. It's hard to pinpoint.

Finish:  Somewhat bitter.  Medium tannins that don't last particularly long.

What we say:  S - "I smell a little bit of gym sock" V - "I think it's a hint of cough syrup."  "Oh, I spilled it a bit.  I hope I didn't spill it on my thesis.  Can you imagine if I came into the viva with wine stains on my thesis?'  V - "The mouth feel is really liquidy."  S - "I don't think it feels as thin as other watery wines.  Do you think there's something bubbly to it, almost prickly?"  V - "The finish almost stays on your tongue" S - "Yeah, like you can scrape it off.  Like moss in a forest."

What they say:  Spicy, packed with dark cherry and bramble fruits.  A hint of vanilla and a smooth, elegant style.

Rating: 5.5 (S - 6; V - 5)

Price:  £6.99

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 Mendoza Malbec 2012 (Argentina)

Nose:  Cherries, some sort of spice (but not a Christmas spice), with a bit of oak.  Almost damp or like cheese.

Taste:  A little bit of spice, sort of Christmas, but only a hint.  Almost a bit caramelly.

Finish:  Minerals or pepper - not much in the way of tannins.

What we say:  V - 'It's almost like some type of green herb on the nose.' 'Almost like that weird M&S wine we had ages ago.'  S - 'It wouldn't be clover, right?  They don't put clover in wine' V - 'Cloves?' S - 'Yes, cloves.'  S - 'It's pretty straight-forward, and decent - it's not bad.  There is something Christmassy about it'

What they say:  Blackberry and plum flavours with lighter notes of blueberry and a dry yet fruity finish.

Rating:  5.5 (V - 6; S - 5)

Price:  £7.99

Vespertine Old Vine Zinfandel 2012 (USA)

Nose:  Originally pretty light, but it got heavier as things went along. Definite cherry, dark fruits and some oakiness, maybe with something spicy at the end.  Has an overriding earthiness/dampness.

Taste:  Pretty dry, cherries/dark cherries.  Small elements of sweetness.

Finish: A bit tart with medium tannins.  Minerals at the very end.

What we say:  S - "The nose is almost damp, or musty?'  V - 'Sort of like a spiced cherry cake?'  S -  'I just smell all kinds of weird things.  Like I just smelled meat, which I'm pretty sure is not actually in there.'  'Is there a smokiness to it, like hickory?' 'Now I smell wet dog - it changes all the time'  V- 'Definitely has the aftertaste of mineral water' 'It's dry, but the tartness is messing me up a bit.'  S - 'I taste hickory now'  V - 'Yeah, it's just a little bit smokey'  S - 'Every time I sip this I think it tastes like something different.  It's like the candy in Willy Wonka'

What they say:  A wine of immense charm and character. Fruit is at the fore - blackcurrant and classic raisin notes, supported by perfectly structured vanilla oak tones.

Rating: 5.5 (V - 5; S - 6)

Price: £17.99

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

ICONO El Boqueron 2009 (Spain)

Nose: A little sharp with dark woody berries.

Taste:  A little fuzzy on the tongue, a bit bitter, but smooth in the middle.  Pretty fruity overall, but dry.

Finish:  Nice balanced tannins  - well balanced overall.  We recommend for Christmas dinner

What we say:  V - "I'm getting a lot more oak on the nose on the second go around"  S - "Is it peppery?"  V- "I quite like the nose.  It's good balance between berries and wood."  S - "It's a forest.  In the fall.  But not soggy.  Like a fresh, crisp day"  "I can smell the greens - like parsley."  S - "The taste is not caramelly, but it's something like that.  Like thick, dark, berry juice."  "It's well-balanced... I think... I'm not even sure what that terms means, but I'm going to use it anyway.'  V - "There's a tiny hint of festivities."  S - "Do you think it's cinnamon?"

What they say:  Shows an array of ripe fruits, swathed in dense and sweet-cured oak flavours.  A polished nose of black cherries and cassis, the same on the palate with hints of cocoa and molasses and hints of mineral to finish.

Rating:  7.5 (S - 7; V - 8)

Price:  £11.99

Hardys Stamp of Australia Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2012

Nose:  Definitely dark red berries and a little oaky, but in a damp way.

Taste:  Pretty tart overall, with a quick smoothy-sweetness at the beginning.  But the tartness lingers in your mouth.

Finish:  Some tannins, but pretty thin.

What we say:  V - 'The nose is a bit mossy?'  S - 'Yeah, a little bit of moss at the end.'  V - 'Moss is kind of a funny word.'  S - 'The taste is pretty generic, a little sweet, but not too much, a bit sour, but not too much.'  'There's not much to the finish....  Aaaahhkkk.' V - 'The tartness of the wine doesn't really go well with the tannins in the finish. It's not a great transition from sour to bitter.'  'Is Hardys Australian for wine?'

What they say: This vibrant wine displays ripe berry and plum fruit flavour, complemented by a soft, sweet vanillin oak background.

Rating: 3.5 (S - 3; V - 4)

Price:  £6.00

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

Hagnauer Burgstall Spätburgunder 2011 (Germany)

Nose:  Sort of fruity, maybe a bit of pepper or spice.  Definitely has a bit of a punch.  Just a tiny bit of wood.

Taste:  Reasonably dry with dark berries prominent.

Finish:  Medium tannins

What we say:  V - "It almost smells like dessert, or Christmas, or something"  S - "The finish seems a bit metallic or minerally, but I don't know if that's just because of the pesto we ate"  V - "It's similar to the one last night, but has a tannin finish instead of just being sour and a more interesting nose" "The problem is that it's still not that great"

What they say:  A full-bodied red wine with deep berry and cherry scents.  Strong stature, soft tannins, and dry.

Rating:  4 (a real four, unlike the previous wine that got a bonus point for the wolf...)

Price: €8.99

Schwarzer Wolf Spätburgunder 2010 (Germany)

Nose:  Heavy, with a lot of berries.  Maybe a bit pungent?

Taste:  Tiny bit of sweetness at the beginning.  Maybe a small red berries?  Definitely a bit of wood.

Finish:  Pretty sour on the finish, again with the berry overtones.

What we say:  S - "It's sort of light in colour, almost like a dark rosé colour-wise"  "I suppose it would make sense if it were berries - like the fox would eat'  V - "You mean wolf?"  S - "It almost tastes like there's a touch of carbonated water in it"  V - "It's like a heavy rosé, I almost feel like it should be chilled"  S - "This isn't spectacular, but it kind of matches the label.  Besides, how can you not buy a bottle of wine with a wolf on it with Schwarzer Wolf in gold letters?  It's like the 90s equivalent of the wolf tshirts.  It's what you would expect of these wolf tshirts, except in wine form."

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rating:  4 (and this might be generous because of the wolf.  Aaooooooo....)

Price: €7.99

Budavár Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (Hungary)

Nose:  Pretty fruity.  Little bit of oakiness, but mostly fruit.

Taste:  Black currents, kind of a medium red with some sweetness.

Finish:  Very little tannins - pretty unremarkable.

What we say:  V - "It's certainly not unpleasant on the nose, but almost a bit syrupy."  S - "There's something here, not necessarily sweet.  Caramel?  There's something to it - a sort of thickness you'd get from chocolate or caramel - but it's not caramel."  "It's not bad as a very simple wine."  V - "I agree, it doesn't do much, but it's drinkable."  S - "It's very middle of the road.  It's not absent flavour, but it's not particularly exciting."  V - "This is the wine that a 5 was made for."

What they say:  Supple and smooth with natural fruit flavours.

Rating:  5

Price:  £3.49