Castillo de Anna Gran Reserva Valencia 2005 (Spain)

Nose: Strong and oaky. Red berries underneath, maybe blackcurrant or dark cherry. Dry. Pleasant.

Taste: A bit sweet at first. A little bit sweeter than expected, but follows through on the oakiness.  Well-balanced

Finish: A bit tart with medium tannins.

What we say: V - 'The oak is driving this in a big way in the nose.' S - 'There's some sort of berry in the taste. A purple berry? Not a blackberry, but like a cherry but not. A gooseberry? Maybe I'm making it up.' V - 'I think the tannins give it that one step up from what would otherwise be normal wine.  Otherwise it's not particularly remarkable.  It's solid though.'

What they say: Fruity and vanilla aromas. Supple and pleasant texture (raaar!).

Rate: 6.5 (V - 6; S - 7)

Cost: £8.99

Mezquiriz La Mancha Tempranillo 2008 (Spain)

Nose: Strong and oaky, with a slight fruitiness.

Taste: Woody/oaky flavour, with a little bit of sweetness. Reasonably high in tannins.

Finish: Really light in comparison with the initial taste.

What we say: S - 'It reminds me of church. Definitely pencil-crayon.'

What they say: Strong and fruity bouquet.

Rate: 4

Toro Loco Tempranillo 2011 (Spain)

Nose:  A pretty standard woody-berry combo, with an emphasis on the wood.  Pretty medium - not overpowering, but not too light.

Taste:  There's a bit of sweetness in it.

Finish:  The tannins boom in your mouth.

What we say:  V - 'It's about as middle of the road as you can get, though perhaps a bit on the sweet side.'  S - 'It's pretty standard.  It's not bad, but I don't think i'd go out of my way to drink it again.  It wouldn't be missed.'

What they say:  Full bodied; fresh and juicy.

Rating:  4

Hacienda López de Haro Tempranillo 2009 (Spain)

Nose: Super light to non-existent.

Taste: Pretty unremarkable, maybe a little woody.

Finish: A tiny bit of bitterness, but almost nothing to it.

What we say: S - "There's nothing exciting about it. I wouldn't buy it again." V - "That's about as light as you can get in a wine. It's almost the opposite of full-bodied - it basically does nothing. I think the only good thing about the wine is that it's not gross and it will get you tipsy, but I can't say anything more than that."

What they say: Tastes like red fruits and licorice.

Rating: 3  

El Rastro Tempranillo (Spain)

Nose: Pretty light, woody. Berries? Definitely on the oaky side of things.

Taste: Medium body. It doesn't really overpower you. Drinkable.

Finish: Berries in the finish. A little bit bitter.

What we say: S - "There's something that tastes familiar, I just can't put my nose on it." "It's definitely unique, unlike anything we've had so far, and I like that. But even though it offers something new, I still think some of the other wines we've had are better." V - "It's weird, what the hell is that taste?" "As I keep drinking it, it gets increasingly generic."

What they say: Aromas of black currants and bilberries. Balanced palate. Soft, gentle and fruity.

Rating: 6

Mesta Tempranillo 2010 (Spain)

Nose: Sweet. Berries, but something more specific. Maybe green apple. A bit of an unremarkable nose.

Taste: A sweetness to it, but dry. Super smooth. Pretty light for a red.

Finish: The finish is really clean. A bit of bitterness at the end.

What we say: V - "It certainly doesn't hit you over the head with flavour. It's good, but is it a wine I could drink all night? It could get a bit sickly."

What they say: Nuttin'

Rating: 6.5 (V - 7; S - 6)