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

Marqués de Valencia Gran Reserva 2004 (Spain)

Nose:  Hit of berry at the beginning, but the remainder is pretty woody.  Reasonably sharp; relatively unremarkable.

Taste:  Pretty bitter all the way through.  Definitely woody in the taste, maybe with a touch of fruit - super dry.

Finish:  Bitter

What we say:  S - 'My nose has issues today, I just smell sharpness'  V - 'The tannins are running wild'  'It has a consistent sharpness in the mouth that is only accented in the finish - this is about as dry as I think we've had it.'  'If you are into a tannin bomb then this might be your thing, but it's not mine.'  S - 'There's stuff going on here, but the finish is a killer.'  'Maybe it's a cheese wine - you certainly can't have it with cherries - the finish just beats you up!'

What they say:  Nuttin'

Rating:  3 on its own, though 6 when paired with a strong cheese.