Indomita Reserve Casablanca Pinot Noir 2011
13%
Virgin Wines
9.99
A nice cherry aroma, but not particularly pinot. The taste has more varietal character. I’d prefer the Cono Sur for this price. It’s a light and juicy lunchtime wine, no more.

Star & Vine Lodi Shiraz 2010
California
13%
Virgin Wines
9.99
7.50 Christmas Case Discount
Wow, very aromatic. It hits you in the face with a chocolate, creamy, coffee aroma. It’s very sweet and chocolatey. The aftertaste is like coffee creams. It’ll have fans, but for me it’s just OTT.

Ravensthorpe Padthaway Shiraz Grenache 2008
14.50%
Virgin Wines
9.99
7.50 Christmas Case Discount
Some ripe, baked fruit on the nose, like warm mince pie, but not particularly in a good way. It is recognisable but not very enjoyable. There are much better examples of this.

Desert and Dunes Reserve Shiraz 2011
Durbanville & Capetown
13%
Virgin Wines
9.99
Appealing, spicy, oaky nose – but it is very sweet. The flavour isn’t quite as sweet, but it’s a baked and fruity wine. Not for me, but pleasant enough.

The Big Mo' Barossa Valley Shiraz 2009
14.50%
Virgin Wines
12.99
Dreadful label. Gloomy view of skyscrapers and traffic lights. Interesting smell, though. Some tropical fruit. Nice taste as well. Standard Barossa shiraz taste, but again with the tropical fruit. Nice.

The Grid Triple Barrel Shiraz Private Bin 2009
Wellington
14.50%
Virgin Wines
9.99
Spicy oak on the nose, with some chocolate. Liquorice, plain chocolate and other spicy, dark flavours. Quite good.

Novas Winemakers Selection Casablanca Syrah 2008
Casablanca Valley
Syrah
14.50%
Virgin Wines
13.99
Inky dark colour. Intense and fabulous smell. This wine stands out. Creamy, gently woody and with ripe, ripe fruit. Beautiful taste, as well. Great balance, despite the 14.5%
Virgin Wines, and refrfeshing. The flavour is of liquorice and coffee. If I were the winemaker – haha – I’d slightly reduce the %
Virgin Wines of oak aged wine in the blend. It is delicious, but the oak is dominant.

Wilson Family Single Vineyard Comald Victorian Merlot Cabernet Shiraz 2010
King Valley
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
14.50%
Virgin Wines
13.99
Dark, moody nose. Not very inviting. The superficial taste is fine, but there’s a grubbiness about it. As if the fruit were over-ripe with a few bunches rotten.



The Comeback Kid McLaren Vale Shiraz Cabernet Merlot 2008
14.50%
Virgin Wines
9.99
Great, spicy, dark berries on the nose. Dark, fruity, oaky, with a sweet vanilla aftertaste. Nice and the price is fair.

The First Chapter Shiraz Viognier by Nico Vermeulen 2010
Paarl
14.50%
Virgin Wines
9.99
Sweet, vanilla on the nose. Sweet and simple taste. Disappointing.

Perez Cruz Winemaker's Selection 2009
Maipo Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon & Cot
14%
Virgin Wines
19.99
Smells beautifully of fig. Like a warm fig tree on a summer’s day. So, so inviting. Full-flavoured, complex, exciting. £20 is a lot, but this is gorgeous.

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