Wine Rack – a selection

Barley sugar. A little sweet but a good price with a hint of mint. Not that intense but sweet and clean. (JR)

Bravely priced! Dark crimson. Very sweet and rich and a bit crudely oaky and tannic. Definitely overpriced. Rather unpleasant to taste actually.  (JR)

I think this is currently being poured in British Airways Business Class. Dark crimson. Respectable. Some freshness and good structure filled in with the flesh of 2009. Still quite tannic and not quite ready so you might like to buy this for the future. But pretty GV. (JR)

Glowing crimson with a pale rim. Rather sweet simple wine without quite enough structure or freshness. So nearly lovely but just a bit flat and chocolatey. (JR)

Pretty animal nose on a luscious fruit palate. Very far from classic claret! Rich and tarry on the finish. Extreme. Sort of baby baby Pavie. If you like that style, it's VGV. (JR)

Cru Bourgeois from Schröder & Schÿler. Mid to pale ruby. Light and a bit animal. For traditionalists, but at least it offers some evolution. Strictly with food – quite chewy on the end.  Bone dry, drying finish, but great for masochists. (JR)

Some lees and malo character on the nose. But good savoury, confident fruit. Serious wine with lovely texture.  Refreshing acidity and intriguing almond flavours.  Much more open and approachable – and lively – than many a 2009 white burgundy at this price.  Very distinguished. Quite spicy. Shows just how good Cape Chardonnay can be. Perhaps just a little sweeter than most burgundies. (JR)

Dark crimson. Clean, intense fruit that tastes like rather pure New World Syrah. Much the best of this Romanian collection of four. From Cramele Recas. Stilll some light tannin. Very lively and silky for the money. GV (JR)

Pale cherry red. Frank forest floor nose – very brisk fruit.  Clean acidity and perhaps a hint of oak chips on fruit that was obviously promising. Again just slightly uncomfortably sweet but a good try. (JR)

Cool nose with not that much varietal expression but at least it is, unlike the Pinot Grigio, clean. Sweet start. Quite racy acidity but pretty chewy finish. Not cookie cutter but not intense. Reasonable balance if you don't mind the sweetness. (JR)

Low-key rather fragile nose – not quite clean (though screwcapped so presumably unlikely to be TCA). Sweet and sour, as though the initial fruit was pretty energetic. Astringent finish. Fast fade. (JR)