Chateau de Cazenove Bordeaux Supérieur 2005: Cedary, woody and rather restrained red fruit on the nose here, not particularly ripe or exuberant. A soft and gentle style on the palate, woody again, with rather stretched out fruit. A bit soft and loose knit, but nevertheless a fairly nicely done, minor old-school claret. 14.5/20 (£8.75)

Chateau Charmail (Haut-Médoc) 2002: This has a nice aromatic profile, with scents of oak and cedary, peppery fruit. The texture in the mouth is good, soft and a little fleshy, with a gentle extract. Rounded, a little roasted and meaty. This is nicely composed. 15/20 (£17.50)

Chateau Berliquet (St Emilion) 2001: This has very toasty, spicy oak on the nose, with a rather good, spicy, plum and fruitcake nose. It certainly appeals this far. On the palate there is a nice depth of dark fruit, with a good substance and a nice grip underneath. A fresh core of acidity, and macerated plum and damson fruit. Good. 16+/20 (£28.50)

Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan) 2000: This wine has some rather restrained, maturing fruit on the nose, with perhaps a note of undergrowth, but nothing more evolved than that. The palate has a nice flesh, with chalky tannins and a good acid core. On the finish it has a good, chewy substance, and it shows some decent tannin here too. This is clearly still on the way up, and has very good potential. 17+/20 (£28.15)

Darviot-Perrin Bourgogne 2005: This has very unusual inorganic notes on the nose, with notes of rubber alongside the weedy fruit. The palate is soft, with little supporting structure, and a chalky-oily texture behind the red fruit. Not appealing to me. 13/20 (£13.25)

Comte Armand Pommard Premier Cru 2003: This has a little rubbery volatility on the nose, with a slightly hot and baked character to the rather subdued fruit. An appealing tingle of acidity on entry, with soft, plump, fleshy and rounded if rather burnt fruit. Rich, full of tannin, and almost chocolatey. Perhaps it will come good with time. 16+?/20 (£28.80)

Pierre Usseglio Côtes du Rhône 2006: Not very expressive on the nose, although there is plenty here, but it is all very subtle. Notes of sweaty, cheesy, funky, leathery fruit. A good texture on the palate, fleshy, sweet and ripe, with good fruit. A chalky grip underneath, but it is overall quite round and soft. Gentle acidity, quite attractive and flattering , with a nice little grip in the midpalate, and a nice savoury-funky finish. Good. 16+/20 (£13.25)

Domaine la Soumade Rasteau Cuvée Prestige 2004: A slightly high-toned, volatile nose here, with charred raspberry fruit, and a little sweaty rubber. Soft but textured, with a nice peppery grip on the palate, and a touch more rubber. Rather undefined, although there is some extract and substance to it. Interesting wine. 15/20 (£13.25)

Domaine le Clos des Cazaux Vacqueyras Cuvée des Templiers 2005: This has some appealing, highly polished blackberry fruit on the nose, which is pure and very well defined. It has a rounded, appealing, gently composed palate with an appropriate core of extract. Good flesh and a mouth-filling substance. Overall a ripe style but with a good structure and balance. This is impressive for the appellation. 16.5+/20 (£12.00)

Domaine la Roquète Châteauneuf du Pape 2004: Sweet, herby, charred Grenache fruit, with a little vein of Demerara sugar sweetness. A nice substance on the palate, texture and mid-weight, rather elegant in fact, with an appealing, composed definition. Ripe tannins provide the grip and backbone. Very good, but one for the cellar in my opinion. 16.5+/20 (£19.25)

Guy Bernard Côte-Rôtie 2001: Rather meaty and savoury on the nose, with dense, organic fruit, and a hint of spice, perhaps cloves? Rounded, savoury on the palate as it is on the nose, also rather medicinal, with orange-tinged fruit and peppery tannins. It has depth, and notes of maturity, but also a very firm core of acid which dominates in the mouth. Again, this may show better with time. 15.5+/20 (£25.75)

Chateau St Martin de la Garrigue Cuvée St Martin de la Garrigue Coteaux du Languedoc 2004: Soft cherry fruit on the nose here, with a soft, sweet, slightly confected herby edge. Nicely presented on the palate though, where it has a little savoury edge to the sweet fruit. It has a little grip, nice acids and a little substance. Nicely balanced, with a ripe, tannic finish, this is good wine. 16/20 (£12.00)

Poggiopiano Chianti Classico 2006: Classic custard powder on the nose, very true to Sangiovese, with ripe red fruits. Nicely textured on the palate, with good fleshy substance and appealing dark fruit, a powdery-chalky tannic backbone and good acidity. There is quite a bit of substance here, plenty of structure and flesh. I think this needs a year or two before it will be really ready. 16.5+/20 (£12.75)

La Gerla Rosso di Montalcino 2004: This has an unusual fruit profile, of baked strawberry fruit. The palate has a very simple, cola-cherry-strawberry character, herby, sweet and confected. Underneath there are good acids and a decent layer of tannins, despite the wine's frothy substance. 14/20 (£16.50)

Palazzo Vecchio Vino di Nobile Montepulciano 2004: Chalky dark red fruits on the nose here, with a little minerality. A soft and mouthfilling substance on the palate, with a fairly bright, chalky, peppery underbelly. Rather sharply defined, plenty of tannins, and a good substance. Interesting wine, perhaps a little closed today. 16+/20 (£14.25)

Paitin Campolive Barbera d'Alba 2004: There are appealing aromas here, of dark roasted fruit, with a meaty, savage, animalistic trait. Big and fleshy, with lots of ripe substance, a very firm structure underneath. Huge acidity, gentle tannic grip. This is a wine with a lot of punch. 16/20 (£16.50)

Lay & Wheeler Rioja 2004: Bottled by CVNE. Soft, strawberry fruit on the nose, with a little roasted note to it. There is a rather lean character on the palate, although there is a nice density to the fruit. Not particularly fleshy, a little gritty on the midpalate, and a nice peppery acidity. It is straightforward but nicely balanced. 15.5/20 (£8.25)

Celler de Capçanes Mas Torto Vinyes Velles (Montsant) 2004: This doesn't seem very expressive on the nose tonight, but on the palate it has a good fleshy substance, and a good grip underneath. there is more fruit here than on the nose, with a slightly brawny character. Lots of structure, firm acids, and soft fruit. This needs time, and is perhaps a touch closed and a little difficult to judge tonight. 16-17+?/20 (£20.25)

Dominique Portet Shiraz Heathcote (Victoria) 2004: The nose here carries aromas of sweet purple fruit, vanilla and toffee. The palate is similarly sweet and fleshy, with a plush and seamless, rounded, creamy texture. There is plenty of typical spicy, minty, eucalyptus-tinged raspberry fruit, but despite all this ripe character there is also very firm and tingling acidity. Overall it has some good points, but it is all a bit too much like liquid velvet for my palate. 16/20 (£13.25)

Fromm Winery Clayvin Vineyard Pinot Noir (Marlborough) 2004: This has a distinctive burnt-oil note on the nose, with fat and oily red fruits, with a tinge of an animalistic, feral scent, and a little beetroot. The palate has plump, slightly oily fruit like the nose, but there is a good structure underneath, with ripe tannins and peppery acidity. Lots of appealing, earthy substance. I suspect this will be better in a year or two. 16+/20 (£28.50)

Viña Mont Gras Ninquen Red (Colchagua Valley) 2005: This certainly has an interesting nose, with slightly herby, rubbery fruit. Clearly made from very ripe fruit, sweet and open, with a very soft structure although it shows more peppery bite in the midpalate. Very soft tannins. It has a fat and flattering style, rather than any real substance. ready for drinking now. 15/20 (£18.25)

Smith Woodhouse Late Bottled Vintage Port 1995: Sweet, dense, meaty fruit on the nose. Fresh and appealing, with pure loganberry fruit and white chocolate on the palate, backed up by a firm, chewy, tannic structure and nice acidity. There is a little savoury, peppery edge to it. I think this is drinking nicely and is decent value for the money. 16/20 (£16.50)