WOTN at Christmas Eve dinner, impressing everyone from white wine drinkers to cabernet aficionados. Deep nose of pure red fruits, intermingling with damp earth, ground mace and black tea. Silky smooth palate with flavors of cherry and refined spice and a backbone of moderate acidity and mineral nuance. Medium-bodied with a broad finish.

Very smooth, suave mouthfeel with pleasing aromas and flavors of black currants, cappuccino, and truffle. Bordeaux-like class, although not as expressive as it could be due to the vintage.

A big cab with firm tannins and sweet oak notes. Still too young, but I wanted to give it a try. Aromas and flavors of plum, powdered cocoa, baking spices.

The biggest disappointment in the lineup – a full and chewy wine, with notes of violet, forest, and cherry, but the extremely drying tannins made this difficult to drink, and it actually distracted from the food due to its strange finish.

Ripe and refreshing, and thus easy to drink, but also showing a lingering complexity that elevates it to sophisticated category. Citrusy nose with hints of honeysuckle, and a mouthfilling palate of lemon, lemon zest, and tart pineapple.

Made in an international style, quite similar to New Zealand SBs. Nice lime and lemon zest aromas and flavors with a touch of bitter pith on the finish. Not as long as the Gavi we drank next to it.

A succulent and powerful wine, which was sweet and delicious upon opening and evolved into a deeper, brooding wine over time – raspberry compote, vanilla, dark cherries.