Elegant nose with minerals, green apples and a hint of bread-yeast.. Bone dry taste with fresh acidity and a fine lower-pressure mousse. Really appealing high-quality artisanal prosecco - easy drinking and refreshing.

Dense appearance with a light golden hue. Fair development on the nose with tell-tale ripe chenin blanc aromas such as quince marmalade and yellow plums. Really generous on the palate, with concentration and ripeness like a mouelleux but sugars at moderate demi-sec level. It appears to be at least ten years old. What a surprise when the bottle is disclosed! This has to be made from really ripe grapes, with some botrytis, slow old-school pressing, some oxidation during vinification and perhaps also skin contact? There's a lot of pleasure to be had, but one could question if a white with three years of age should behave like it's ten years older.

Luxurious spicy oak and liquorice-like minerality, but not the shining red fruits of the 2010, more on the dark side. Since the acidity is medium, the balance leans more towards tannins. The midpalate is spicy and slightly viscous, the finish salty and mineral. After the fabulous '10, this is something of a disappointment, although expected in a warm vintage like 2011. Needs a few years to integrate the oak, but it doesn't seem to have the fruit and acids for the long term.

Textbook barbera dark forest-berry aromas, assisted by noble-wood furniture and an elegant botti-volatility. Really harmonious and well-balanced on the palate - not that easy with this grape - it excels with food-friendly acidity, lovely extract and light spicy tannins. Not many producers deliver barbera at this level of quality and style. Tasted blind, it is quite easy to recognise this Mascarello's signature (the other one makes a more red-fruity expression) as the '10 is quite similar to the '08. A great wine for the table, now and several years on.

Complex, developed nose, with a reassuringly traditional expression. Stemmy notes of tobacco and spice, dark-spectrum fruit, hints of iodine, meat and rusty iron, plus very light brett with band-aid, leather and farmyard aromas. Harmonious and elegant on the palate, with the power and structure from a great vintage. Drinks really well already, and will keep. de Montille's classical style usually hits our sweet-spot.

Corked.

Heavily oaked on quite light fruit. Cola spice, root beer, dried sour cherries, mint. Soft tannins and slightly cloying mouthfeel. Needs meat on the grill to mask the wood treatment. Querciophobiac alert!

Enticing nose with pungent aldehydes and curry spice, fenugreek and lovage, candied lemon peel, walnuts and a whiff of cheese shop. Light, fresh and clear on the palate - extremely enjoyable but perhaps it lacks a bit of fullness and concentration to be really great. We still have to see what time and/or a long airing might bring. Needless to say it's a smash-hit with comté.

Sincere, captivating and highly drinkable. Reminiscent of a top-notch bojo. Fitzi's note is spot on, but we'd say quality is quite outstanding rather than very good.