A rather nice trio it was too…

Viña El Huique Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2004, Colchagua, Chile (£6.99 The Real Wine Company)
Nicely mature, soft and plummy, with a dusty, almost smoky blackcurrant character, a hint of tomato, and a touch of leafy tobacco on the finish. S-

Warwick First Lady 2007, Stellenbosch, South Africa (£7.95 The Wine Society)
Fresh blackcurrant, some baked berry and leafy complexity, ripe but not overdone, some smoky oak, juicy, earthy finish. Not for keeping but very tasty now. B+

Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Colchagua, Chile (£10.99 Tesco)
High class smoky French oak, some of the typical Chilean blackcurrant pastille edge, ripe but not too ripe, with a minerally backbone, firm but never aggressive tannins, still young, but very promising. S