Valle Vento Barolo 2007, Piedmont (£14.99 Spar)
Some will praise its old-fashioned, volatile, meaty style and rustic charm, others will dislike it for precisely the same reasons. It is a bit tired and consommé-like, but there’s still enough fragrant tar aroma, plum and citrus peel flavour and chewy tannin to make it interesting, if not special. Showed it to a tasting group a couple of hours after I filmed this – very much a love/hate wine… B

Castello del Trebbio Vigneti Trebbio IGT Toscana 2009 (N/A in the UK)
Rounded, warm and already quite developed, with fragrant, dusty plum and berry fruit pepped up with touches of tar and honey. Almost Barolo-like in its fragrant plummy rusticity, maybe not most complex of wines but smooth and satisfying. S(-)

Pinino Brunello di Montalcino 2007, Tuscany (~£30-35 Vinum)
Wonderful combination of generous, herb-strewn cherry, loganberry and plum flavours with a stern, aristocratic backbone of fine tannin and iron-like minerality. Firm but fine, warm and welcoming, grown up, complete wine. G-