Extra Special Nero d’Avola 2012, Sicilia (£7 Asda)
Warm, friendly winter wine, with a slightly raisinny edge to its heart plummy flavours, and a touch of savoury complexity on the finish – classic stew wine. B+

Barone di Bolaro Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore 2011, Calabria (£7.25 The Wine Society)
Ah, this confused me. At this start, you could see there was plenty of fresh and dried cherry flavour, also raspberry, but this was blanketed by a rather stubborn, rubbery, vanilla-heavy oak character (this is probably when I discover it’s been nowhere near oak…). On Day 2, it had begun to relax, allowing almost Barolo-like iron and tar flavours to emerge, and come Day 3, it was even better, with spicy dark fruit flavours and gentle rustic charm in abundance. Started off C+, ended up S-…

Piccini Sasso al Poggio 2008, Toscana (£12.99 Morrisons)
Combines warm black cherry flavours with that slightly eggy/thoddy character of not-quite-cooked cake mix, and chucks in some earthy, rustic elements for good measure. Clean and fresh but not overpolished, just the right side of jamminess, and at heart wild and juicy. B+