Romaeus Rosso 2014, Lazio, Italy (£10.99 Laithwaites)
There’s a light floral perfume and gentle dark fruit, but there’s also an OTT vanilla character which gives an impression of sweetness and overall it’s just too simple for class. C

Renato Ratti Ochetti Nebbiolo d’Alba 2014, Piedmont, Italy (£18.49 Italian Continental Stores, Aged in Oak Wine Company, Cellar By The Quay, Salut Wines)
Intense but always fresh, this is delicious, gentle wine with intriguing aromas of honey, violets and roses, and with the blackcurrant fruit tinges with the classic Nebbiolo touch of rusty iron. Complex, layered, perfumed and moreish. S

Masi Costasera Amarone Classico 2011, Veneto, Italy (£35.00 Majestic)
Young gutsy and intense style, showing deep dark fruit flavour – plums, Morello cherries, blackberries, prunes – with hints of spices and cocoa, and a light balsamic edge on the finish. Bold but fresh, thanks to a seam of zesty citrus acidity, and with a frames of ripe tannins, this is tasty now, but is also built for the long haul. S+