1. Reveilo Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Dark ruby in colour. An expressive nose of blackcurrant and plums with an earthy character and a hint of stalkyness. Medium to full-bodied on the palate with intense,sweet dark fruit. Quite treacly, with a hint of dark berry jam. An obvious indication of oak, with the sweetness indicative perhaps of American oak. Moderate tannins that are not over-bearing. Some hints of refreshing acidity leading to a medium-long finish. If stored well, this wine has the potential to soften and develop some good secondary flavours over the next 2-5 years. Closure: Synthetic cork. Price: Rs 895.

2. Four Seasons Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Ruby, with a slight pale garnet rim. Immediate leather and oak characters on the nose - even a slight meatiness. Not much fruit but a slight earthy character with some chocolate/coffee notes. Some stalky/herbal notes on the nose too. Refreshing acidity on the palate with chalky (fine) tannins. Some slightly ripe red fruit and cedar/oak characters. A short to medium long finish. Drink now. Closure: Screwcap. Price: Rs 550.

3. Zampa Syrah/Cabernet 2008
Fresh raspberries on the palate. A little raspberry-cordial character with interesting herbal and stalky notes. A slight yeasty character indicative of recent bottling. The palate is light to medium-bodied and a little astringent with acidity and stalky tannins. This wine might need a few months to settle into the bottle, but showing good potential in about 9-15 months' time. Drink now to 12 months. Closure:Cork. Price: Rs 600.

4. Sula Cabernet/Shiraz 2008
Bright ruby. Some red berry notes (cranberry, raspberry) and a hint of leather/meaty aromas. A slightly medicinal characteristic too. A light to medium-bodied red that has light acidity and quite light tannins. Very Beaujolaisesque in style except for a slight stalky character. A hint of red berries on the palate but an otherwise non-descript wine. Short fi nish. Drink now. Closure: Screwcap.Price: Rs 480.

5. Seagrams Nine Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Dark ruby with a slight pale ruby rim. Some earthy notes on the nose with strong indicators of French oak and some brown spice. Very little fruit is apparent on the nose although there is a very faint suggestion of blackcurrant, but certainly some minty/stalky notes. A medium to full-bodied style showing some dark fruit, but generally a little astringent and even slightly bitter in the fi nish. Drink now. Closure: Screwcap. Price: Rs 500.

6. Grover Vineyards Cabernet/Shiraz 2007
Ruby with a faint garnet rim. A very faint suggestion of red berries - raspberries in particular. A closed nose not giving much away. Light-medium bodied with low acidity and very light tannins. The wine is not sweet but gives the impression of being a touch 'fl abby' with a short finish. Closure: Screwcap. Price: Rs 480.

7. Château D'Ori Cabernet/Syrah 2007
Faulty sample. It would have been interesting to try a bottle of this wine in good shape and there seemed to be some depth of colour and an intensity on the nose. This wine was badly stored, smelling tired and giving off a strong medicinal/iodine aroma on the nose. Closure: Cork. Price: Rs 550.