Mas Coutelou 7 Rue de la Pompe

This one smelt of a wet field of cut borage standing next to one of rape. Feel like I have to pinch my nose to drink this. Once in the mouth, the bright dark fruit is much better than the aroma.

Very good value. Earthy aroma gives way to fruit. Fresh on the palate, blackberries and bone dry. Significant bottle variation.

Very dark inky coloured with a tarry nose. Much more vibrant than expected on the palate with plump blackcurrant fruit and a herby finish. Nice.

The smell on drawing the cork was quite spectacularly off-putting but a bit of airtime brought out a delicious scent of violets which carried through onto the palate. I really like the way this wine develops with time in air...

Very deep purple. Loads of red and black fruit. Also raw meat, earth and hints of new leather and spice. Fresh. Dry. Fruit really follows through on palate. Nicely balanced. Very drinkable. Excellent value for the price.

Inky dark but clear. Wonderful melange of savoury notes on the nose which start to resolve into something like cough linctus and berries on day 1. Smooth mouthfeel with a mid of spice and peppers before a sweet fruit ending. More-ish. I've made it sound like a complete meal but it is actually a rather nice wine. Especially on day 2 after I had inadvertently omitted to seal the bottle overnight.

Drank over two days. On day one, the nose was earthy and fungal - interesting but not necessarily alluring. Concentrated with an intense dark fruit core and a long, spicy finish. On day two the nose had evolved and become much more fruit-based and beguiling. The palate had softened too offering up some juicy blackcurrant.