Simonne

Smoky and earthy notes on the nose with not much fruit for me; this bright red wine is sharp and dry. There was a little bit of a lingering flavour on the palate - his is certainly not an easy-drinking wine.
Paired with Orange chocolate - I detest orange chocolate! But this pairing brought out the citrus flavours that were hidden in the wine - not a terrible match.

Pieter

Spices, earth and - after a while - some cherries on the nose. Fair, slightly tart palate with just a touch of bitterness in the tail. In combination with the choc the citrus is accentuated, while the dark choc smoothes out the slight bitterness in the wine, making it better. Neither wine nor choc was my favourite, but the combination actually worked.

David

On the nose the wine is characterized by some subtle spicy notes and red berries. On the palate I got cherry coming through but found the wine to lack a certain foundation that ended up making it rather astringent. However, when paired with the Lindt Orange the wine really came into its own. The chocolate emphasized the citrus notes on the palate and smoothed out the wine beautifully. A great pairing.

Robyn

A pretty budget red that tastes like what it is - just the sort of thing to convince you that we should have stuck to the whites in this range. The 'unusual varieties' add hint of extra interest but not enough that I''d recommend the cost 'o entry. Pretty light bodied, tart with some good red fruit, but a short bitter finish.

The Intense Orange Lindt pleasantly converted the acidity in the wine to citrus flavours, but also intensified the bitter flavour. This is a can-do pairing if there's a gun or students in the vicinity.

Ellen

This wine is light in colour, almost a transparent ruby. On the nose there is a pleasing earthiness and a slight herbal quality, along with red cherries. The cherries follow through on the palate but the wine feels unbalanced and lacking in character. It is light- to medium-bodied with reasonable length. The Intense Orange chocolate tastes artificial and slightly chemical - or maybe I just don't like orange-flavoured chocolate? It does nothing for the wine, and I can't imagine any wine making this chocolate more to my liking. Maybe a cup of strong coffee, but not wine.