Guess Whose Wine Might Appeal to Teenage Girls: Richard Vines

Marc Andrea is head sommelier of Angela Hartnett's Murano, the new London addition to Gordon Ramsay's empire. Like his boss, he doesn't mince words.

In a blind tasting of red wines on sale in U.K. stores for less than 20 pounds ($36.56) he says one would be acceptable if served by a friend who didn't know much about wine. Another tastes of candy and might appeal to 18-year-old girls.

Andrea, from Aix-en-Provence, France, previously worked at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's. He says he is 22. I feel old.

MARKS & SPENCER: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine des Senechaux, 2006, France (19 pounds): ``The nose is expressive. This is pretty young. You find a green character. Very underage. There's an intense bitterness combined with red and dark-red berries. It's still intense on the palate. Medium to high acidity. The tannins are ripe. Good level of alcohol. It's not New World -- definitely more Old World. The style is French. I don't like it. The bitterness lingers. It's missing elegance.'' 2/10.

SOMERFIELD: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, La Volonte des Papes, 2007, France. (10.49 pounds): ``The nose is much better. The color is pretty light, a nice ruby color. The nose is pretty delicate. Nice black raspberries character. It's smoother on the nose. It's dry but the raspberries are coming back. Fresh, with good acidity. It's well balanced in terms of the fruit and the acidity but with poor length. It's on the light side. I'd say it's French. It's still young, with a bit of bitterness. I'd say 2006.'' 6/10.

SELFRIDGES: Te Mata Gamay Noir, Woodthorpe, 2007 New Zealand. (13.99 pounds): ``Whoa. Is this fruit juice? I think it's grape juice. Next. The nose is on the sugar-candy style: marshmallow and banana. It's either very young and cheap Beaujolais or something made for 18-year-old girls going out to drink red wine. It's New World style. The fruitiness is similar to gamay. Very accessible. For fans of sugar candy, this might be a 10.'' 2/10.

HARRODS: St. Emilion, Chateau la Fleur, Laurent Dassault, 2004, France. (19.95 pounds): ``The nose is definitely a classic blend. Oak is showing intensively in this, combined with blackcurrants. The balance is smooth, much more on the fruit character. It's poor in terms of complexity. The fruit and tannins are flat. It has an oaky bitterness. The fruits are staying underneath. I'd say Spain because of the oak, or classic Bordeaux character.'' 5/10.

SAINSBURY: Chateau Clarke Listrac-Medoc, 2002, France. (19.99 pounds): ``The nose is complex. It's cabernet-blend style. It's dry. Blackcurrant flavors. Good fresh oak integration. This is Bordeaux style. It's good. If I went to a friend's home, who didn't know a lot about wine, I'd be happy. It's pretty good. It's smooth. The balance is there. There's nothing extravagant to discover about it but it's easy access to Bordeaux style. I might serve this as an entry-level wine to please customers.'' 7/10.

TESCO: Finest Nuits-Saint-Georges, Louis Josse, 2004, France. (18.99 pounds): ``The nose is medium intensity. (Shrugs shoulders.) It's kind of confit red fruit -- bit jammy. Nothing precise there. The balance is dry. It's light to medium-bodied and the fruits are poor. The length is short. It's poor. There's nothing there. I'd say pinot noir. It's a similar style to the New Zealand wine but more European. The color shows some maturation. It's probably 2004. If a friend served me this, I'd drink a glass, but not more.'' 4/10.