From BRL Hardy. One of a new premium range from South Australia launched last month and created as the next step up for Hardy drinkers. Abv: 13.5% Price: £9.99 TARGET CONSUMER Mary O'Brien, 39, is an education officer for special needs at Lanarkshire Council. She lives in Cumbernauld, outside Glasgow. I love Hardys ­ no matter which Hardys bottle you open, you're guaranteed quality, even from the cheaper brands. The colour and shape of the label has a bit of a '60s retro look about it which sets it apart from traditional Hardys labels. The colour of the wine is a full bodied Burgundy red. It smells oaked and plummy and just a little bit spicy. It doesn't taste what I'd expect from a normal Cabernet Sauvignon as there's a definite spice off it. It's extremely palatable and the flavour is quite long-lasting. This wine is quite pricey so I'd probably only buy it for a special occasion or maybe when I feel like treating myself. It's the kind of wine I'd be reluctant to share with anyone and I'd probably drink it over a couple of days, savouring every last drop. Rating out of 25 ­ 20 Sally Easton Master of Wine and wine buyer for Berry Brothers and Rudd This 1998 South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon is deep crimson and has a spicy red cherry and smoky bacon nose. The palate has a warm, earthy character with very ripe, mature, slightly baked fruit flavours. The tannins are soft but show a hint of dryness on the finish. The alcohol, at a fairly normal 13.5%, appears slightly out of kilter with the fruit components. The finish is spicy and oaky and lacks some fruit. The packaging is smart, with the label showing good presence, but at £9.99 I would expect better value from Australia, and the quality of the product does not justify the price. Rating out of 25 ­ 10 Graham Shearsby Board creative director, graphics, at Design Bridge A clear attempt to encroach on Penfolds' territory. The presentation of this premium offering from Hardys certainly lacks any finesse that may be in the juice. The heavy bottle with its over-complicated neck almost looks as if a screw top lurks beneath the capsule. The black and white simplicity of the overlapping labels is a positive feature lost to the clumsy typography and somewhat bizarre script used for the Tintara branding. Having said all this it is at least an attempt to be distinctive in a crowded market. Rating out of 25 ­ 10 Steve Mayes Category controller at Landmark Tintara could be a success but it will require considerable effort. Consumers may well try it on the Hardys name and its presentation alone, but at £9.99 the liquid is a little disappointing. There are better Aussie reds around for less. From a commercial perspective, the margins are tight and, worse still, Hardys' brands have a nasty habit of appearing at crazy prices in one or two accounts. This is not a problem if it's part of a unilateral brand campaign. At £9.99 this will be a hard sell. Without the right margins, the support will need to be spectacular, but this leads up to a big No Thanks'. Rating out of 25 ­ 12 Total score out of 100 ­ 52 {{DRINKS }}