‘Rich and yeasty, showing yellow fruits and good mousse,’ began Street XO’s Raphael Thierry of this worthy Gold winner, with team leader Sam Caporn MW finding ‘intriguing aromas and flavours with apple notes, tight acidity and a pretty, fresh, yeasty style’. Sumilier’s Sumi Sarma enjoyed ‘mouthwatering acidity with underlying minerality’, while The Ned Hotel’s Giancarlo Cuccuru saw this working well with seafood.

£22.92 Bibendum , Matthew Clark

A delicate and mineral character led Palmer to the Gold podium with its blanc de blancs. ‘Fresh style, with lemon and marzipan, brioche and green pepper notes on the nose,’ said Piotr Artur Tomaszewski of Buddha Bar, who found ‘lemon and lime fruit with camomile and wild strawberry on the palate, which is elegant and well structured with a lightly oxidative character’. ‘Fantastic acidity makes this a perfect pairing for lobster thermidor,’ added Marek Rakowski of Harbour Heights Hotel.

£28.72 Bibendum

Ultra-dry Gold winner Drappier earned judges’ praise for its rich complexity and food friendliness. ‘Complex aromas with lemon, good typical character on the palate with slightly high acidity,’ began Tanya Mann of Linden House Stansted, with team leader Angela Reddin finding ‘plenty of autolysis, biscuity and mineral notes, good for gastropubs’. ‘Pair with tandoori chicken,’ suggested Tamarind of Mayfair’s Chantal Serrano.

£29.79 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Mike Best of the WSET enjoyed this off-dry Gold Lister’s ‘rich and inviting, bold green apple fruit on the nose, followed by balanced sweetness and freshness on the palate, which would pair very well with grilled king scallops’, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The 3A Pub Company also noted ‘toasted nuts, baked peach with marzipan on a toasty finish’. ‘It would be interesting to try this not only with desserts, but with a dish like vegetable curry and rice, too,’ concluded Tanya Mann of Linden House Stansted.

£27.32 Bibendum , Matthew Clark

Describing this highly acclaimed Gold winner, Giuseppe Longobardi of The 3A Pub Company found ‘hazelnuts and cream on the nose, then a lemon and grapefruit palate with baked fig notes on the finish and a touch of warm butter’, while The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira enjoyed its ‘red and green apple nose, creamy, oily texture, hints of rose and amazing finish’. ‘A haute cuisine wine suited to white-meat dishes,’ said Tanya Mann of Linden House Stansted, adding: ‘I could sip this all night. A meditation wine for champagne lovers.’

£40.24 Bibendum , Matthew Clark

Tanya Mann of Linden House Stansted was impressed with its ‘very beautiful style’, and found it ‘very complex, with many layers of aroma, spicy apple and nutmeg hints on a lemon fruit palate with great length – very gastronomic’. ‘Woody, toasty nose, older vintages showing through and loads of toasty, nutty elements,’ added team leader Angela Reddin.

£32.86 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

‘Elegant, light nose of yeasty apple fruit, attractive lemon zest on the finish,’ began team leader Tom Forrest, while J Corey Evans of St Swithins Wine Shippers found it ‘good value, with bread and brioche aromas, nettle and yeasty notes, sour apple fruit and fine mousse’.

£21.91 Boutinot, Christopher Piper Wines

Alessandro de Angelis of Jamavar Restaurant first noted its ‘rich, bright gold colour’, before highlighting ‘complex aromas reminiscent of honey and pineapple chutney, smooth and soft texture on the palate with an oaky sensation, if a little low on acidity’.

£27.71 Bibendum

Team leader Laura Rhys MS noted its ‘bright citrus and good, delicate mousse’, describing it as ‘great value’, while The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira highlighted ‘floral and citrus, high acidity and red and green apples and lemon on the finish’.

£16.48 Bibendum

‘With its mineral, salty character, smoky style and good body and length, this is very pleasant and consumer-friendly, would be good for a gastropub,’ said Tanya Mann of Linden House Stansted.

£18.95 Castelnau Wine Agencies

J Corey Evans of St Swithins Wine Shippers was impressed with its ‘overall very refined, rounded and elegant’ style, noting ‘golden apple turnover and Marmite yeasty notes, giving very good value’, while Buddha Bar’s Piotr Artur Tomaszewski found ‘camomile, fresh green grass and notes of raspberry’.

£19.95 Castelnau Wine Agencies

‘An attractive nose showing autolytic development, with fresh acidity and good balance on the palate,’ said team leader Sam Caporn MW, with Alessandro de Angelis of Jamavar Restaurant adding: ‘Generous, full of flowery and fragrant character yet fresh and crisp.’

£14.72 Majestic Commercial

Sake No Hana’s Tobias Brauweiler MS noted ‘yellow fruit, creamy texture, buttery apple on the palate and notes of hazelnut cream on the finish’, while Harry Crowther of M Wine Store enjoyed its ‘great freshness and racy acidity’.

£25.30 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Candied apple and a touch of brioche on the nose, but it’s fruit-driven with a lean and crisp, saline finish,’ said Harry Crowther of M Wine Store, while Sake No Hana’s Tobias Brauweiler MS noted ‘a lively green apple and citric nose, crisp acidity and roasted almonds on the palate’.

£26.93 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Nutty aromas with baking apples and leesy/yeasty notes make a savoury style with a balance of fruit – has a place, and good for food,’ said WSET’s Mike Best, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The 3A Pub Company liked its ‘nice, bright zesty orange, pain d’épice and warm butter nose, and fresh, clean taste and finish’.

£21.53 Boutinot

‘A taut, fresh style, dominated by citrus and green apple,’ began Mike Best of the WSET, advising: ‘Linear on the palate, this will greatly benefit from time in the glass to open up.’

£24.93 Bibendum , Matthew Clark

Team leader Sam Caporn MW noted ‘a touch of development and some honeycomb hints, a broader and richer style with good length and toast’, while Street XO’s Raphael Thierry found it ‘rich and biscuity with a touch of almond on the palate and a fresh finish’.

£22.52 Bibendum , Matthew Clark

The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira enjoyed its ‘soft nose of citrus fruit, lemon and lime, with hints of fresh apple and grape juice, followed by a creamy textured palate, very well balanced with good body and a beautiful finish’.

£31.58 Bibendum

Alessandro de Angelis of Jamavar Restaurant felt this had a ‘lovely nose with bakery shop sensations, brioche and plum notes, followed by a fresh style on the palate that has hints of nutmeg and dried citrus’.

£24.88 Cour Des Lys

Consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates noted ‘light citrus fruits on the nose, lemon and grapefruit, followed by a bright palate that’s fresh with good acidity’, adding: ‘Plucky!’ Team leader Tom Forrest highlighted its ‘creamy mousse, and apple and lemon meringue pie notes’.

£18.14 Boutinot, Christopher Piper Wines

‘Fresh lemon citrus aromas; soft, round and fruity on the palate. Approachable house champagne style that delivers great value for money,’ said WSET’s Mike Best. ‘Ripe fruit, dosage giving nice texture,’ added team leader Laura Rhys MS.

£16.01 Boutinot

£27.09 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£28.76 Liberty Wines

£22.65 Bibendum

£28.46 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£26.39 Enotria&Coe

£24.84 Enotria&Coe

£23.03 Bibendum , Matthew Clark, Molson Coors, Carlsberg UK

£31.46 Liberty Wines

£33.58 New Generation McKinley

£36.87 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

£21.91 Boutinot, Christopher Piper Wines

£16.27 Society of Vintners