Team leader Annette Scarfe MW described this Gold winner as an ‘ambitious wine with lashings of new oak’, and also felt it was ‘very sleek and polished, with ripe tannins, nice approachability, and it will be suitable for spicy foods’. ‘Supple, juicy and broad, and made in a modern style,’ was Hakkasan Group’s Olivier Gasselin’s conclusion, while team leader Simon Woods described it as ‘concentrated, with earthy berry fruit’.

£17.02 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Taking Gold for its complex yet very approachable style, this Cabernet was described by Hakkasan Group’s Olivier Gasselin as ‘juicy and crunchy, yet velvety, too’. Team leader Tom Forrest was intrigued by the ‘light floral and redcurrant notes with hints of rose petal’ he found on the nose, also enjoying its ‘soft red and black fruits, cherry and currants on the palate, with soft, refined tannins and nice balance’. Gasselin saw this pairing beautifully with Springbok tartare.

£12.32 Mendoza Vineyards SA

Charles Van Wyk of FJB Hotels was impressed with this wine’s ‘intense aromas of blackberry, clove, black pepper, blackcurrant leaf, with added notes of liquorice and vanilla’, adding: ‘Fantastically concentrated, with complex dark fruit and spicy notes all round. Great wine, great value.’

£9.54 Bibendum

‘With cassis fruit and a slight herbal streak, this is ripe with well-structured tannins, representing good value for money,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while Charles Van Wyk of FJB Hotels highlighted its ‘dark plum, mint and sour cherry notes’.

£7.50 Molson Coors

‘Lifted red and black cherry fruit, some leafiness and spice on the nose,’ began team leader Tom Forrest, who also enjoyed its ‘well-balanced tannins and juicy character, with light spice and chocolate notes, and perfume on the finish’. Sara Bachiorri of Chez Bruce added that it was ‘richly textured and generous on the palate, with earthy, smoked cured meat character and coffee notes on the finish’.

£34.99 Frederic Robinson

Team leader Tom Forrest found ‘dark berry and currant fruit, slightly hot’ aromas, then a ‘soft palate with earthy spice and big, chewy tannins, raspberry fruit on the finish’. ‘Big and bold, concentrated, cassis and rich liquorice,’ added Chez Bruce’s Sara Bachiorri.

£11.15 Enotria&Coe

‘Nice fruit, nice balance, with fresh and well-integrated oak and a touch of spice,’ said an impressed Mattin Larraburu of Sexy Fish, while Chez Bruce’s Sara Bachiorri noted its ‘sweet spices from the oak, liquorice and bramble fruit, with a long finish’.

£15.18 Enotria&Coe

Hakkasan Group’s Olivier Gasselin found this ‘leathery and earthy, with mature notes on the nose, followed by mixed spices, notes of green pepper and tomato, balanced by dry tannins, a little under-ripeness and a touch of smoke’.

£14.72 Enotria&Coe

Though he felt it would benefit from ‘a year or two more in the bottle’, Buddha Bar’s Piotr Artur Tomaszewski still found this ‘very good quality, and will work very well with the grill’, adding: ‘Smooth, well balanced and elegant, with plums, cherry stones and blackcurrant on the palate, rounded oak and freshness.’ ‘Outstanding concentration,’ agreed Charles Van Wyk of FJB Hotels.

£44.77 Bibendum

‘Floral aromas with notes of cassis,’ began Sara Bachiorri of Chez Bruce, adding: ‘Full body, with high alcohol and tannins, but good acidity, cloves and sweet spices cutting through, then a long finish with appealing dark chocolate richness.’

£11.14 Liberty Wines

£11.74 Matthew Clark

£23.67 Bibendum

£15.79 Liberty Wines

£8.63 Enotria&Coe