An artful blend of fruit and spice earned this not only the Gold, but a Food Match Trophy, too. Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson was struck by its ‘extraordinary aromas of ginger and spice, leafy character on the palate with lots of grip’, while team leader Sam Caporn MW felt it was a ‘classic’, showing ‘lovely deep cedar and lots of eucalyptus, chocolate and red cherry’. ‘Really good value for money – this would suit a big, red steak,’ concluded The Ned Hotel’s Giancarlo Cuccuru.

£9.96 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘This has all of the finesse of Margaret River, at a good price,’ began team leader Martin Lam in praise of this Gold medallist, adding: ‘It’s structured, with dark blackcurrant fruit.’ Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson added: ‘Great nose, elegant and restrained fruit, with redcurrants, spice and texture on the palate, and touches of Asian spices. Lively elegance.’ ‘Memorable finesse, with crisp acidity and a mature structure – this would pair well with a spicy lamb curry,’ concluded Sumilier’s Sumi Sarma.

£19.84 Bibendum

This Gold’s ‘complex nose of pepper, tobacco and a charred character’ left an impression on Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens, who picked out its ‘quite intense, ripe fruit palate, velvety and ripe tannins and freshness of acidity’. ‘Tight structure with warm fruit, blackcurrant and plum,’ added Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson. ‘A dense, powerful and luscious wine with an age-worthy structure – great quality,’ summarised Sumilier’s Sumi Sarma.

£15.00 Liberty Wines

Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn found this a ‘Bordeaux-like style, with some earthiness contrasting its berry fruit flavours, good length and great balance’. ‘Classic Cabernet nose and palate, with bright fruit,’ added team leader Laura Rhys MS.

£8.50 Fuller's

‘Inky texture with plenty of cassis aromas; good entry with velvety mocha notes on the palate,’ said Masahito Suzuki of Sosharu, with team leader Laura Rhys MS adding: ‘Bright, clean fruit, berry-cherry, some complexity and spice notes.’

£7.99 Frederic Robinson

‘Lively, bright, juicy mid-weight stuff; pure, vibrant and fresh on the palate with red fruit and great structure,’ said Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson. ‘Black and Morello cherry perfumes, very drinkable,’ concluded team leader Sam Caporn MW.

£9.99 Frederic Robinson

‘Attractive style with red and black cherry and mint notes,’ said team leader Sam Caporn MW, who found it: ‘Quite classic, with nice grainy tannins and good length.’ ‘Fruit-forward with generous cassis, milk chocolate and eucalyptus,’ added Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens.

£9.96 Berkmann Wine Cellars

This had ‘fine body and velvety mouthfeel’, according to Sosharu’s Masahito Suzuki, who enjoyed its ‘juicy cassis character with hints of roses’, while Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn found it ‘rich, with notes of blood and fresh, gamey meats’.

£9.60 Liberty Wines

Avenue’s Agustin Trapero enjoyed its ‘pure cassis and blackcurrant, and fine elegance on the palate’, while Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson was impressed with its ‘great nose, suppleness with dusty Cabernet tannins, and great purity and balance’.

£15.33 Bibendum

Plenty of ‘tannin and dark fruit’, according to Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, who also noted its ‘underripe cherry and berry fruit’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS found ‘more savoury spice notes on the palate and some seriousness behind the fruit’.

£16.97 Matthew Clark

‘A good expression,’ began team leader Laura Rhys MS, also noting its ‘velvety tannins and rich, ripe fruit’, while Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn highlighted its ‘warm spices, bilberry fruit character and nice softness’.

£6.86 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

While for Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn this was ‘austere, mineral, with dark black fruits, though a little closed’, team leader Laura Rhys MS found it ‘rich and bold with opulent fruit, good complexity and acidity with well-managed oak’.

£23.94 Enotria&Coe

£9.26 Bibendum

£12.24 Enotria&Coe

£10.24 Enotria&Coe

£16.98 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£17.55 Genesis Wines