A Gold-worthy wine of ‘massive complexity’ for team leader Angela Reddin, who found it ‘inky deep with soy and balsamic notes on the nose, olives and hot earth, then cassis and herbs on a palate of vibrant fruit weight, layers of flavour and a long, driving finish’. Hakkasan Group’s Diana Rollan also noted ‘toasty coffee notes, dark chocolate and smoky black pepper with cassis, plenty of tannin and full character’. ‘A lovely wine for steaks and game,’ suggested Caroline Catering’s Richard Brooks.

£18.99 Boutinot

Taking Gold for its complex, savoury, herbal character, this was described by team leader Andrea Briccarello as having ‘tomato leaf and basil, with great freshness and complexity, and layers of fruit, with a long, spicy finish’. The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira praised ‘tropical notes on the nose and elegance on the palate, with notes of lemon ice cream and biscuit’, while Matthieu Longuère MS of Le Cordon Bleu London found ‘mineral, flint notes, with beeswax, too – lovely, elegant and complex’.

£54.87 Arba Wine

‘A nose that draws me in with its inviting spice and elusive warmth that intrigues,’ said J Corey Evans of St Swithins Wine Shippers, who enjoyed its ‘soft, fleshy black fruits, and great consistency between nose and palate’, with team leader Angela Reddin picking up on its ‘blueberry and damson fruit with violets, rich layering and soft, chocolatey tannins’.

£11.99 Boutinot

‘The nose shows development,’ began team leader Angela Reddin, finding ‘ironstone graphite mineral notes over plump red fruits, the palate broadening out with more dark fruit flavours, still with plenty of tannins, though they sit well in this style’. ‘Beautiful nose with a touch of menthol for freshness, well-developed black fruit, full and chocolatey,’ added J Corey Evans of St Swithins Wine Shippers.

£14.08 Karam Wines

This was simply ‘elegant and peppery, with perfumed plum and blackcurrant, balance and elegance’ for Geoffray Bénat of Cépages Wine Bistro, while team leader Angela Reddin found ‘smoked meat notes and cassis, balsamic aromas, a sapid palate and great fruit weight’, and Hakkasan Group’s Diana Rollan called it as ‘great for steak’.

£13.85 Enotria&Coe

‘Lovely, intense and ethereal, great perfume and a fresh aftertaste,’ said an impressed Xabier Alvarez of Trangallán, with Sake No Hana’s Tobias Brauweiler MS highlighting its ‘open style, with red fruit and perfumed rose petal notes on the nose, cherry and plum fruit with notes of kirsch and pleasant tannins’.

£80.35 Arba Wine

‘Black cherry and dark plums, fruit-forward on the nose with high, very fine-grained tannins,’ said Sumi Sarma of Sumilier, while Street XO’s Raphael Thierry liked its ‘good concentration, sweet juicy fruit, and integrated tannic structure’. ‘Nice fruit and lots of new cedar oak notes,’ added team leader Annette Scarfe MW.

£67.60 Arba Wine

‘Elegant nose, and there’s good concentration of black fruits and spice, very well balanced and a good finish,’ began Carlos Ferreira of The Sign of the Don, while Sumi Sarma of Sumilier highlighted its ‘supple, fruit-forward style and good texture, impressive concentration and harmony of oak, fruit and acidity’.

£11.95 Transylvania Wine LTD

Carlos Ferreira of The Sign of the Don found ‘cooked apple and pear with spicy toasted notes on the nose, a creamy and elegant palate that’s very well balanced, with touches of salty mineral and greener asparagus notes’, and Sumi Sarma of Sumilier highlighted its fruity complexity, with ‘ripe lemon and grapefruit, floral jasmine and honeysuckle with softened peaches, brilliant mouthwatering acidity, refreshing yet concentrated’.

£14.79 Theatre of Wine

Adam Michocki of Chez Bruce liked its ‘juicy, fruit compote nose with mainly black cherries, then precise fruit focus on the palate, intensive in flavours with easy, fluffy tannins’, and The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira highlighted its ‘friendly nose, very soft tannins and a good price’.

£5.50 Eurowines

Diana Rollan of Hakkasan Group found ‘red berries and minerals with smoky balsamic hints on the nose, high acidity on a bright, bold palate showing oaky, toasty concentration and full-bodied style’.

£10.17 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Open red fruit style, summer berries and redcurrant with a hint of smoky barbecue aromas and lead pencil,’ began team leader Angela Reddin, who was pleased with its ‘good fruit delivery with ironstone mineral elements’.

£9.24 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Damien Trinckquel of Galvin Brasserie de Luxe Edinburgh found it ‘velvety with a lovely finish, ample with great balance of flavour on the palate, ranging from primary fruit characters through to more developed, forest fruit notes’.

£12.19 Theatre of Wine

A blended style fairly unlikely to be found anywhere else, featuring the local Rkatsiteli and Akserrua varieties with two types of Riesling and a drop of Gewürztraminer for good measure. ‘Lovely pear and apple fruit with some hints of fennel or anis complexity, a lively palate that’s quite chalky and salty, but pleasant,’ said Adam Michocki of Chez Bruce.

£12.19 Theatre of Wine

‘Full and vibrant, a summery expression with sweet flowers, violets and roses, blue plummy fruit and great structure, perfect for a big table,’ said Damien Trinckquel of Galvin Brasserie de Luxe Edinburgh. ‘Lovely and bright, fragrant and floral,’ agreed team leader Sam Caporn MW.

£11.50 GinVino

This was all about ‘elegant red cherries and raspberries’ for Sake No Hana’s Tobias Brauweiler MS, while for team leader Sam Caporn MW there was ‘light cedar, with fragrant oak dominating, lifted red fruit underneath, but a quite elegant and stylish wine’.

£24.50 GinVino

‘A big fruity wine, showing red and black cherry jam on the palate, very well balanced, a gentle mouthfeel with a good finish,’ said The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira, with Adam Michocki of Chez Bruce also noting ‘smoked prune, some liqueur cherry, and it’s slightly rustic, in the good way’.

£9.85 Transylvania Wine LTD

£6.90 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£13.85 Enotria&Coe

£17.96 Enotria&Coe

£10.50 Liberty Wines

£15.73 VINA MATOSEVIC d.o.o.

£18.45 Liberty Wines

£18.75 Liberty Wines

£21.50 GinVino

£14.75 GinVino

£11.50 GinVino

£21.28 Theatre of Wine

£15.31 Enotria&Coe

£23.88 Theatre of Wine

£67.60 Arba Wine

£10.74 Hallgarten & Novum Wines