‘A ripe, fruit-forward style, with a good backbone of new oak, a silky mouthfeel, and good length,’ said Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia, echoing other judges’ sentiments as this took its place on the Gold podium. Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, meanwhile, enjoyed ‘a fruity and spicy nose, leading to a balanced palate’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS declared it ‘a food wine for certain’, and suggested a charcoal-roasted T-bone steak.

£23.74 Noel Young Wines, Alexander Wines, H2Vin

A well-deserved Gold for this Cabernet, with its ‘wonderfully expressive nose, with a soft, creamy, rounded palate’, according to Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia. Team leader Angela Reddin praised its ‘classic nose with great fruit character, tannins that are firm but balanced, and a juicy finish’. Finding it ‘young and vibrant, with dark intense fruit’, team leader Laura Rhys MS saw it best served alongside barbecued wild boar.

£13.16 Bibendum

‘A subtle but expressive nose of berries and oak nuances in harmony and balance,’ was the praise for this wine from Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia as it took Gold, while team leader Angela Reddin thought it was ‘showing development on the nose, with oolong tea and some developed fruit notes, and with an underlying fruit core’. ‘Mushroom and leather aromas jump out, with stewed strawberries and a touch of spice, leading to softened tannins and integrated acidity, and a superb finish with some barnyard and umami flavours,’ added Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen.

£27.50 Enotria&Coe

‘Juicy concentration and smooth, ripe tannins,’ began Adam Michocki of Glasshouse in his praise of this Merlot, going on to find ‘red fruit character, like cranberries, strawberries, blueberries and redcurrants’, while team leader Laurent Richet MS appreciated its ‘lovely purity and vibrant acidity’.

£23.41 Matthew Clark

Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants found this wine to be ‘herbaceous and smoky, with dark fruits and intense oak’, while Adam Michocki of Glasshouse described ‘black cherry and cassis notes, as well as some toast and vanilla’, too.

£7.19 Berkmann Wine Cellars

This was ‘toasty, with some black cherry, cassis and chocolate’, according to Adam Michocki of Glasshouse, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants found ‘plum and blackberry fruit, as well as some spice, and a firm, muscular tannic structure, yet balanced, with a long, intense finish’.

£16.03 Distell Europe

‘Lovely fruit balanced by tannin and acidity,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS in his praise of this Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend, while Adam Michocki of Glasshouse went on to describe it as ‘smooth and juicy, with redcurrants and red cherries, and a toasty note, too’.

£10.00 Carte-du-Vin

‘Delicious,’ began team leader Angela Reddin, before going on to describe a Cabernet Sauvignon with ‘an open, vibrant, fruity nose, with hedgerow and stone fruits, leading to a beautifully clean, fresh and polished palate, culminating in a delightful finish’.

£19.17 Bibendum

‘Great balance and tannin structure,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS, who thought this was like ‘cranberry juice with blackberry cordial, leading to a smoky finish’. Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, meanwhile, appreciated its ‘power, structure and concentration of fruit’.

£9.74 Hatch Mansfield

‘A great nose, leading to good acidity and a soft, nice texture,’ said Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles of this Cabernet-based blend, going on to find ‘red fruits, spiciness and chocolate notes, with good length and finish’.

£15.48 Hard To Find Wines

‘Chocolate laced with red and black fruits,’ began Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, going on to describe a wine with ‘good structure, lots of ripe fruit, and a lovely finish – and age worthy, too’. Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki agreed, describing this as ‘complex, and a lovely wine for food’.

£11.89 Distell Europe

‘A fruit-forward wine with prune notes, as well as some vanilla and chocolate,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants appreciated ‘gentle oak and a fine nose of cassis’, which led to ‘more cassis and cranberry on the palate, with good concentration and lovely structure’.

£11.88 Bibendum , Walker & Wodehouse Wines

‘A classy wine,’ was team leader Angela Reddin’s take on this Cabernet, finding ‘a classic cedary cigar box nose, with sweet oak – a superb style, and ready now’, while Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles found it ‘vibrant and fresh, with tobacco and leather notes’.

£23.79 Bibendum

Team leader Angela Reddin found ‘wet sand aromas, then dark fruits, leading to slightly puckering tannins’, while Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia enjoyed ‘savoury notes and bell peppers on the nose, leading to more of the same on the palate, with subtle oak nuances’.

£10.76 Enotria&Coe

£13.03 Matthew Clark

£22.28 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£7.07 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£20.12 Hatch Mansfield

£22.15 Eurowines

£12.32 Enotria&Coe

£27.50 Swig Wines