Home Winners > Winners 2018 > NEW WORLD: Sauvignon Blanc, Rest of the World, including Argentina, Australia & California

Winner Details

 NEW WORLD: Sauvignon Blanc, Rest of the World, including Argentina, Australia & California

2018 Gold 1        Silver 2             Bronze 1             Commended 2
2017 Gold 1        Silver 1             Bronze 1             Commended 1

Would you go to Napa, Australia or Argentina for Sauvignon Blanc? Probably not – and it rather showed in this somewhat under-loved category. Our winners were fine, but there wasn’t much critical mass to the section and much of what came in originally was underwhelming.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘A very disjointed flight. More Friuli than over-tropical New Zealand or pungent Loire in style. Sulphur was an issue in quite a few of them.’ Simon Woods, team leader

‘They were more or less all on the fresh, aromatic style. I preferred the ones in the lower price range.’ Davide Dall’Amico, Royal Automobile Club

Award winners

Found 2068 wines

Austria

Schloss Gobelsburg, Ried Heiligenstein, 1OTW, Riesling 2016, Kamptal, Austria

Gold medal winner

‘An open wine,’ began team leader Lionel Periner as this was led to the Gold podium, further describing ‘candied lemon and great acidity’, while Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth found ‘great balance, with the fruit and acidity really coming together’. ‘You can really taste the soil,’ said an impressed team leader Angela Reddin, describing ‘a very mineral palate’ that followed on from ‘quite a classic dry Riesling nose, with lemon, lime and kumquat notes’.

£26.52 Clark Foyster Wines

Schloss Gobelsburg, Tradition, Riesling 2015, Niederösterreich, Austria

Gold medal winner

For Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, this Gold medallist had ‘good body, acidity and concentration, with a leesy finish’, and he found ‘notes of fresh green apple and a chalky nose, with citrus and fresh stone fruit on the palate’, while Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles thought it a ‘pretty wine, with a lovely, delicate nose with apricot, peach and white flowers, and well-balanced minerality and acidity on the palate’.

£23.96 Clark Foyster Wines

Schloss Gobelsburg, Ried Renner, 1OTW, Grüner Veltliner 2016, Kamptal, Austria

Gold medal winner

‘A ripe wine with peach, apple, melon, honeysuckle and white pepper,’ began Adam Michocki of Glasshouse in praise of this Gold-worthy Grüner, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants spoke of ‘a ripe, generous nose, leading to a full, weighty, complex palate’ that was ‘fresh and mineral’ too. Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks thought this ‘voluminous wine, with warm spice’ would be ideal served alongside chicken or pork with a heavy, creamy sauce.

£18.06 Clark Foyster Wines

Eschenhof Holzer, Zero-G, Grüner Veltliner 2017, Wagram, Austria

Gold medal winner

Garnering enthusiastic praise from our judges, this Gold Lister was described as ‘vibrant, with a green apple note and a slight spritz’ by team leader Laurent Richet MS, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants found it ‘light and refreshing, with a hint of white pepper on the palate, and good length’. ‘Gentle herbal notes, with some floral elements too, lead to fresh green apple and some complex minerality,’ added Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club.

£9.06 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Waldschütz, Classic, Riesling 2016, Kamptal, Austria

Gold medal winner

‘Distinct floral and citrus aromas, with a hint of ripe, exotic fruit,’ began team leader Lionel Periner in his praise of this Gold winner, going on to describe a ‘vibrant, balanced palate, with a long finish’, while Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen appreciated its ‘lime and honeysuckle aromas, with refreshing acidity and grapefruit notes on the palate’. ‘This really punches above its weight in terms of price,’ said Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms.

£8.50 Alpine Wines

Laurenz V, Friendly, Grüner Veltliner 2016, Kamptal, Austria

Gold medal winner

‘Lovely apple, pear and floral aromas,’ began Yohann Pinol of Wiltons of this worthy Gold medal recipient, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club described ‘apricot notes with white flowers on the nose’, leading to ‘more complex, ripe apricot on the palate, with a light toastiness and refreshing minerality’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS thought its ‘lovely fruit concentration and good acidity’ made it a match for ‘a raw vegetable salad, or cordon bleu with horseradish’.

£12.57 Bibendum

Sepp Moser, Reserve, Zweigelt 2015, Neusiedlersee, Austria

Gold medal winner

Like a ‘mixed fruit strudel’, thought Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot as this Zweigelt snapped up a well-deserved Gold, with its ‘silky smooth mouthfeel and good length’. Meanwhile team leader Tom Forrest highlighted ‘creamy vanilla oak and dark stewy fruit aromas, and seriously ripe fruit on the palate with balancing acidity and soft tannins’, and The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi particularly appreciated its ‘spice notes of cinnamon and clove, leading to a sweet, long finish’.

£13.41 Boutinot

Wohlmuth, Ried Sausaler Schlössl, Chardonnay 2015, Styria, Austria

Silver medal winner

‘An elegant and fresh saline nose’ started things off here, according to Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who went on to describe ‘subtle complexity on the palate, with well-integrated acidity, as well as good citrus and stone fruit notes, and good length’.

£14.88 Ester Wines

Laurenz V, Friendly, Grüner Veltliner 2015, Kamptal, Austria

Silver medal winner

‘So intense, yet so delicate too,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS of this Grüner, finding ‘lovely, vibrant acidity and good ripeness’, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens bar & Restaurants went on to praise its ‘ripe stone fruit, minerality and lively acidity’.

£12.57 Bibendum

Nastl, Gigant, Zweigelt 2013, Niederösterreich, Austria

Silver medal winner

‘Some toasty oak and stewy red and black fruits, notes of minty herbaceousness and clove spice on a juicy palate,’ said team leader Tom Forrest, while Typing Room’s Alex Pitt picked up ‘impressive crunchy red fruit’, and described it as ‘juicy and lively, offering excellent value for money’.

£11.70 Character Wines

Johann Donabaum, Grüner Veltliner, Federspiel 2016, Wachau, Austria

Silver medal winner

‘Linear and focused’, thought team leader Jade Koch, who also described this wine as ‘pure, clean and mineral’. ‘A rich, fresh wine with green apple notes on both the nose and palate,’ added Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental.

£13.29 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Proidl, Burg, Grüner Veltliner 2016, Kremstal, Austria

Silver medal winner

Team leader Jade Koch found this Grüner Veltliner to be ‘juicy, warm and crunchy, with a waxy lime character’. ‘Complex aromas of quince and pear, and very floral too, with good minerality,’ said Yohann Pinol of Wiltons.

£14.00 GK Wine House

Lenz Moser, Malteser Ritterorden, Merlot 2015, Niederösterreich, Austria

Silver medal winner

Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia liked this wine’s ‘soft, appealing nose of bramble fruit and creamy oak nuances, leading to a silky soft palate with light structure’, while Typing Room’s Alex Pitt alighted on ‘lovely damson and dark plums, velvety and rich on the palate with a strong finish’, describing it as ‘very plush’.

£15.83 Weinkellerei Lenz Moser AG

Sepp Moser, Gebling, Riesling 2016, Kremstal, Austria

Silver medal winner

‘A tropical, lemon and mineral nose,’ began Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms, finding this Riesling to have ‘precision on the palate, with tropical mango notes, as well as a nice level of acidity, and with sweetness that lingers on the finish’.

£15.76 Boutinot

Soellner, Oibelos, Blauer Zweigelt 2011, Wagram, Austria

Bronze medal winner

Typing Room’s Alex Pitt found ‘perfumed, floral aromas, plenty of fruit on the palate with a distinct, underlying mineral quality, subtle use of oak giving lovely depth and complexity’.

£11.25 Matthew Clark

Soellner, Fumberg, Grüner Veltliner 2016, Wagram, Austria

Bronze medal winner

For Yohann Pinol of Wiltons this had ‘rich aromas of peach and apricot, as well as some honey and vanilla, with some oak evident on the palate’. The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate thought it ‘balanced, with good mouthfeel and acidity’.

£15.48 Matthew Clark

Tement, Ried Zieregg, Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Südsteiermark, Austria

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Lionel Periner described ‘ripe yellow fruit aromas, with candied lemon’, which led to a palate that was ‘complex and balanced, with good acidity and a long finish’. ‘This would do well in fine-dining establishments,’ thought Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth.

£39.06 Top Selection Ltd

Rudi Pichler, Grüner Veltliner, Federspiel 2016, Wachau, Austria

Bronze medal winner

‘Some good complexity here, with crushed oyster shells on the nose leading to a palate that’s round, ripe and generous, but laced with some vital acidity too, all offset by what might be a touch of residual sugar,’ said Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants.

£14.16 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Nastl, Klassik Cuvée, Zweigelt/Merlot 2015, Niederösterreich, Austria

Bronze medal winner

‘Has a good weight and nice juiciness, is fruity with spice notes and a good finish,’ began Alex Pitt of Typing Room, with team leader Tom Forrest noting: ‘Leafy, soft apple and currant fruit with some pastry notes and baking spices.’

£7.90 Character Wines

Günter & Regina Triebaumer, Classic, Blaufränkisch 2015, Burgenland, Austria

Bronze medal winner

The Don’s Carlos Ferreira found classic ‘spicy black cherries on the nose with meaty, floral and pine notes, prominent tannin but a very well-balanced palate and good fruit on the back. Good acidity too.’

£9.80 Alpine Wines

Goldenits, Blaufränkisch 2015, Burgenland, Austria

Commended medal winner

£11.29 Matthew Clark

Tement, Ried Grassnitzberg, Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Südsteiermark, Austria

Commended medal winner

Rudi Pichler, Riesling, Federspiel 2016, Wachau, Austria

Commended medal winner

Laurenz V, Charming, Grüner Veltliner 2015, Kamptal, Austria

Commended medal winner

£17.83 Bibendum

Anton Bauer, Rosenberg, Grüner Veltliner 2016, Wagram, Austria

Commended medal winner

Leberl, Peccatum 2014, Burgenland, Austria

Commended medal winner

£21.00 GK Wine House

Lenz Moser, Malteser Ritterorden, Grüner Veltliner 2017, Weinviertel, Niederösterreich, Austria

Commended medal winner

Cava

Parés Baltà, Blanca Cusiné, Gran Reserva, Cava Brut Nature 2010, Penedès, Spain

Gold medal winner

Felt by our judges to be not only a worthy rival to Champagne, but a worthy Gold recipient, too. ‘A blanc de noirs style with wonderful body’ as Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason put it, ‘yeasty and savoury with macaroni cheese aromas, rich and full yet lively and fresh on the palate, with sour cherry on the finish and clean, refreshing acidity’. Agreeing, team leader Lionel Periner also noted ‘ripe yellow fruit and almond notes, full, elegant and complex on the palate’.

£19.41 Top Selection Ltd

Fermí Bohigas, Mas Macià, Cava Brut NV, Penedès, Spain

Gold medal winner

Overdelivering for its price, this couldn’t be anything but Gold, with a ‘gentle, bready nose with light citrus fruits and smooth mousse’ preceding a palate of ‘fresh green apple and lively acidity’, according to Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who found it ‘great value, ideal for a gastropub, by the glass’. Nicola Merighi of Hakkasan Mayfair added praise for its ‘touch of fennel, with a bit of yeast’ and ultimately a ‘smooth and refreshing palate’, making it a perfect match for ceviche.

£7.53 Boutinot

Llopart, Cava Brut Reserva 2015, Penedès, Spain

Silver medal winner

Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine liked the ‘complex, apple aromas, citrus fruit and good balance on the palate with floral notes on a good finish’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason focused on the fruit: ‘Peach, apricot and greengage, lemon and lime peel, red cherry and redcurrant, with a zingy acidic backbone, fresh and easy.’

£12.73 Bibendum

Llopart, Panoramic, Gran Reserva Imperial, Cava Brut 2012, Penedès, Spain

Silver medal winner

Team leader Lionel Periner found ‘a touch of petrol among the citrus and apple aromas, with a dry, delicate palate of apple fruit, chalky texture, finishing elegant and dry’, while Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine enjoyed ‘good aromatics, apple and lime notes with good balance and use of flavours’, and Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason felt it would be ‘great with a fruit crumble’.

£17.34 Bibendum

Pinord, +&+, Cava Brut Selección NV, Penedès, Spain

Silver medal winner

‘Bright, with fresh stone fruit aromas, lasting mouthfeel and notes of confit fruit,’ began Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth, with Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason noting ‘red cherry, peach and apricot, lime zest aromas, weighty and complex with elegance, depth and a classic note of understated sharpness on the finish’.

£10.14 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Torelló, Special Edition, Cava Brut Reserva 2012, Catalonia, Spain

Silver medal winner

A richer, unusual style, showing ‘earthy, farmyard, dark berry aromas and a palate of bramble fruit, redcurrants, red and black cherry and brioche’, said Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, highlighting its ‘depth and weight, long finish and food-friendly complexity’.

£14.78 Enotria&Coe

Lola By Paco & Lola, Cava Brut NV, Catalonia, Spain

Bronze medal winner

Beginning with a ‘subtle mineral nose’, this was a ‘classic cava style’, said Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who also liked its 'fresh acidity and gentle mousse, zingy lemon zest and lime with some red cherry notes too, fresh and elegant’.

£12.52 Matthew Clark

Codorníu, Anna de Codorníu, Blanc de Blancs, Cava Brut Reserva NV, Catalonia, Spain

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Lionel Periner found ‘candied lemon and quince jelly on the nose, a full, ripe yellow fruit palate and a hint of sweetness on the finish’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason enjoyed the ‘deep honeyed nose, lots of richness and complexity on the palate, green apple and lemon zest with creamy texture’.

£11.04 Matthew Clark, Walker & Wodehouse Wines

Codorníu, Viticultura Ecológica, Cava Brut NV, Catalonia, Spain

Commended medal winner

£9.25 Matthew Clark

England

RW Buckingham & Son, Double Hedges, Solaris 2015, Bedfordshire, England

Gold medal winner Food Match

‘Gooseberry and wool aromas,’ began Ten Trinity Square Private Club’s Melody Wong as this English white was led to the Gold podium, going on to describe ‘candied lemon, cut grass and a bit of earthiness on the palate’. Hakkasan Hanway Place’s Jose Luis Hernandez liked its ‘ripe yellow fruit, like quince’, while The Mount Vineyard’s Andrea Carozzo praised it for its ‘delicate nose and fresh acidity, with good balance – and good value, too’.

£7.58 R.W. Buckingham & Son

Sharpham, Dart Valley Reserve 2016, South West England, England

Gold medal winner

For Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains, this worthy Gold Lister was ‘grassy and herbaceous, with a slight spritz on the tongue’, and she found it ‘well balanced, with some good weight on the palate’. Team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, liked its ‘fresh, green and mineral notes, with some lemon, too’. With its ‘tropical fruit and nice acidity’, Crafthouse’s Andrea Rossi thought it to be a fine match for fish and chips.

£7.36 Boutinot, Sharpham Wines, Christopher Piper Wines

Lyme Bay, Pinot Noir 2016, Devon, England

Gold medal winner

This Gold medal-winning English Pinot was one to ‘drink chilled’ said team leader Tom Forrest, who had ample praise for its ‘floral perfume, bramble hedgerow fruits, and soft, spicy oak, with a cherry liqueur finish’. For James Fryer of Woodhead 17 it had ‘dark plum and meaty aromas’ and ‘fresh plum juice on a palate that’s super-fresh and zippy’, while Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro found it ‘delicate and well balanced, with raspberry, blackberry and mint, and an earthier note on the finish’. ‘Match with meaty monkfish,’ concluded Forrest.

£12.52 Christopher Piper Wines

Toppesfield Vineyard, Reserve, Bacchus 2016, East Anglia, England

Gold medal winner

On encountering this worthy Gold winner, Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia thought it was defined by its elegance, describing ‘elderflower notes with light nuances of gooseberry and greengage’. Meanwhile Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason described it as ‘savoury on the nose, with some ripe lychee, peach and jasmine aromas, leading to a weighty body, with ripe fruit and fresh acidity’, adding that it would be an ideal match for risotto.

£8.00 Toppesfield Vineyard

Litmus, Element 20 2013, England, England

Silver medal winner

‘Precise and well made,’ thought Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club, who described a wine that was ‘mineral, with gooseberry and asparagus notes, and with a long finish’. Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains appreciated its ‘structured palate and notes of lemon zest and white flowers’.

£17.54 Bibendum

Trotton Estate Vineyards, Brilliant Bacchus with a Dash of Pinot Gris 2016, South East England, England

Silver medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest found an appealing combination of ‘grassy aromas, and some pear and apple, too, leading to rhubarb, nettle and fresh lemon and lime on the palate’. ‘Fresh, perfumed and spicy,’ summarised Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains.

£8.45 The Exceptional English Wine Company

Lovells Vineyard, Elgar, Madeleine Angevine 2016, Worcestershire, England

Silver medal winner

This ‘tropical and herbaceous’ wine had ‘intense fruit like lime and grapefruit, along with some mineral notes’, according to team leader Laura Rhys MS. Melody Wong of Ten Trinity Square Private Club, meanwhile, liked its ‘fresh acidity and perfume, with some orange blossom notes’.

£7.25 Lovells Vineyard

Three Choirs, Coleridge Hill 2016, Gloucestershire, England

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest enjoyed this white blend’s ‘clean, green mineral aromas and mineral freshness on the palate, with some herbal, grass and nettle notes’. ‘Elegant in its simplicity, with green apple and lemon. Good value!’ thought Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm.

£5.78 Laytons, Three Choirs Vineyards Ltd

Westwell, Classic Ferment, Ortega 2016, Kent, England

Bronze medal winner

‘Grapefruit pith and lemon sherbet’ summed up the fresh aroma of this wine for team leader Angela Reddin, who found ‘a slight petillance, with nice balance of acidity’. Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse described ‘dandelion and buttercup’ notes, and recommended this be paired with scallops.

£7.30 Westwell Wine Estates

Danebury, Schönburger 2016, Hampshire, England

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Angela Reddin found this English white to have ‘a light nose of crab apple jelly and hawthorn flowers’, while Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles described it as having ‘white fruit aromas joined by asparagus and tomato leaves’.

£7.00 Danebury Vineyards, Wine Utopia

New Hall, Bacchus 2016, Essex, England

Commended medal winner

Three Choirs, Siegerrebe 2016, Gloucestershire, England

Commended medal winner

Camel Valley, Bacchus Dry 2016, Cornwall, England

Commended medal winner

Woodchester Valley, Bacchus 2016, Gloucestershire, England

Commended medal winner

Sharpham, Pinot Noir 2016, South West England, England

Commended medal winner

£10.37 Sharpham Wines

Lyme Bay, Bacchus Block 2017, Devon, England

Commended medal winner

Litmus, White Pinot Noir 2015, England, England

Commended medal winner

£22.71 Bibendum

Stopham Estate, Pinot Gris 2015, West Sussex, England

Commended medal winner

£13.78 Liberty Wines

Poulton Hill, Bacchus 2016, Gloucestershire, England

Commended medal winner

France: Alsace

Emile Beyer, Eguisheim, Gewurztraminer 2016, Alsace, France

Gold medal winner

This classically styled Gewürz took home the Gold, with team leader Angela Reddin describing ‘spicy-sweet, floral aromas, dried church flowers and plenty of richness on the palate’. Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks thought it ‘rich, and concentrated, with freshness in the background’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira felt it would be ‘great with cheese, with its peachy stone fruit aromas and sweet red apple notes, very balanced palate with good acidity and finish’.

£16.62 Matthew Clark

Cave de Turckheim, Turckheim, Sables et Galets, Gewurztraminer 2015, Alsace, France

Gold medal winner

It wasn’t difficult to see how this Gewürztraminer picked up Gold, with what Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms described as ‘a slight richness on the palate, with acidity in place, and with a delicious tropical, lychee finish’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS was generous in praise of its ‘beautiful aromas and delicate, silky palate’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club described ‘tropical aromas, with crisp mandarin zest and sweet guava’.

£10.35 Boutinot

Domaines Schlumberger, Riesling, Grand Cru Saering 2014, Alsace, France

Gold medal winner

This impressive Gold-winning Riesling had ‘a floral, flinty nose, with honeysuckle notes’, began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, further describing it as having ‘fresh acidity, with a hint of residual sugar, and a little oily, too’, and adding that the combination was decidedly ‘food friendly’. ‘Slate, rubber and lemon zest,’ added Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms, enjoying its ‘balanced palate, with slight sweetness, and a nice finish, too’.

£13.95 Maisons Marques et Domaines

Cave de Turckheim, Turckheim, Marnes et Calcaires, Riesling 2014, Alsace, France

Silver medal winner

‘Citrus, mineral and petrol’ notes led, for team leader Lionel Periner, to a palate with ‘green apple, and a dry finish’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason described a wine that was ‘flinty and juicy’ as well as ‘light, zingy and zesty’, offering ‘good value’.

£9.22 Boutinot

Trimbach, Réserve, Riesling 2015, Alsace, France

Silver medal winner

‘Lemon pith, smoke and slate,’ described Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms, further finding ‘racy acidity’ on the palate, while Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth liked the ‘touch of smokiness’ on this ‘rich, complex and balanced’ wine.

£16.20 Enotria&Coe

Famille Helfrich, Arthur Metz, Michel Léon, Riesling 2016, Alsace, France

Commended medal winner

Jean Biecher & Fils, Gewurztraminer 2016, Alsace, France

Commended medal winner

£10.52 Bibendum

Michel Fonné, Pinot Noir 2015, Alsace, France

Commended medal winner

Michel Fonné, Pinot Blanc 2014, Alsace, France

Commended medal winner

Cave de Turckheim, Turckheim, Terres de Granit, Pinot Blanc 2016, Alsace, France

Commended medal winner

£7.59 Boutinot

France: Beaujolais

Château du Moulin-à-Vent, Moulin-à-Vent 2015, Beaujolais, France

Silver medal winner

‘Plush body, good winemaking here,’ said Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, who enjoyed the ‘moderate wood integration, nutmeg and spice hints, long length and medium tannins’.

£16.25 Liberty Wines

Louis Jadot, Gamay/Pinot Noir, Coteaux Bourguignons 2016, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

‘Medium-bodied with a delicate nature,’ said Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, who liked this wine’s ‘soft red fruit aromas, violet and wet earth palate with garden berries dominating’.

£8.96 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Louis Jadot, Château des Jacques, Clos de Rochegrès, Moulin-à-Vent 2011, Beaujolais, France

Silver medal winner

‘Smells as though it has some age – and looks like it too,’ began Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, before admiring its ‘old wooden furniture character, tobacco and vanilla, making this very seductive with a long, tertiary finish. Super: un-Beaujolais’.

£18.44 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Boutinot, Château de Belleverne, Beaujolais-Villages 2016, Beaujolais, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Sweet red fruit aromas, notes of kirsch, banana, candy floss and gentle mulberry perfume,’ began Edgaras Kazokaitis of Roka Aldwych, noting ‘flavours not too pronounced, but it’s light and appealing’.

£6.68 Boutinot

Domaine Lucien Lardy, Les Roches, Fleurie 2015, Beaujolais, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A restrained style, but good and enjoyable now, as well as having some ageing potential,’ began Winexponent’s Simon Cassina, with Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte noting ‘ripe red fruits, nice purity with bigger body and secondary flavours of earthy minerals and some leather on the finish’.

£12.50 Bibendum

Domaine Cheysson, Clos les Farges, Chiroubles 2015, Beaujolais, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Maturing aromas of cherry and wild strawberry, earthy notes too,’ said Edgaras Kazokaitis of Roka Aldwych, while finding it ‘more complex on the palate, with soft tannins and balanced acidity’.

£12.45 Bibendum

Olivier Ravier, Fleurie 2015, Beaujolais, France

Commended medal winner

Château de Durette, Morgon 2017, Beaujolais, France

Commended medal winner

Oedoria, Accord Majoeur, Cuvée Vieilles Vignes, Rouge 2016, Beaujolais, France

Commended medal winner

£8.92 Oedoria

Oedoria, Accord Majoeur, Cuvée Privilège, Coteaux Bourguignons 2016, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£9.08 Oedoria

France: Bordeaux

Direct Wines Production, Château Le Coin, Blanc 2016, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

‘Very refreshing! I’d much rather have this than some nameless house wine,’ said impressed team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, additionally praising this Gold Lister’s ‘lively pink grapefruit and red apple juiciness’. Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker enjoyed ‘fresh almonds and vanilla notes, with some sweet apricots and ground pepper, too’, while Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant found ‘pineapple, peaches and cream’, and declared it ‘fantastic for oriental or seafood dishes’.

£7.91 Direct Wines Production

Château Larose Perganson, Haut-Médoc, Cru Bourgeois 2014, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

A well-deserved Gold for this Left Bank Bordeaux, with Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston finding its ‘cherry and chocolate mint notes, soft palate and lovely texture’ appealing, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot highlighted ‘blackberry and dark plum with herbaceous notes and underlying oak nuances, with fine tannin structure’. This fine combination of ‘vibrant black fruits, herbs and tannins’ meant this would, according to Coq d’Argent’s Lazaros Engonopoulos, ‘match brilliantly with chateaubriand or côte de boeuf’.

£17.75 Liberty Wines

Château Puy Guilhem, Fronsac 2009, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

Identifying a wine that was nothing but solid Gold, Adam Michocki of Glasshouse appreciated this for its ‘developed, farmyardy, leather and forest floor complexity of aromas, nice plums and cassis on a smooth palate with dusty tannins balanced by acidity and alcohol through to a long finish’. ‘Leather, cigar box and tobacco leaf’ notes made Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa’s David McGlinchey think this the perfect accompaniment for lamb.

£20.89 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Château Larose-Trintaudon, Haut-Médoc, Cru Bourgeois 2014, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

‘Blackberry, dark plums, earthy and savoury on the nose, well-integrated tannins with acidity and alcohol balancing the ripeness on the mid-palate,’ said Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav, while team leader Laurent Richet MS felt it was ‘a wine to last, with scented and perfumed lilac, menthol, chocolate, plum and high acidity’.

£16.65 Liberty Wines

Château Clos St-Emilion Philippe, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2015, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

Making its mark on Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma, this showed ‘red plum, blackberries, softness and velvety tannins, smoky notes and luscious mid-palate dark fruit and spicy character, a bit of earthy, leafy character at the end, but overall full-bodied with smooth flow’.

£21.00 Eurowines

Famille Helfrich, Château La Fortune, Margaux, Cru Bourgeois 2015, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia found ‘soft bramble fruit and graphite with sandalwood nuances on the nose, and a silky-smooth, elegant palate’, with Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston noting ‘pencil, leather and cherry spirit notes, a fruity start on the palate followed by toasty cocoa nibs and a touch of green on the finish’.

£19.78 Jean Juviniere

Château de Rouillac, Pessac-Léognan 2012, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston was impressed with the ‘red and black fruit, caramel, eucalyptus aromas, then a long palate of fruit with a complex blend of cardamom, black pepper and clove spice notes at the back’.

£26.38 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Château des Gravières, Collection Prestige, Graves 2015, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

Showing ‘lifted black berries and sandalwood with a sweetness of fruit on the palate and good acidity’ for Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot, with team leader Laurent Richet MS noting ‘plum and blackberry, menthol and spices, vibrantly aromatic and youthful with hints of vanilla and a drying mouthfeel’.

£10.90 Enotria&Coe

Direct Wines Production, Le Grand Chai, Rouge 2015, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

Team leader Angela Reddin found ‘blackcurrant and redcurrant, silky smooth in the mouth, medium body and a finish punching above its weight’, while Yauatcha City’s Javier Alonso Cardoso highlighted its ‘earthy, leather and meaty aromas, intense flavours and good freshness’.

£9.35 Direct Wines Production

Domaines Bouyer, Clos de la Cure, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2013, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A lot of cassis, black cherry, red and black plum, clove and nutmeg spice with toast, so it’s pretty complex on the palate,’ began Adam Michocki of Glasshouse, adding: ‘Smooth, modern, easy-drinking with nice concentration and intensity.’

£14.88 Boutinot

Direct Wines Production, Le C du Chai, Cuvée Noble 2016, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Bright fruit, with some tropical notes,’ began Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, adding that ‘a hint of bâtonage gives this a bigger body, too’. For team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, this was ‘complex, with subtle but alluring aromatics, and a creamy, refined palate that has a delicate texture’.

£10.07 Direct Wines Production

Château des Bardes, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2015, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

One to develop further with age, or decant in advance, said Sumita Sarma of Sumiler, noting ‘ripe cassis, blackberries with bright, crisp acidity and velvety yet dominating tannins, its elegant body showing distinctive Bordeaux appeal, seductive notes of vanilla, cinnamon oak and liquorice notes at the end’.

£15.84 Matthew Clark

Château Castera, Médoc 2014, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

While team leader Laurent Richet MS felt this was ‘delicate in aroma and taste, tight and closed but with all the right tools’, Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav liked its ‘dark plums, farmyard and forest fruit aromas, pronounced herbs of rosemary, thyme and tarragon and good integration’.

£13.08 Château Castera PRESTOM SARL

Château Mayne Mazerolles, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2016, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Nigel Lister highlighted a ‘gently oak nose, cassis fruit and cherry in a mid-weight style with vegetal notes on a decent finish’, with Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma adding: ‘Elegant, easy-drinking wine, a bit restrained with some rustic tannins, but equally has good complexity.’

£10.28 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Château Sainte-Marie, Bordeaux Supérieur 2015, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

A wine of layers and ‘complex value’, said Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who found a ‘slightly herbal, earthy nose opening up to sage and thyme with dark chocolate, red cherry and meaty notes on the palate, with high but well-integrated alcohol offset by fresh acidity and a long finish’.

£9.81 Enotria&Coe

Domaines Bouyer, Cuvée Caprice de Château Milon, St-Emilion 2015, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

£10.51 Boutinot

Recougne, Château Montcabrier, Blanc 2017, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

£8.42 Matthew Clark

Château Edmus, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2014, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Château Bernadotte, Haut-Médoc 2014, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Famille Helfrich, Château Pontet Nivelle 2016, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

£6.91 Addison Wines

Château Preuillac, Médoc, Cru Bourgeois 2015, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Château des Gravières, Graves Blanc 2016, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

£9.36 Enotria&Coe

Domaines Laithwaite, Château La Clarière Laithwaite, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2015, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Direct Wines Production, Château Le Coin, Rouge 2016, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

France: Burgundy, Red

Domaine de la Jobeline, Mâcon-Verzé 2016, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

This worthy Gold winner had ‘bright fruit with a farmyard note on the nose’ for consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor, who praised ‘a big amount of red cherries that give racy acidity to the palate, with flint and leafy plums, too’. Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub found a ‘touch of wildness on the nose but fresh, fruity red berry character too, some green tannins but soft on the palate with a pleasant and refreshing style’.

£11.48 Domaine de la Jobeline

Remoissenet, Givry 2013, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

‘A lovely expression, floral and elegant,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, noting ‘red cherry fruit and balanced tannin, would be great with food’, while Hakkasan Mayfair’s Jurijs Nemkovs found ‘lots of redcurrant and cranberry, some judicious oak use delivering a warming vanilla coating to the fruit’.

£20.75 Matthew Clark

Henri de Villamont, Chorey-lès-Beaune 2015, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

Masahito Suzuki of The Social Company found ‘raspberry fruit with a hint of red beans and moderate intensity’, while Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin enjoyed this wine’s ‘broad, ripe cherries, fleshy forest floor aromas, juicy and forward palate showing dark cherries in brandy, savoury and juicy on the finish’.

£19.22 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Philippe Bouzereau, Château de Cîteaux, Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru, Les Duresses, Rouge 2015, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

While The Social Company’s Masahito Suzuki highlighted ‘strawberry, leather and forest floor with limestone mineral and a well-balanced structure’, Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin enjoyed its ‘tight and gamey, savoury spiced character, very soft and supple with fleshy, bitter cherry and dark chocolate notes’.

£30.99 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domaine Pierre Naigeon, Creux Brouillard, Gevrey-Chambertin 2015, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

While Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub found this to have a ‘low intensity aroma nose’, on the palate she described ‘depth and pleasant length with red fruit and peppery notes, and earthier tones on the finish’, and Hakkasan Mayfair’s Jurijs Nemkovs liked its ‘good red cherry and strawberry aromas, moderate acidity and ripe tannins’.

£43.08 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domaine de la Jobeline, 16 Ares, Mâcon-Verzé 2016, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

‘Elegant, with a lovely freshness on the palate,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, highlighting its ‘soft, ripe red berry fruit and delicate tannins’, with Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub noting ‘pure violet and earthy notes, light body opening up in elegant style’.

£15.37 Domaine de la Jobeline

Henri de Villamont, Prestige, Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2015, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Juicy, drink-young style with fine raspberry and cedar aromas,’ began team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, also highlighting ‘more juicy raspberry on the palate, overlaid with attractive chocolate and spiced cherry notes, light and refreshing’.

£13.32 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Maison Champy, Beaune 1er Cru, Aux Cras 2015, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£42.63 ADVINI

Maison Champy, Pommard Bio 2014, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£49.08 ADVINI

Domaine Antoine Olivier, Pommard 2015, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine Gouffier, La Charmée, Mercurey 2016, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine Pierre Naigeon, Vieilles Vignes, Marsannay 2015, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine Michel Juillot, Mercurey 2016, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£18.84 Enotria&Coe

Louis Jadot, Beaune 1er Cru, Clos des Ursules 2011, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Louis Jadot, Fixin 2014, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

France: Chablis

Domaine Paul Nicolle, Vieilles Vignes, Chablis 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

‘A juicy and refreshing wine, full of life and warmth,’ was team leader Jade Koch’s thoughts on this Chablis as it clinched Gold, finding it to be ‘a happy wine, with good acidity and minerality’. Aurel Istrate of The Connaught liked its ‘well-integrated fruit flavours and good acidity’, while Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm enjoyed ‘red apple and cotton candy notes, with a touch of salinty that lengthens the steely finish’.

£13.38 Bibendum

Domaine Testut, Chablis 1er Cru, Vaillon 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

This Gold Lister represented ‘a richer style of Chablis, with ripe lemon and a flinty backbone, not to mention a creamy mid-palate,’ thought team leader Annette Scarfe MW, with Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine praising ‘good fruit, and some minerality, too’. ‘A dainty nose with floral and sea-breeze notes’ led, for Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm, to ‘fresh citrus and green apple’ on the palate, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason thought it ‘rich, rounded, deep and food-friendly’.

£19.08 Top Selection Ltd

Julien Brocard, Chablis 1er Cru, Côte de Léchet 2017, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons thought this was ‘rich, complex and rounded, with some stone fruit and citrus notes’, while for Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine it was ‘punchy and powerful – playful with the fruit, yet grown up, too’.

£26.86 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Domaine Louis Moreau, Chablis 1er Cru, Vaulignot 2016, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

‘This is showing good Chablis typicity, with a steely, mineral edge, but with a citrus element, and a yoghurt note too,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa thought it ‘floral and expressive, with some creaminess on the palate – it would be hard to find better value for the price’.

£18.50 Laytons, Swig Wines, Caterite Food and Wineservice

Domaine Louis Moreau, Chablis 1er Cru, Vaillons 2016, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons found this ‘well balanced, rounded and complex’, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW described it as a ‘mineral-driven style, with green apples and lemon sherbet on the very fresh palate’.

£20.95 Swig Wines

Domaine Louis Michel, Chablis Grand Cru, Vaudésir 2014, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

‘This is showing lovely typicity, with both minerality and citrus fruit,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons found it ‘rich and complex, with some oak, and some creaminess, too’.

£41.13 Enotria&Coe

Jean-Marc Brocard, Domaine Ste Claire, Organic, Chablis 2017, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A good example, both refreshing and linear,’ began team leader Jade Koch, finding ‘blossom and hints of peach, but remaining steely to the finish, too’. In addition, Yohann Pinol of Wiltons liked its ‘elegant fruit and freshness, with good minerality’.

£15.91 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Julien Brocard, La Boissonneuse, Chablis 2017, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Classic Chablis, with a fresh and dry profile, and with a citrus note, too,’ began Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental, while Roka Aldwych’s Edgaras Kazokaitis enjoyed ‘mineral notes and fresh kiwi fruit, leading to a very refreshing palate with dominant citrus flavours’.

£18.06 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Domaine Louis Michel, Chablis 1er Cru, Forets 2015, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A classic, fruit-forward style,’ began Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine, describing ‘powerful lemon and lime notes, with some minerality, too’. Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa thought it ‘a rich style, with buttery notes and astounding length’.

£23.42 Enotria&Coe

Domaine Laroche, Vieille Voye, Chablis 2016, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£21.10 Liberty Wines

Albert Bichot, l'Orangerie du Château, Chablis 2014, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£11.50 Fuller's

France: Loire, inc. Sancerre

Levin Wines, Le Vin de Levin, Gamay 2016, Loire, France

Gold medal winner By the glass

To hear the judges describe this, it couldn’t have been anything but Gold, with Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte finding aromas of ‘black peppercorns and earth, then a medium-weight red fruit palate – so delicious, and great value’, while Vinoteca’s Charlie Young found ‘leafy, pencil-lead aromas leading to plenty of acidity and more graphite notes on the palate, with a ripe red-fruit character on the finish’. And at the price, Winexponent’s Simon Cassina thought it an excellent by-the-glass option.

£6.55 Levin Wines

Domaine de Terres Blanches, Sancerre 2016, Loire, France

Gold medal winner

As this took its place on the Gold podium, Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club described an attractive nose of ‘chalk, grass, peach and a floral bouquet, leading to a palate with juicy acidity and good ripeness’, while team leader Tom Forrest spoke of a ‘laser-sharp wine streaked with minerality’. ‘Taut, with a pure, beautiful nose and bright, steely palate, with smoke, greengage and grassy notes,’ added Mediterroenean’s Leonie Loudon.

£19.02 Matthew Clark

Clos de Nouys, Vouvray Sec 2016, Loire, France

Gold medal winner

It was an impressed judging panel that elevated this Loire Chenin to Gold, finding it ‘a great food wine’, according to team leader Annette Scarfe MW, and ‘well balanced and integrated, with delicate apple notes on nose and palate’. Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm found it to have ‘good weight and acidity, as well as complexity and texture’, while Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains praised its ‘ripe style and lively acidity’.

£11.03 Bibendum

Joseph Mellot, Les Thureaux, Menetou-Salon 2017, Loire, France

Silver medal winner

For team leader Laura Rhys MS, this combined ‘juicy, ripe citrus fruit, pineapple and kiwi fruit, as well as some minerality’, all leading to, according to Melody Wong of Ten Trinity Square Private Club, ‘a dry finish that makes this food-friendly’.

£11.25 Hatch Mansfield

Famille Helfrich, Domaine du Cléray, Chardonnay 2016, Loire, France

Silver medal winner

Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club had nothing but praise for this wine, finding ‘a delicate and mineral nose, leading to a more biscuity palate, and with some stone fruit notes, too. Quite a precise wine, with a long finish.’

£7.76 Wine Importers

Famille Helfrich, Château du Cléray, Vallet, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2014, Loire, France

Silver medal winner

‘A really fresh and clean wine, with some saline notes and bags of citrus’ was Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm’s summary, while Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club enjoyed ‘stone fruit, chalk and oyster shell on the nose, with the palate reflecting those flavours in perfect balance’.

£10.40 The Oxford Wine Company

Joseph Mellot, Domaine des Chaintres, Sancerre 2017, Loire, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A lipsmackingly fresh wine, with lots of green fruit aromas like gooseberry, apple and green pear,’ said impressed team leader Tom Forrest, who went on to describe ‘a fresh, mineral palate with more of those green fruit notes’.

£15.89 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Joseph Mellot, La Bardine, Menetou-Salon 2017, Loire, France

Bronze medal winner

This was a complex mix of ‘red apple, apple blossom, peach, honey and white flowers’, thought Melody Wong of Ten Trinity Square Private Club, who went on to find ‘good texture on the palate, with a touch of creaminess and a candied lemon finish’.

£14.04 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Levin Wines, Madame L, Gamay 2009, Loire, France

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Lionel Periner found ‘dark fruit, oak extraction and coffee beans on the nose, with a nicely balanced, youthful palate and drying tannins’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte liked its ‘redcurrant skin, sour cherry and old wooden chest resonating on the palate, and long, toasty-leathery finish’.

£18.20 Levin Wines

Domaine des Grandes Espérances, Supernova, Malbec, Touraine 2013, Loire, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A little earth and hints of manure on the nose, wet hay,’ began Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, also picking up ‘red cherry and purple fruit, liquorice notes on a soft palate’, concluding: ‘Damn good.’

£16.04 Matthew Clark

Bougrier, Alain de la Treille, Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine 2016, Loire, France

Bronze medal winner

Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston found an appealing combination of ‘fresh mint, hay and honey, as well as gooseberry notes, culminating in a long finish’, which team leader Laura Rhys MS summed up as ‘a classic style of Sauvignon’.

£8.07 Jascots Wine Merchants

Bougrier, Alain de la Treille, Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Vin de France, France

Bronze medal winner

Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia was drawn to this wine’s ‘lifted aromas of lemon and gooseberry, and well-balanced but mouthwatering palate’, while team leader Tom Forrest picked up on ‘mineral green aromas, some grassy notes, ripe fruit on the palate with a tropical pineapple hint, mineral freshness and lime on the finish’.

£10.42 Jascots Wine Merchants

Joseph Mellot, Les Collinettes, Sancerre 2017, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine Fouassier, Les Chasseignes, Sancerre 2015, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

£16.39 Bibendum

Roblin, Terres Blanches, Sancerre 2016, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

£12.45 Boutinot

Roblin, Enclos de Maimbray, Sancerre 2014, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

£12.95 Boutinot

Bouchié-Chatellier, Premier Millésimé, Pouilly-Fumé 2015, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

£13.95 Boutinot

La Voûte, Touraine Chenonceaux 2016, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

£11.04 Liberty Wines

Chéreau Carré, La Griffe, Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2016, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine des Grandes Espérances, La Java des Grandes Espérances, Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine 2016, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

£9.38 Matthew Clark

Domaine de Terres Blanches, Le Vallon, Sancerre 2016, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

£22.23 Matthew Clark

France: South & South-West, Red

Domaine Lafage, Bastide Sobirana, Rouge 2015, Roussillon, France

Gold medal winner

An inevitable Gold to hear our judges speak of it, with Mediterroenean – Wines of the Mediterranean’s Leonie Loudon enamoured with its ‘pure, vivid nose with blackberry and plum, and a very attractive and juicy palate that’s all about the fruit, cut by some spice and dried herbs’. Team leader Angela Reddin was impressed by ‘smoky hints and herbal lift with good length’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira very much enjoyed its ‘black fruits and white pepper on an elegant palate that’s fruity and juicy with very well-balanced tannins’.

£9.35 Matthew Clark

Château Maris, La Touge, Syrah/Grenache, Minervois La Livinière 2014, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

‘Wild and full of character’ was Hamish Anderson of Tate Catering’s appraisal of this intriguing Gold medallist, finding ‘mint and red fruits’ on the nose, and a palate that was ‘gravelly, with minerals, bacon and herbs’. ‘A well-structured wine with lovely ripe berry character and a long finish,’ thought Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, while The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate added praise for this ‘complex wine with some well-structured oak’.

£13.74 Bibendum

Rigal, Le Vin Noir, Cahors 2015, South West France, France

Silver medal winner

‘A big, ambitious wine that’s packed with ripe bramble fruit – complex, and with a long finish,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, with fellow team leader Laura Rhys MS describing it as ‘meaty and gamey, with dark fruits and lovely spice notes’.

£21.00 SH Jones

Abbotts & Delauney, Boréas, Faugères 2013, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

This Languedoc red was ‘traditional in style, with ripe tannins and good acidity’ thought Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, while team leader Laurent Richet MS described it as ‘a ripe, velvety wine, with chocolate, tobacco and prune notes’.

£16.83 Matthew Clark

Domaine Condamine Bertrand, Pézenas 2016, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘Ripe black cherry fruit, as well as plums, and some grippy tannins,’ was Adam Michocki of Glasshouse’s description of this wine, with team leader Laurent Richet MS finding ‘good balance, with fruit and spices, and some chocolate notes, too’.

£12.90 De Burgh

Producteurs Plaimont, Château de Sabazan, St-Mont, Rouge 2012, South West France, France

Silver medal winner

‘An oaky, rich wine that’s fruity and juicy on the nose, leading to a rich and full-bodied palate with dark fruit, sweet spices and juicy tannins,’ thought Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons, adding: ‘A well-balanced wine, with a long finish.’

£16.10 Bibendum

Gérard Bertrand, Château La Sauvageonne, Pica Broca, Terrasses du Larzac 2014, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘A fruit-driven wine balanced by some velvet tannins, and with a toasty note, too,’ summarised Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental, with Aurel Istrate of The Connaught describing ‘pleasant red fruit, good oak and vanilla notes, and an excellent finish’.

£16.02 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domaine of the Bee, Côtes Catalanes 2015, Roussillon, France

Silver medal winner

‘Lovely red bramble fruit with fresh acidity, cedar and spice on the finish,’ thought team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine found it to be a ‘smooth, complex and balanced wine, with good length, and good balance of tannin too’.

£16.00 Domaine of the Bee

Château Labastide-Haute, Cahors 2015, South West France, France

Silver medal winner

Dominique Raclin of Loire Vélo Nature felt this had ‘an excellent attack, with good length, and some minerality, too’, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW found ‘attractive black and red bramble fruit on the nose, which follows through on to the palate’.

£8.65 Matthew Clark

Château Maris, Les Anciens, Carignan, Minervois La Livinière 2014, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘Elegant, structured and balanced’ was Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurant’s first impression of this Carignan, with team leader Laurent Richet MS further describing a wine with ‘lovely structure and balance, with dark fruit, as well as some vanilla notes’.

£21.35 Bibendum

Rigal, Château Bovila, Cahors 2016, South West France, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Juicy and easy drinking,’ began Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons, going on to describe a wine that is ‘subtle and balanced’. Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa enjoyed ‘bramble character with a pleasing richness, as well as balanced oak and acidity’.

£10.12 Enotria&Coe

Famille Helfrich, Mas Belles Eaux, Petit Verdot 2016, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

While this was ‘very young’, according to team leader Laurent Richet MS, it nevertheless had ‘lovely fruit, like red and black cherries, as well as cranberries, plums, and vanilla, too’. Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki described it as ‘a concentrated wine, with smooth, ripe tannins’.

£8.68 Carlsberg UK

Abbotts & Delaunay, Alto Stratus, Carignan 2013, Vin de France, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A good example of Languedoc,’ began team leader Jade Koch, while Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental spoke of a nose that was ‘nice and complex, with some toasty notes’ and led to ‘a fruit-driven palate, with secondary and tertiary flavours’.

£16.83 Matthew Clark

Boutinot, Savoir-Faire d'Autrefois, Mourvèdre, Pays d'Oc 2015, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

This Mourvèdre opened with ‘juicy black cherries and plums, according to Adam Michocki of Glasshouse, who described a palate that was ‘ripe, juicy and concentrated, with good structure – outstanding value!’ ‘A big wine for the price,’ summarised team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£6.48 Boutinot

Lionel Osmin, Domaine Berthoumieu, Charles de Batz, Madiran 2013, South West France, France

Bronze medal winner

Dominique Raclin of Loire Vélo Nature thought this had ‘character typical of southern France’, while Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine described it as having ‘good fruit, like redcurrants and blackberries, and powerful tannins that will soften with age’.

£11.85 Boutinot

Bonfils, Château l'Esparrou, Mas Grand, Côtes du Roussillon 2013, Roussillon, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A fun and fruity wine that nevertheless has some drying tannins,’ thought team leader Jade Koch, who described ‘plum and bramble fruit before a clean, refreshing finish that has some pepper notes, too’, while Yohann Pinol of Wiltons found ‘complex aromas of ripe fruit, leather and smoke, with a rich and well-balanced palate’.

£8.73 Barwell & Jones

Château du Donjon, Grande Tradition, Minervois 2015, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A very complex nose, with redcurrants and ripe berries,’ began Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, continuing: ‘Very elegant on the palate, with silky tannins and all of the fruit we had on the nose, as well as good length.’

£8.66 Enotria&Coe

Gérard Bertrand, La Forge, Corbières-Boutenac 2015, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

This was ‘charming, velvety and elegant’, according to Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, while Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki found it to be a complex blend of ‘ripe black cherries, cassis and menthol, with ripe tannins and a long finish’. ‘A very scented and smoky wine’ that would be a good match for cassoulet, thought team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£45.34 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Rigal, Château Chambert, Cahors 2012, South West France, France

Commended medal winner

£17.20 Liberty Wines

Famille Helfrich, Domaine de la Baume, Syrah 2016, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£7.93 Carlsberg UK

Bruno Andreu, Elixir, Red 2016, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£10.85 De Burgh

Bruno Andreu, Pure, Grenache 2016, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£16.70 De Burgh

Vignerons de la Vicomté, Le Farniente, Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

Badet Clément, La Cour des Dames, Mourvèdre, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£6.25 Molson Coors

Château Lagrézette, Seigneur, Cahors 2016, South West France, France

Commended medal winner

Château Lagrézette, Chevaliers, Cahors 2016, South West France, France

Commended medal winner

LGI-Wines, King Rabbit, Merlot 2016, South West France, France

Commended medal winner

Château du Donjon, La Galinière, Merlot 2015, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£8.08 Enotria&Coe

Domaine Sainte Rose, Les Derniers Cépages, Petit Verdot/Mourvèdre 2012, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£10.61 Bibendum

Premier Rendez-Vous, Malbec 2017, Languedoc-Rousillon, France

Commended medal winner

£7.66 Bibendum

France: South & South-West, White

Jeanjean, Mas Neuf, Muscat Sec 2017, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

‘Everything you’d expect from Muscat,’ began Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth, confirming this wine’s spot on the Gold podium, and going on to describe a wine that was ‘light, aromatic and well balanced’. Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms spoke of ‘classic floral and lemon curd notes, with bracing acidity’, while Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn described it as ‘crisp but rounded, with a lovely flowing texture’, before adding: ‘Great for the price!’

£6.79 Molson Coors

Direct Wines Production, La Voûte, Sélection Terroir 2016, Vin de France, France

Gold medal winner Food Match

Our judges weren’t shy in their praise of this Chardonnay as they elevated it to Gold. For Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant, it was ‘very elegant, with ripe apple and citrus notes, as well as some roasted vanilla, and a long finish’. Andrés Ituarte of Coq d’Argent, meanwhile, found it to be ‘dry and saline, with peach and pear notes, and some moderate acidity – a delicate wine with a long finish’.

£9.71 Direct Wines Production

Boutinot, Domaine de Vedilhan, Serica, Viognier, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

‘A cooler-climate Viognier,’ thought Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, going on to describe this worthy Gold medal recipient’s ‘good fruit and minerality, as well as some just-ripe apricot notes’, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW identified ‘delicate white peach skin and creamy vanilla notes, well balanced by some sweeter spice on the finish’. The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate liked its notes of ‘jasmine and camomile’, while finding the acidity ‘very well balanced’.

£6.34 Boutinot

Badet Clément, La Cour des Dames, Viognier, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

The first in a category with a particularly high Gold medal hit rate, this had appealing ‘nectarine and blossom aromas’, according to Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa’s Piers Gibson-Birch. Team leader Annette Scarfe MW had praise for its ‘varietal typicity and excellent value for money, with apricots and an oily texture’, while Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel found it ‘fresh and slightly spiced, with good pear fruit’.

£6.25 Molson Coors

Château de Campuget, 1753, Viognier 2017, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

‘A lovely attack of peach fruit and white peach skin,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, as this took home a well-deserved Gold, going on to describe the palate as ‘oily, well textured and complex’. Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa’s Piers Gibson-Birch, meanwhile, described ‘ripe apricot’ and ‘good oak usage and intensity of fruit’, and The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate found it ‘crisp, with a touch of ripe orange and marmalade’.

£10.54 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Château Maris, Brama, Grenache Gris 2015, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

A Grenache Gris that couldn’t be anything but Gold, according to our judges, with team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW finding it to be ‘characterful, with exotic fruit and a refined palate with refreshing acidity’, while Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant described it as ‘full-bodied and mineral, with camomile, pear and white peaches, as well as some grapefruit and lemon notes’. ‘Very pretty and elegant,’ summed up team leader Jade Koch succinctly.

£30.44 Bibendum

Advini, Plo d'Isabelle, Picpoul de Pinet 2017, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘Brightly aromatic, with good weight and texture,’ began team leader Nigel Lister, who thought it had ‘notes of pear, quince and cream’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club found ‘white flower and elderflower, along with crisp lemon and fresh, herbal aromas’.

£6.66 Majestic Commercial

Château Lagrézette, Merveille, Blanc, Cotes du Lot 2015, South West France, France

Silver medal winner

‘Floral, aromatic and honeyed, with some quince notes,’ began Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS, leading to ‘crisp acidity and some spicy oak on a palate that’s quite broad and concentrated’, which team leader Angela Reddin thought showed ‘depth and great integration, with a very pleasing finish’.

£26.56 Top Selection Ltd

Domaine Grauzan, Sauvignon Blanc, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

Team leader Nigel Lister identified this Gold medallist as a ‘good aperitif, with fresh, zesty mandarin and grapefruit notes, as well as some peach’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club described ‘fresh lemongrass and some gentle stone fruit, with citrus zest’.

£6.80 Eurowines

LGI-Wines, King Rabbit, Chardonnay 2017, South West France, France

Silver medal winner

For Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine, this was packed with ‘lemon and lime notes’ and ‘fresh, bright acidity’, while team leader Angela Reddin described it as ‘a fresh style, with cooked pears and apples, and some pineapple cubes on the finish’.

£7.49 Majestic Commercial

Domaine Sainte Rose, Le Marin Blanc 2015, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘Ripe and racy’, this was also ‘steely, with complex petrol notes, and some viscosity, as well as balanced acidity’, thought Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, while Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms found ‘stone fruit and candied peach’ notes, and thought this ‘an interesting by-the-glass option’.

£11.04 Bibendum

Famille Helfrich, Mas Belles Eaux, Grenache Blanc 2016, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

Jurijs Nemkovs of Hakkasan Mayfair described an ‘aromatic nose with some oiliness on the palate, with some good acidity and a full body, with a floral note and a long finish’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte thought it was ‘good quality, with lots of apricot and cream notes’.

£8.68 The Oxford Wine Company

Vignerons de la Vicomté, Le Farniente, Chardonnay 2016, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

‘This could be a house wine,’ commented team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, describing a wine that was ‘slightly floral, and a little pithy, too’. Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant, meanwhile, liked its ‘simple, fresh style, with citrus and a steely minerality’.

£5.85 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

Foncalieu, Cuvée V, Viognier, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

For Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine this had distinct ‘Viognier flavours, with some sweet spice and floral notes underlying some citrus and bright acidity’, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW singled it out for its ‘lovely freshness on the palate’.

£6.92 Davy's Wine Merchants

Jeanjean, l'Inédit, Vin Moelleux, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A perfumed nose of elderflower and tropical fruit’ kicked things off here for Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club, who went on to describe a palate that was ‘well balanced, with fresh stone fruit, and leading to a complex finish with some toffee apple’.

£9.75 ADVINI

Foncalieu, Albariño, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

Laroche, Mas La Chevalière, Peyroli 2015, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£12.35 Liberty Wines

Château de Rhodes, Organic, Gaillac Blanc 2016, South West France, France

Commended medal winner

£7.95 Boutinot

Badet Clément, La Cour des Dames, Pinot Gris, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£6.25 Molson Coors

Domaine Grauzan, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£7.35 Eurowines

Domaine Grauzan, Viognier, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc , France

Commended medal winner

£7.45 Eurowines

LGI-Wines, Baron de Baussac, Viognier, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

Domaine Lafage, Bastide Sobirana, Blanc 2016, Roussillon, France

Commended medal winner

£9.35 Matthew Clark

France: White Burgundy

Sylvain Loichet, Bois de Gréchons, Ladoix Blanc 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

‘Massive but classy’ was Lutyens Bar & Restaurants’ Mattia Mazzi’s first impression of this Gold medallist, going on to describe it as ‘intense, fine and concentrated’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS noted ‘ripe citrus, toasted nuts, spice and mineral notes’. Yohann Pinol of Wiltons summed all of this up as ‘very complex and well-textured, with well-integrated oak’, which made it the ideal partner for ‘Dover sole, either meunière or grilled’.

£37.76 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Lequin-Colin, Back to the Roots, Bourgogne Blanc 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

‘A generous wine, with ripe, almost bruised fruit character, and some minerality, too,’ said Mattia Mazzi off Lutyens Bar & Restaurants of this Gold medal-winning Bourgogne Blanc, while Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki found ‘peach, ripe lemon, melon and vanilla, with an intense, complex and buttery palate’. Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma enjoyed its ‘rounded texture and mouthwatering acidity with mineral undertones, and a hint of nuttiness underlying the flavours’, imagining it perfectly matched ‘with spaghetti bolognese’.

£14.99 Top Selection Ltd

Lequin-Colin, Clos Devant, Chassagne-Montrachet 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

Not only the second in a pair of Gold medals for Lequin-Colin this year, but also the second year in succession that this wine has made it on to the SWA Gold List. Praised by Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants for its ‘nutty and intense’ nose, describing the palate as ‘fine and elegant, with minerality and good concentration of fruit, and well balanced’, team leader Annette Scarfe MW thought it a ‘superb example of Burgundy – rich, opulent, and with elegant use of oak’. ‘A lovely wine with great potential for ageing,’ added Adam Michocki of Glasshouse.

£28.88 Top Selection Ltd

Philippe Bouzereau, Château de Cîteaux, Les Grands Charrons, Meursault 2015, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

This Gold-winning Meursault was ‘a sapid wine with citrus peel and hemp aromas, as well as some oyster shell notes’, began team leader Angela Reddin, going on to describe it as ‘complex, with beautiful oak and balance, and a fab finish too’. Fellow team leader Laura Rhys MS was similarly generous with her praise, finding ‘good weight and acidity’ with notes of ‘orange rind, melon, ripe apple and grapefruit’, and considering this a perfect match for ‘roasted quail with creamy potato risotto and toasted hazelnuts’.

£30.75 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domaine Ferret, Pouilly-Fuisse 2016, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

‘A smoky nose, with notes of cooked apple and spice,’ began team leader Angela Reddin about this Pouilly-Fuissé as it took its Gold medal, going on to describe ‘a lovely, layered palate with tight mineral notes leading to a classy finish’. The perfect match with a Moroccan tagine, thought Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma, who praised this ‘complex wine with its waxy texture and honeyed, spicy finish – with mouthwatering acidity too’.

£19.38 Hatch Mansfield

Louis Jadot, Domaine Gagey, Bouzeron 2016, Burgundy, France

Gold medal winner

Adding a Gold to Louis Jadot’s pair of Silver medals, this had a ‘mineral, oyster-shell nose’ that led to a ‘lovely linear flow in the mouth’, according to team leader Angela Reddin in her description of this 100% Aligoté, going on to praise its ‘subtle yet beautifully elegant balance and length’. Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen found ‘buttermilk and lemon on the nose’, while enjoying ‘peaches and cream, as well as some honeysuckle on the palate’.

£11.66 Hatch Mansfield

Domaine Jean Rijckaert, Mont Châtelaine, Viré-Clessé 2016, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

‘Ginger spice’ led to ‘peach, apple and white chalk’ on the palate, according to The London Cookhouse’s Michael Moore, while Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles went on to describe this as ‘an easy-going wine, with rich stone fruit and good acidity, body and balance’.

£14.51 Bibendum

Domaine Latour-Giraud, Cuvée Charles Maxime, Meursault 2015, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

‘A taut and expressive wine,’ began Gold List coordinator Christine Parkinson, going on to describe ‘vanilla and lime on the nose, and then a broad, creamy palate full of cashew nuts, citrus pith and clotted cream’.

£37.22 Bibendum

Château de Chamilly, Montagny 1er Cru, Les Burnins 2015, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

For Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants this was ‘generous and rounded on the palate, with nutty notes and a persistent finish’, while Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma found ‘refreshing apricot and ripe pear character, with vibrant acidity and richness’. ‘Massive, powerful and intense,’ concluded team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£23.17 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domaine Laurent Boussey, Meursault 2015, Burgundy, France

Silver medal winner

Enjoyed by all our judges, this showed aromas of ‘golden Russet apples, crème anglaise and roasted nuts, with a palate that’s deep, broad, spicy and honeyed’, said team leader Angela Reddin, with The Don’s Carlos Ferreira highlighting ‘a very citrus nose with vegetal hints and oak, rich and smooth palate with a long, creamy finish’.

£21.25 Top Selection Ltd

Henri de Villamont, Prestige, Bourgogne Chardonnay 2014, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

This opened with ‘ripe yellow fruits and some nutty, buttery aromas’, according to Adam Michocki of Glasshouse, who went on to describe a palate that was ‘refreshing, with some yoghurt notes’. Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, meanwhile, praised its ‘good intensity, clean fruit, light oak and good length’.

£13.32 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Oedoria, Accord Majoeur, Réserve Particulière, Blanc 2016, Beaujolais, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A clean and vibrant wine showing lovely structure and good winemaking, with some yellow plum notes,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS, with Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants praising it for being ‘vibrant, with apple and chalk notes, and good concentration’.

£11.00 Bulles Blanc Rouge

Domaine Antoine Olivier, Les Côteaux sous la Roche, Santenay 2015, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

‘A beautifully approachable nose of fresh citrus and tropical fruit, and a mouthwateringly fresh, balanced palate,’ said an impressed Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot, with team leader Angela Reddin adding that this represented ‘a very particular and individual style, with incredible complexity on both the nose and in the mouth’.

£26.98 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Domaine René Monnier, Bourgogne Chardonnay 2015, Burgundy, France

Bronze medal winner

A ‘fresh, lemony, mouthwatering wine’ thought Adam Michocki of Glasshouse. Team leader Laura Rhys MS agreed, describing it as having ‘fresh, crisp citrus fruit’, while Yohann Pinol of Wiltons thought it a ‘well-balanced wine, with good acidity and minerality’.

£16.72 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Boutinot, Clos de l'Eglise, Mâcon-Charnay 2016, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£8.84 Boutinot

Sylvain Loichet, Les Belles Filles, Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc 2015, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Albert Bichot, Les Charmes, Mâcon-Lugny 2015, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

£8.00 Fuller's

Domaine de la Jobeline, Mâcon-Villages 2016, Burgundy, France

Commended medal winner

Louis Jadot, Château des Jacques, Beaujolais Blanc 2016, Beaujolais, France

Commended medal winner

Germany

Pflüger, Dürkheimer Michelsberg, Riesling 2016, Pfalz, Germany

Gold medal winner

The judges were enamored of this Gold-worthy Riesling, finding plenty of aromatic appeal here, with consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor picking up ‘notes of fusel oil, bay leaf herbs, green apple and lavender’, while The Fat Duck’s Melania Bellesini enjoyed its ‘pungent, complex aromas of acacia flowers, honeycomb richness on the palate and long finish with fantastic acidity’. Sahar Gharai of La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge (California) found it ‘not traditional in style, with floral, aromatic notes, and some white pepper spice too’, thinking it a real crowd pleaser.

£16.08 Winetraders

Schätzel, Nierstein, Riesling Kabinett 2016, Rheinhessen, Germany

Gold medal winner

‘An evolved nose, pungent and savoury,’ began team leader Martin Lam of this Gold winner, thinking it was ‘showing fresh lime juice and flowers on the palate, in a very linear and direct style’. ‘Lime, mango and pineapple on the nose, floral notes coming in on the palate and a hint of peach, and a touch of nuttiness on a long finish,’ added The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo. ‘Mouth-coating and silky, with well-integrated alcohol and acidity,’ concluded consultant Javier Azcona.

£17.51 Top Selection Ltd

Egon Müller, Qba Riesling 2015, Mosel, Germany

Gold medal winner

‘Rich and intense but balanced,’ began The Fat Duck’s Melania Bellesini as this took its place on the Gold podium, finding it ‘very fruity with beautiful acidity, quite juicy and savoury with a touch of sweetness on a long finish of white peaches and gooseberry’, while team leader Jade Koch was equally impressed with its ‘honeysuckle, lovely crunchy acid, pear and peach flavours on the palate with a saline touch’, adding that it would be ‘great with smoked eel’.

£24.60 Top Selection Ltd

Bischöfliche, Kanzemer Altenberg, Riesling Spätlese 2015, Mosel, Germany

Gold medal winner

This had all the Gold List qualifications, with team leader Martin Lam highlighting an ‘evolving savoury-sweet note on the nose, plus lime and honey’, going on to find ‘keen, zesty lime acidity balancing the residual sugar and lifting the ripe fruit’, while The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo picked up ‘kerosene, dried lime, peach and honey in a refreshing style’. Matthieu Longuère MS of Le Cordon Bleu London thought its ‘peachy and floral rather than mineral’ style perfect for ‘pork pie with orange marmalade’.

£11.97 Boutinot

Hessische Staatsweingüter, Kloster Eberbach, Crescentia, Steinberger, Riesling Spätlese 2015, Rheingau, Germany

Gold medal winner

‘Bright and elegant,’ began team leader Laura Rhys MS as this took home a well-deserved Gold, further describing ‘honeyed, soft fruit like peach and nectarine, with a lovely freshness’. The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo liked its ‘classic’ cut, revealing ‘petrol and honey aromas with dried orange peel, apricot and lime zest notes, then lime juice and marmalade on the palate’, while team leader Martin Lam was impressed by its ‘darker, golden colour, honeyed lime on the nose, complex sweetness and rich, developed style that calls for Roquefort!’

£20.00 Boutinot

Hessische Staatsweingüter, Kloster Eberbach, Crescentia, Höllenberg, Spätburgunder Trocken 2014, Rheingau, Germany

Gold medal winner

Team leader Martin Lam was impressed by this Gold Lister’s ‘classic Pinot Noir nose, with some perfumed notes and lots of aromatics’, finding that the ‘palate is fresh and savoury-sweet’ and describing it as ‘a good Pinot all-round’. Woodhead 17’s James Fryer added his appreciation for its ‘smoky nose, with some white pepper and meaty notes in the background’, while The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi thought it an excellent match for ‘duck, barley and beetroot with a wine and orange sauce’.

£17.78 Boutinot

Schloss Johannisberg, Gelblack, Yellow Seal, Riesling Feinherb 2016, Rheingau, Germany

Silver medal winner

‘This is intense quality, and so linear,’ said an impressed Mike Best of the WSET, finding it ‘pure and pristine, with some terrific length too’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason highlighted its ‘fresh, understated palate of tangy citrus and minerality with herbal notes’.

£17.02 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Schloss Johannisberg, Bronzelack, Riesling Trocken 2016, Rheingau, Germany

Silver medal winner

After ‘pear drops on the nose with hints of jasmine flowers’, team leader Jade Koch found ‘juicy acidity, refreshing mineral mid-palate, excellent fruit and a very clean and zippy finish’, while Mario Tomekovic of Smiths of Smithfield described it as ‘complex and rich, elegant with dry texture and excellent balance’.

£21.36 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Kopp, Roter Porphyr, Spätburgunder 2015, Baden, Germany

Silver medal winner

‘The fruit is discreet, raspberry, delicate and fine on the palate with an earthy touch,’ began Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro, with Woodhead 17’s James Fryer noting ‘cooked plums and peppery black earth on the nose, verging on inky with plenty of pepper and sandy tannin on the palate’.

£18.19 Bibendum

Schätzel, Reinschiefer, Riesling 2013, Rheinhessen, Germany

Silver medal winner

Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason found ‘petrol, tar and graphite aromas, full flavour on the palate with earthy tones, ripe citrus, some bready notes, stone fruit and good minerality’, and described it as ‘complex and long’, while Sahar Gharai of La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge (California) thought it had ‘a great nose of traditional Riesling, with lots of diesel and stone fruit’.

£14.92 Top Selection Ltd

Schätzel, Nierstein Pettenthal, Riesling GG 2015, Rheinhessen, Germany

Silver medal winner

‘Viscosity’ was this wine’s calling card, said Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, making the most of its ‘full body’ and ‘sweet fruits’. He described it as ‘luscious, savoury and honeyed at the same time, with notes of confit fruit and high acidity, but with great balance and smoothness’. ‘Powerful and complex, and will get better,’ added Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn.

£30.33 Top Selection Ltd

Dreissigacker, Wunderwerk, Spätburgunder 2014, Rheinhessen, Germany

Silver medal winner

‘Peppery on the nose, this has everything: fresh fruit, well balanced, complex and long on the finish,’ began Linh Ziolkowska of Yauatcha City, with Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro finding it ‘intense on the nose, with cherry, ripe raspberry and a touch of leather, smooth and balanced on the palate with more cherry and raspberry, juicy and long’.

£24.85 Liberty Wines

Bischöfliche, Dom Riesling, Dry 2015, Mosel, Germany

Silver medal winner

While Mario Tomekovic of Smiths of Smithfield highlighted ‘juicy apple and peach aromas with a light hint of petrol on the palate’, team leader Jade Koch found it ‘taut, lean, spritzy and zippy’, with consultant Javier Azcona adding appreciation for its ‘stony minerality and silky palate, with a long finish’.

£8.39 Boutinot

Bischöfliche, Ayler Kupp, Riesling Spätlese, Feinherb 2016, Mosel, Germany

Silver medal winner

‘Complex, aromatic nose, intense lime juice and zest on the palate with good persistence,’ said team leader Martin Lam, while The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate enjoyed its ‘light jasmine aromas, hints of grapefruit and orange zest with a nice clean finish’.

£11.97 Boutinot

Heinemann, Scherzinger Batzenberg, Chardonnay, Kabinett Trocken 2015, Baden, Germany

Silver medal winner

This appealed to The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo, who described it as having ‘full, concentrated fruit, a bouquet ranging from green fruit to stone fruit and floral notes of blossom and geranium, followed by a nutty finish’, adding that it ‘will be able to age’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS liked its ‘minerality, with good weight and texture’.

£14.00 GK Wine House

Bürgermeister Schweinhardt, Langenlonsheimer Rothenberg, Riesling 2015, Nahe, Germany

Silver medal winner

This Riesling stood out for its ‘subtle aromatics, peach and tropical fruit with amazingly pungent minerality’, said Mario Tomekovic of Smiths of Smithfield, who also highlighted ‘flinty and petroleum characters so well integrated, amazing balance and a long aftertaste, to be enjoyed with food’.

£14.50 GK Wine House

Markus Molitor, Einstern, Pinot Blanc 2015, Mosel, Germany

Bronze medal winner

This was all about the citrus for Aurel Istrate of The Connaught, who highlighted its ‘fresh and crisp nose, well-balanced acidity with plenty of lemon zest, fresh lime and a hint of orange on the palate’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS found ‘pineapple and guava, with some white pepper spice, too’.

£16.23 Bibendum

Bischöfliche, Wilhelm Schiefer, Riesling 2016, Mosel, Germany

Bronze medal winner

Consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor was taken with this Riesling’s ‘floral, magnolia nose with yellow rose petal notes, and a palate that has lovely fresh acidity with red apple fruit and a finish of jasmine tea’.

£9.00 Boutinot

Stefan Winter, Riesling, Gutswein 2016, Rheinhessen, Germany

Commended medal winner

£11.91 Matthew Clark

Pflüger, Buntsandstein, Riesling 2016, Pfalz, Germany

Commended medal winner

£11.73 Winetraders

Pflüger, Dürkheimer Fronhof, Pinot Noir 2015, Pfalz, Germany

Commended medal winner

£17.65 Winetraders

Kopp, Spätburgunder 2015, Baden, Germany

Commended medal winner

£14.08 Bibendum

Johann Baptist Schäfer, Schäferstündchen, White Blend 2016, Nahe, Germany

Commended medal winner

£11.68 Bibendum

Johann Baptist Schäfer, Riesling 2016, Nahe, Germany

Commended medal winner

£8.97 Bibendum

Peth-Wetz, Unfiltered, Riesling 2016, Rheinhessen, Germany

Commended medal winner

£12.75 Bibendum

Markus Molitor, Wehlener Klosterberg, Riesling Kabinett 2015, Mosel, Germany

Commended medal winner

£14.64 Bibendum

Prinz Von Hessen, Dachsfilet, Riesling 2016, Rheingau, Germany

Commended medal winner

£21.40 Bibendum

Bischöfliche, Gymnasium, Fritz Willi, Riesling 2016, Mosel, Germany

Commended medal winner

£8.51 Boutinot

Greece

Aoton, Roditis 2015, Attica, Greece

Gold medal winner

Unquestionably Gold, this was made in a ‘spicy, Chenin-like’ style, thought team leader Martin Lam, observing a ‘golden colour and rich, dry, honey and flower aromas with a dry, floral palate’, while Yauatcha City’s Linh Ziolkowska enjoyed its ‘lovely camomile and tropical nose with honeydew melon and honey notes, then pronounced, fleshy peach and pineapple on the palate’, which made it ‘very easy to drink’. With its ‘waxy lime-fruit nose and lovely peachy fruit in the mouth’, this was, for team leader Angela Reddin, a great match for vegetable risotto.

£8.50 Southern Wine Roads

Alpha Estate, Ecosystem, Single Block, Aghia Kiriaki, Assyrtiko 2016, Amyndeon, Macedonia, Greece

Gold medal winner

A unanimous Gold, according to an impressed team of judges, with Christoph Hons of Park Chinois finding ‘peaches, orange, mango and yellow fruit notes’ and describing this as ‘very crisp on the palate with vanilla and herbal richness, yet refreshing acidity to balance’, while Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS thought it was ‘vibrant, with fresh green flavours throughout, great drive and balance, a weighty mid-palate and a clean, fresh finish’.

£14.33 Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Maltby & Greek

Gerovassiliou, Avaton, Epanomi 2014, Macedonia, Greece

Gold medal winner

A hit with our judges, this Macedonian red struck Gold with its ‘opulent and modern’ style, thought Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin, who further praised ‘savoury, juicy tannins and cocoa, smoke, cigar leaves and cedar notes’, while Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club found the oak ‘well integrated’, along with ‘ripe red and black fruit, as well as some spice from the oak’. Team leader Tom Forrest agreed, finding ‘crunchy red fruit and some toasty spice’. Its ‘pronounced intensity’ made it a match for chicken breast with chilli sauce, thought consultant Javier Azcona.

£15.89 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Alpha Estate, Ecosystem, Reserve, Vieilles Vignes, Single Block, Barba Yannis, Xinomavro 2014, Amyndeon, Macedonia, Greece

Silver medal winner

For Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains, this had ‘jammy red and dark fruit on the nose, leading to juicy, silky tannins joined by some rosemary and mint’. Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm, meanwhile, liked its ‘lovely earthy tones and delicate tannins’.

£13.19 Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Maltby & Greek

Alpha Estate, SMX 2015, Amyndeon, Macedonia, Greece

Silver medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest was taken with this red blend’s ‘spicy aromas with dark cherries and berries, leading to juicy, dark fruit flavours that are well integrated with some oak’, and described it as ‘culminating in a smooth finish with a kick of charcuterie spice’.

£13.40 Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Maltby & Greek

Gaia, Wild Ferment, Assyrtiko 2017, Santorini, Greece

Silver medal winner

Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS found ‘acacia and fresh buttery aromas, with spices from oak, cooked apples and pears and blossom hints, with great drive on the palate’, and Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel enjoyed its ‘ripe peach, apple, vanilla and butter aromas’ and found it ‘intense and complex, with citric notes on a good, oaky palate’, with ‘hints of toast and honey on the finish’.

£20.56 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Gerovassiliou, Malagousia 2017, Macedonia, Greece

Silver medal winner

‘Rose petals and lychee on the nose,’ began Woodhead 17’s James Fryer, finding ‘an oily texture on the palate with waxy lemon and green melon, salty minerals on the finish with a hint of perfume’, while for Yauatcha City’s Linh Ziolkowska it was a ‘very enjoyable glass, with a pronounced floral nose, nice freshness and a long finish’.

£13.55 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Papantonis, Meden Agan 2014, Nemea, Greece

Bronze medal winner

‘Fresh and powerfully structured, with red apple joined by a gamey note, as well as some pine needles and spice,’ said an impressed Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club. ‘A lovely wine, from its earthy nose to its fine-grained tannins and minerality,’ added Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm.

£9.25 Wine Lovers Colective

Kir Yianni, Assyrtiko 2016, Florina, Greece

Bronze medal winner

Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS liked this wine’s ‘nose of acacia and spring flowers with candied peel herbaceous notes, then vibrant character with ripeness on the mid-palate, chalky mineral notes and a touch of spicy heat on the finish’.

£10.37 Bibendum

Kir Yianni, Ramnsita 2013, Naoussa, Greece

Bronze medal winner

Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains liked this wine’s ‘raspberry and marmalade notes joined by some bay leaf and thyme’, while Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm found that herbal character and ‘black olive notes complemented juicy, ripe fruit, leading to a long finish’.

£14.59 Bibendum

Minos-Miliarakis, M 2017, Crete, Greece

Commended medal winner

Minos-Miliarakis, Vidiano 2017, Crete, Greece

Commended medal winner

Minos-Miliarakis, Fumé, Vilana 2016, Crete, Greece

Commended medal winner

Barafakas, Idea, Roditis/Malagousia 2017, Nemea, Greece

Commended medal winner

Vakakis, Tetractys 2016, Samos, Greece

Commended medal winner

Papagiannakos, Old Vines, Savatiano 2017, Attica, Greece

Commended medal winner

£8.95 Boutinot

Papagiannakos, Kalogeri, Malagousia 2017, Attica, Greece

Commended medal winner

£9.79 Boutinot

Kir Yianni, Paranga, White 2017, Macedonia , Greece

Commended medal winner

£9.39 Bibendum

Idaia Winery, Vilana 2016, Crete, Greece

Commended medal winner

Gerovassiliou, Viognier, Epanomi 2017, Macedonia , Greece

Commended medal winner

House Wine: Red - <£6 ex-VAT

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Terras do Pó, Tinto 2016, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Gold medal winner

This Gold winner ticked all the boxes for a house red, with The Don’s Carlos Ferreira describing aromas of ‘strawberry and cherry jam’, and finding it ‘a bit spicy and oaky on a palate that’s very fresh, with an elegant, long finish’, while Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel also found ‘hints of spice, as well as plums and chocolate’. Team leader Martin Lam added his praise for ‘sweet and savoury balance on the palate, with some soft tannins’, and suggested a pairing with lamb.

£4.95 Atlantico UK

Gil Family Estates, Honoro Vera, Organic, Monastrell 2016, Jumilla, Spain

Gold medal winner

Taking Gold in no small part for its versatile food-friendliness, this was described by team leader Tom Forrest as having ‘ripe, stewy red fruits and rhubarb notes on the nose, with more rhubarb and raspberry on the palate, with some ripe notes and light tannins’. ‘Bold and pleasing,’ thought Christopher Parker of Lime Wood Hotel, describing ‘raspberry compote, pepper and baking spice’, while Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles praised its ‘intense, fruity nose and soft, creamy palate’.

£5.76 Boutinot

Félix Solís, The Guv'nor NV, Vino de Mesa, Spain

Gold medal winner

A ‘beautiful bright colour and very pleasant array of aromas’ left an early impression on Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, who also noted this accomplished Gold’s ‘strawberry and raspberry fruit and high structure’. ‘Violet, plum, chocolate with red berry sweetness and smooth, medium body,’ added Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club enjoyed ‘sweet cassis and fresh-baked cinnamon cake notes, with some baked red fruit leading to a fresh finish’.

£6.00 Matthew Clark

Copestick Murray, Three Realms, Pinot Noir 2016, Romania, Romania

Gold medal winner

As it picked up a well-deserved Gold medal, Adam Michocki of Glasshouse thought this was the ‘perfect for red wine lovers during summer’, with its ‘perfumed, confectionery nose of ripe strawberries and cherries’, describing it as ‘soft and delicate on the palate but intense with a long finish’. Team leader Jade Koch appreciated its ‘light and lifted’ character and ‘refreshing tea leaf’ notes, while Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel enjoyed its ‘herbaceousness, alongside good dark and red fruit’.

£5.33 Majestic Commercial

WX Brands, Marques de Calado, Tempranillo 2017, Castilla, Spain

Gold medal winner

This fresh-fruited red took home the Gold with ‘a nice nose with red cherry and strawberry fruit’, according to The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, adding that ‘the balance is good, and ideal for a summer barbecue’. Team leader Jade Koch agreed, calling it ‘very good, with a refreshing, drying finish’, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot praised ‘lifted, perfumed aromas and crunchy fruit’, and Carolina Seibel of Portland Restaurant specifically noted its ‘good grip, with firm tannins’.

£4.74 Majestic Commercial

Sivipa, Terras do Sado, Tinto 2017, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Gold medal winner

This Gold winner was made in a ‘friendly, fresh-fruit style’, praised team leader Martin Lam, with Le Gavroche’s Rémi Cousin finding it ‘really pleasant, with strawberries, raspberries and dark cherries, and a soft, velvety texture’. Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub described a ‘purple-black wine, with deep, rich, ripe fruits on the nose’, and ‘raisins and fig, appassimento style’, concluding that it was a ‘great by-the-glass option’.

£5.88 Sivipa - Sociedade Vinícola de Palmela, S.A.

Concha y Toro, CyT, Merlot 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Gold medal winner

A hit with our judges, this Gold winner drew praise from Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm for its ‘red fruit and granite, well-integrated oak and clean finish’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club noted its ‘sweet spicy plum with complex clove notes, gentle red berry with charming sweet Moroccan spices and a delicate finish’. ‘Juicy, ripe fruit and some elegance’ made this, for team leader Laura Rhys MS, a perfect match for ‘roast pork with apple sauce and crackling’.

£5.40 CyT UK

Cesari, Farina, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2016, Abruzzo, Italy

Gold medal winner

Gold through and through, this was a ‘lively, well-textured wine’, said Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, thinking it ‘elegant with lots of red fruit aromas and a touch leathery, but well balanced with a pleasant finish’. ‘Dark cherries and plums, good body, fresh acidity and medium length,’ added Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection, while Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson thought its ‘dark bramble fruit and spice, with some earthiness and good structure’ couldn't have been a better match for a burger.

£5.30 Fuller's

Riebeek Cellars, Pinotage 2016, Swartland, South Africa

Silver medal winner

Vinoteca’s Charlie Young declared this a ‘good package’ overall, with its ‘plum and berry fruit, dryish character on the palate with some texture, and not overdone’, while Yohann Pinol of Wiltons found it ‘easy drinking, with red berries and light tannins’.

£4.50 Fuller's

Sogevinus, 850, Vinho Tinto NV, Douro, Portugal

Silver medal winner

Team leader Annette Scarfe MW found a ‘restrained nose, warm and understated on the palate with ripe but studied tannins, well balanced with a dry finish’, while The Vine Eno Gastro Pub’s Tatiana Mann enjoyed its ‘value for money, pleasant style with a spicy and vibrant finish’.

£5.52 Amathus

Copestick Murray, Two Ridge Trail, Merlot 2016, South Eastern Australia, Australia

Silver medal winner

‘Good intensity, complex nose with some secondary and savoury characteristics, gamey notes on the palate with a thick layer of red and dark fruits and a long finish,’ said a satisfied Jurijs Nemkovs of Hakkasan Mayfair.

£5.24 Majestic Commercial

Boutinot, Les Volets, Pinot Noir, Haute Vallée de l'Aude 2016, Roussillon, France

Silver medal winner

A ‘light and drinkable’ style, began Debbie Warner of Wild Wine Club, while Aurel Istrate of The Connaught observed ‘red fruit notes on the nose and a pleasant palate with some greener hints on a medium finish’.

£5.94 Boutinot

Fray Leon, Tamarind Garden, Cabernet/Carmenère/Syrah 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Silver medal winner

‘A good all-rounder at a great price,’ began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who was impressed by its ‘elegant, bright, red fruit nose, soft ripe tannins, good structure and fresh fruit palate with earthy coffee notes, all balanced with good acidity and length’.

£5.31 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Aliança, Alabastro, Tinto Alentejano 2016, Alentejo, Portugal

Silver medal winner

Team leader Martin Lam described this as a wine showing ‘raspberry and blackberry fruit, chalky tannins and a good structure, not over-worked’, with Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn adding: ‘Vegetal and spicy, silky and perfumed, with restrained but decent oak flavours.’

£5.75 Boutinot

Badet Clément, La Cour des Dames, Malbec, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘Raspberry aromas with herbs and a hint of mushroom,’ said Yauatcha City’s Javier Alonso Cardoso, noting it as a ‘juicy wine with a lasting fruity flavour and velvety tannins’. ‘Lifted aromatics and bramble fruit, generous and appealing,’ added team leader Angela Reddin.

£5.69 Molson Coors

iLauri, Bajo, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Silver medal winner

The Don’s Carlos Ferreira found ‘black berries and cherry with white spices and pine hints, good acidity and a balanced palate full of fruits’, describing the finish as ‘long and clean’, while Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub felt ‘the best thing is its velvety structure of tannins’, and would be ‘happy to add it to my list by the glass’.

£5.95 Milton Sandford Wines

Roos Estate, Merlot 2016, Western Cape, South Africa

Silver medal winner

‘A fruit bomb with toast, smoke and some spice in a decent-length finish,’ began Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico, with team leader Martin Lam describing it as a ‘light, quaffable blend, balanced, with a funky nose and dark berry fruit’.

£4.75 CellarVino

LGI-Wines, Baron de Baussac, Vieilles Vignes, Carignan, Pays de l'Hérault 2017, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

This was a good all-rounder for Coq d’Argent’s Lazaros Engonopoulos, revealing ‘sweet redcurrant and black cherries with good integration, elegance and roundness, easy drinking and very pleasant’.

£5.94 Majestic Commercial

Direct Wines France, Madame F, Grenache, Côtes Catalanes 2016, Roussillon, France

Silver medal winner

Yauatcha City’s Javier Alonso Cardoso enjoyed this wine’s ‘earthy aromas and smoky herbs, good balance of tannin and acids with red fruit and good length’, while Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall picked it as ‘a good by-the-glass pub wine, with baked fruit, raisins and sweet spice on the palate’.

£5.11 Direct Wines Production

Boutinot, The Listening Station, Malbec 2017, Victoria, Australia

Silver medal winner

James Fryer of Woodhead 17 liked this wine’s ‘carbonic maceration-style purple floral notes with some pepper and violet and a crunchy finish’, while Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma picked out ‘deep black cherry and soft silky tannins’, describing it as‘ very food-friendly yet easy to drink on its own’.

£5.69 Boutinot

Vistamar, Brisa, Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Silver medal winner

Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles found this ‘great value, with intense cherry and violet aromas, soft creamy taste and soft tannins’. Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason agreed, adding: ‘A crowd-pleasing wine, perfect for barbecues, smooth and easy – a Lionel Richie wine.’

£3.77 Rodney Densem

Borsao, Garnacha 2017, Campo de Borja, Spain

Silver medal winner

Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot liked this wine’s ‘fresh, perfumed, cherry fruit aromas’, and its ‘jamminess on the palate, making it simple and approachable’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira found it ‘well made with good acidity, a good wine for the price’.

£4.95 Boutinot

Zorgvliet, Silver Myn, Argentum 2016, Banghoek, South Africa

Silver medal winner

‘A fruit-driven, quite savoury and spicy, big and chunky wine,’ said Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin, who thought it showed ‘forest floor notes with a gamey, leafy edge and a savoury, earthy finish’.

£5.38 Boutinot

Sierra Norte, Fuenteseca, Organic, Bobal/Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Utiel-Requena, Spain

Bronze medal winner

‘Some richness here,’ began The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones, ‘with good red and black fruits, tannic but good length and balance on the finish, which has a savoury and pleasing nature.’

£5.98 Boutinot

Casas del Toqui, Single Estate, Merlot 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Bronze medal winner

Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club found ‘fresh raspberry with gentle sweet spices on the nose, then crushed plum with baked notes, light cinnamon suggestions and a fresh finish’.

£5.30 Frederic Robinson

LH Wines, Rémy Ferbras, Côtes du Rhône 2015, Rhône, France

Bronze medal winner

‘Moderate intensity with spices, good entry and velvety tannins, medium length,’ began The Social Company’s Masahito Suzuki, with Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin noting ‘gamey, smoky, tertiary character, supple cherry and plum in brandy notes’.

£5.96 Majestic Commercial

Botter, Fontana d'Italia, Sangiovese, Rubicone 2017, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Bronze medal winner

A ‘good value’ wine showing ‘blackberries and black plums on the nose with soft and smoky tannins on the palate’, said Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma, who found it a wine with ‘an ease of style’.

£4.51 Molson Coors

Montevista, Carmenère 2016, Maule Valley, Chile

Bronze medal winner

Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav found ‘red and black fruit, an earthy and savoury character with slight tobacco and bell pepper notes’, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot picked up on ‘herbaceous eucalyptus/menthol and dark fruit with a soft, elegant palate’.

£5.70 Boutinot

Calabria Family Wines, Richland, The Black Shiraz 2016, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia

Bronze medal winner

An enjoyable style said Valentin Radosav of Gymkhana, who found ‘fresh red fruit, plum and cherry, floral and delicate aromas, sweet spice and ripe tannins on the mid-palate’, describing it as ‘juicy and well balanced with good weight’.

£5.50 Fuller's

Broadland Wineries, Proudly Vegan, Merlot 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Bronze medal winner

This left an impression on Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot, with its ‘dark blackberry and mocha aromas, with a good, crowd-pleasing, creamy mouthfeel’, while team leader Laurent Richet MS found it ‘easy, rounded with a delicate structure, a great option by the glass’.

£3.79 Broadland Wineries

Broadland Wineries, Pais de Poetas, Merlot 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Bronze medal winner

Adam Michocki of Glasshouse loved the ‘baked plums, black cherries and meaty spices, with well-balanced tannins mellowing on the palate with great fruitiness’, making it ‘smooth, easy drinking and amazing value for money’.

£3.78 Broadland Wineries

Kavaklıdere, Yakut 2017, Eastern Anatolia/Aegean, Turkey

Bronze medal winner

A ‘simple, carbonic style with fresh redcurrant and soft tannins, but an amazing price’, began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, with Hakkasan Mayfair’s Jurijs Nemkovs enjoying its ‘fresh, dark fruit dominating the nose, but red fruit on a juicy palate with some floral notes and ripe, soft tannins’.

£4.17 Tees

Boutinot, Sun & Air, Cinsault 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Bronze medal winner

‘Fresh and approachable, some greenness but berries followed by a hint of leaf and stalk,’ said Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, while Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico found ‘fruity, floral notes and a touch of spice, light tannins and lovely freshness’.

£5.04 Boutinot

Ontañon, Artesa, Tempranillo 2017, Rioja, Spain

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Simon Woods described this wine as ‘rich and juicy, tender and fleshy, with fragrant plum, damson and blackberry fruit’, while Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm found it a ‘classic, juicy house red, with black cherry pie character, young and supple, very pleasant’.

£5.95 Boutinot

Casa Ermelinda Freitas, Vinha do Torrão, Tinto 2016, Península de Setúbal, Portugal

Bronze medal winner

Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn found this a ‘richer, gamier style with blackberry and boysenberry, meaty and savoury’, while team leader Martin Lam noted: ‘Dark red fruit, smoky nose, sweet oak a little dominant but overall a good glass at this level.’

£5.27 Atlantico UK

LGI-Wines, Chemin de la Serre, Vieilles Vignes, Carignan 2016, Languedoc , France

Commended medal winner

LGI-Wines, Les Cents Verres, Pinot Noir, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc , France

Commended medal winner

£5.95 Fuller's

Riebeek Cellars, Capelio, Merlot 2016, Swartland, South Africa

Commended medal winner

£4.50 Fuller's

Gil Family Estates, Pedrera, Monastrell 2016, Jumilla, Spain

Commended medal winner

£5.57 Boutinot

Aragonesas, Ecce Homo, Garnacha 2016, Campo de Borja, Spain

Commended medal winner

Famille Helfrich, Parlez-Vous, Malbec 2016, Loire, France

Commended medal winner

£5.84 Tolchards

Jackman's Landing, Shiraz 2017, New South Wales, Australia

Commended medal winner

Boutinot, Le Fou, Pinot Noir, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc , France

Commended medal winner

£5.85 Boutinot

Aliança, Foral, Tinto 2016, Douro, Portugal

Commended medal winner

£5.74 Boutinot

Aragonesas, Viña Temprana, Old Vines, Garnacha 2016, Campo de Borja, Spain

Commended medal winner

Concha y Toro, Mountain Range, Merlot 2016, Central Valley, Chile

Commended medal winner

£5.88 CyT UK

Concha y Toro, CyT, Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Central Valley, Chile

Commended medal winner

£5.40 CyT UK

Terra Molino, Tempranillo 2016, La Mancha, Spain

Commended medal winner

£4.75 CellarVino

Adria Vini, Ca' di Ponti, Nero d'Avola 2016, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£4.94 Boutinot

Boutinot, Sierra Grande, Pinot Noir 2017, Central Valley , Chile

Commended medal winner

£5.93 Boutinot

Boutinot, Le Voleur de Vin, Rouge, Pays de Vaucluse 2015, Rhône, France

Commended medal winner

£5.09 Boutinot

Boutinot, Domaine Mas Bahourat, Merlot, Pays du Gard 2016, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£5.34 Boutinot

Calabria Family Wines, Whistling Duck, Shiraz 2017, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia

Commended medal winner

£5.50 Fuller's

Foncalieu, Le Versant, Pinot Noir, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£5.95 Fuller's

Vistamar, Brisa, Merlot 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Commended medal winner

Borsao, Rame, Garnacha 2017, Campo de Borja, Spain

Commended medal winner

£4.80 Boutinot

Boutinot, Prime Cuts, Red 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Commended medal winner

£4.79 Boutinot

Boutinot, Dutch Hope, Shiraz/Mourvèdre 2016, Western Cape, South Africa

Commended medal winner

£5.07 Boutinot

Boutinot, El Tesoro, Monastrell/Shiraz 2016, Jumilla, Spain

Commended medal winner

£5.08 Boutinot

Companhia das Quintas, Barão de Figueira 2015, Beira Interior, Portugal

Commended medal winner

£5.15 Lisbon Wines

House Wine: Rosé - <£6 ex-VAT

Badet Clément, La Cour des Dames, Grenache Rosé, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner Pub & Bar

‘Really charming aromas of candied fruits with good structure on the juicy, refreshing palate’ was enough to earn this Gold, according to Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche. ‘A good house wine style,’ thought team leader Martin Lam, who described this as ‘the palest pink-salmon colour, with a pear drop nose and quite pure fruit aromatics’, while The Vine Eno Gastro Pub’s Tatiana Mann praised this as ‘elegant, with some good minerality’.

£5.69 Molson Coors

Adria Vini, Ancora, Chiaretto, Monferrato 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Great freshness,’ began team leader Andrea Briccarello, describing notes of ‘grapefruit, strawberries and cherries’, while The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones thought this ‘shy on the nose, but rich on the palate’. Consultant Chantal Serrano summed it up as ‘subtle, refreshing and elegant’.

£4.94 Boutinot

Adria Vini, Piattini, Pinot Grigio Rosé, Provincia di Pavia 2017, Lombardy, Italy

Silver medal winner

For team leader Nigel Lister, this Pinot Grigio Rosé was ‘floral, light and fresh’, while consultant Chantal Serrano described ‘red berries and spice’ and suggested this was ‘paired with ceviche’. ‘Delicate red fruit, with a crisp, zesty finish,’ added Debbie Warner of Wild Wine Club, concluding that it was ‘good for the price’.

£5.09 Boutinot

Kavaklıdere, Lâl, Rosé 2017, Aegean, Turkey

Silver medal winner

‘A very good wine for summer,’ began The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, describing ‘strawberries and cherries on the nose, leading to a fruity palate with good acidity – and all at a good price, too’, while The Vine Eno Gastro Pub’s Tatiana Mann summarised it as ‘refreshing, pure and vibrant’.

£4.68 Tees

Boutinot, Fide et Arte, Les Cerisiers, Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2016, Rhône, France

Silver medal winner

For team leader Martin Lam, this Rhône rosé had a ‘substantial, quite full palate with some redcurrant notes’, while The Vine Eno Gastro Pub’s Tatiana Mann liked its ‘dry style – chalky and refreshing – with a saltiness, too’.

£5.99 Boutinot

Félix Solís Avantis, Casa Albali, Garnacha Rosé 2017, Valdepeñas, Spain

Bronze medal winner

‘Lots of cherry and stone fruits,’ according to The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, who liked this wine’s ‘mineral notes, and good acidity’, resulting in what he thought would be ‘a good wine for a barbecue’. ‘Tropical fruit and strawberries, as well as some grassiness,’ added Glasshouse’s Arletta Mala.

£5.95 Matthew Clark

Bartolomeo Breganze, Le Colline di San Giorgio, Pinot Grigio Rosato 2017, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘A good, commercial style’ thought Debbie Warner of Wild Wine Club, while team leader Nigel Lister described this as ‘gentle, aromatic and balanced’ with ‘soft red fruits and nice acidity’ contributing to what consultant Chantal Serrano thought would be a good match for fish and chips.

£5.94 Majestic Commercial

Boutinot, Another Story, White Zinfandel, Rosé 2016, California, USA

Bronze medal winner

‘Strawberry notes, as well as some grassiness on the nose, too,’ began Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub, who enjoyed ‘creamy strawberry and herbal notes on the palate, with good length – a good choice for a pub wine list’.

£5.38 Boutinot

Borsao, Rosado 2017, Campo de Borja, Spain

Commended medal winner

£4.95 Boutinot

Les Coteaux du Rhône, Rosé d'Orange, Méditerranée 2017, Rhône, France

Commended medal winner

Famille Helfrich, Parlez-Vous La Loire, Cabernet Franc/Grolleau 2017, Loire , France

Commended medal winner

Concha y Toro, Coldwater Creek, Rosé 2017, California, USA

Commended medal winner

£5.40 CyT UK

Cartafina, Masseo, Pinot Grigio Blush 2016, Umbria , Italy

Commended medal winner

House Wine: White - <£6 ex-VAT

Domaine du Grand Mayne, Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes de Duras 2016, South West France, France

Gold medal winner

For Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant, this Gold-winning French white had ‘high acidity, with citrus, grapefruit and fresh apple notes, as well as some pineapple’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte appreciated its ‘Sauvignon Blanc nose, with a touch of jalapeño pepper’. This all made it, according to WSET’s Mike Best, a good choice ‘by the glass, without food, but would also match superbly well with roast pork and fennel, with its herbal notes, and enough acidity to balance the fatty meat’.

£5.95 Grand Mayne

Distell, Nederburg, The Manor, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Gold medal winner

Taking Gold in no small part for its ‘bold and juicy fruit’, according to team leader Laura Rhys MS, this had ‘attractive herbaceous notes and good acidity’ for fellow team leader Annette Scarfe MW, who thought this was ‘technical, and a good food wine, too’. Matthieu Longuère MS of Le Cordon Bleu London added that this ‘floral and elegant’ wine was both ‘juicy and mineral’ on the palate, and ‘perfect for a goats’ cheese salad with pomegranate and a citrus dressing’.

£5.38 Distell Europe

Badet Clément, La Cour des Dames, Sauvignon Blanc, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Gold medal winner

Gabriel Liotta of Hakkasan Hanway Place was taken by this Gold winner’s ‘lovely, pronounced notes of peach and white flowers, with some richness on the palate, as well as ripe stone fruit, and a lime finish’. ‘A bright, citrus wine, with notes of grapefruit,’ added team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, before going on to describe ‘a lively and fresh mid-palate’, while Hakkasan Mayfair’s Jurijs Nemkovs enjoyed its ‘good acidity, with apple and lemon fruit’. This ‘Côtes-du-Rhône blanc’ style made team leader Martin Lam think it would accompany risotto well.

£5.69 Molson Coors

Vistamar, Brisa, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Gold medal winner Pub & Bar

This Gold medal Sauvignon Blanc was ‘great for the price’, according to Sahar Gharai of La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge (California), who described a wine that was ‘well-balanced – floral and aromatic, with some good citrus notes’, while team leader Angela Reddin had good things to say about its ‘bright, fresh nose containing red apple and some citrus character’, going on to praise it for being ‘fresh and light in the mouth’.

£3.77 Tolchards Ltd

Boutinot, La Lisse Soie d'Ivoire, Chenin Blanc, Haute Vallée de l'Aude 2016, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘Well balanced between fruit and acidity, this is a well-structured wine, with a creamy finish,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons thought that it was ‘fresh and fruity’, further describing it as ‘delicate, with some white floral notes’.

£5.58 Boutinot

LGI-Wines, Les Cents Verres, Viognier, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Silver medal winner

‘Tinned peaches and a hint of spice’ defined the nose here for team leader Jade Koch, who thought the palate had ‘good acidity, finishing with a further hint of spice, and pear drops’. Aurel Istrate of The Connaught additionally found ‘honeycomb and white flowers’.

£5.95 Fuller's

Riebeek Cellars, Chenin Blanc 2017, Swartland, South Africa

Silver medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest found ‘pear fruit aromas, with green apple flavours with some creaminess’, describing this as ‘quite rounded with a refreshing lemon finish’. Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club, meanwhile, spoke of an ‘aromatic, clean and precise wine’.

£4.50 Fuller's

Riebeek Cellars, Capelio, Chenin Blanc 2017, Swartland, South Africa

Silver medal winner

Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston found aromas of ‘hay and toasted walnuts’, going on to describe this as ‘pétillant on the palate, which gives it some vibrance’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS described it as having ‘juicy, fresh pear and apple fruit’.

£4.50 Fuller's

iLauri, Tavo, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2017, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest enjoyed this wine’s ‘tutti frutti aromas, together with some creamy oak notes on the nose, leading to rounded and ripe apple and pear flavours’, while Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains praised its ‘bright, ripe fruit, with pear and white blossom notes’.

£5.95 Milton Sandford Wines

Fray Leon, Tamarind Garden, Chardonnay/Moscatel 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Silver medal winner

This was packed with ‘floral and exotic fruit aromas’ thought Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, who proceeded to describe this as having ‘an elegant freshness’. ‘Complex, with good balance and a nutty finish,’ concluded Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental.

£5.31 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Boutinot, The Listening Station, Chardonnay 2017, Victoria, Australia

Silver medal winner

‘Pear, apple and beeswax on the nose, as well as some mineral notes,’ began Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club, going on to describe a wine that was ‘balanced and quite complex, with crisp acidity and some decent length, too’.

£5.69 Boutinot

Boutinot, The Big Top, Chardonnay 2015, California, USA

Silver medal winner

This opened with ‘ripe yellow fruit’, according to Jose Luis Hernandez of Hakkasan Hanway Place, who went on to find ‘melon and grapefruit on the palate, along with a touch of spice, and with some good length on the palate’.

£5.96 Boutinot

Concha y Toro, CyT, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Silver medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest described this wine as ‘rounded apple and blossoms on the nose and palate, with a little creaminess, and leading to an apple juice note on the finish’, concluding that this house wine candidate showed ‘nice balance and length’.

£5.40 CyT UK

Copestick Murray, Five Foot Track, Chardonnay 2016, South Eastern Australia, Australia

Silver medal winner

Melody Wong of Ten Trinity Square Private Club liked the ‘gooseberry, unripe passion fruit, pineapple and gala melon’ notes in this Aussie Chardonnay, with Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston adding praise for ‘a persistent honey note, and vibrant minerality’.

£5.28 Majestic Commercial

Broadland Wineries, Proudly Vegan, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Silver medal winner

‘Fresh fruit on the nose, with elegant balance on the palate, and good minerality,’ said Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, while Andrés Rangel of Sketch thought it had ‘floral and peach notes, as well as some citrus and green apple’.

£3.79 Broadland Wineries

Boutinot, Le Voleur de Vin, Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne 2016, South West France, France

Silver medal winner

‘Soft citrus notes, with light, floral aromatics, opening up into a tropical fruit bomb’ was how Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot described this wine, while team leader Angela Reddin liked its ‘hedgerow floral notes, with acacia and elderflower, and great length with peachy overtones’.

£5.09 Boutinot

Boutinot, Maison de Vigneron, Côtes de Gascogne, Sec 2016, South West France, France

Silver medal winner

A ‘vin de soif’, according to Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, who went on to describe this as ‘zingy and fresh, with crunchy yellow fruit’. In addition, team leader Laurent Richet MS found ‘tangerine flavours, with a hint of herbaceousness, too’.

£4.99 Boutinot

Casa Girelli, Terriero, Chardonnay 2016, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Mouthwatering, with a pleasant fruit profile,’ said Adam Michocki of Glasshouse, who went on to describe ‘peaches, pears and yellow plums’ here, while team leader Laurent Richet MS found fresh notes of ‘nettle, green bean and pea pod’.

£5.30 Frederic Robinson

Boutinot, Sun & Air, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Bronze medal winner

‘Sauvignon Blanc in style, this is easy drinking, as well as aromatic and balanced, with some citrus notes,’ said Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn found ‘pyrazine notes, like green bell peppers’.

£5.04 Boutinot

Boutinot, Les Oliviers, Sauvignon Blanc/Vermentino, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm found ‘racy acidity with good weight and concentration – a good aperitif’. ‘A refreshing wine worthy of being on wine lists during a hot British summer – drink super-chilled!’ summarised Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains.

£5.24 Boutinot

Adria Vini, Ca' di Ponti, Grillo 2017, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Creamy, floral and fresh,’ began Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, who further described ‘citrus notes and good acidity’, which team leader Annette Scarfe MW described as ‘nice lemon fruit, and a fresh finish’.

£4.64 Boutinot

Bartolomeo Breganze, Le Colline di San Giorgio, Pinot Grigio 2017, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Ripe tropical fruits on the nose, leading to a pleasant palate,’ began Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant, while for Andrés Ituarte of Coq d’Argent, this had ‘a rounded mouthfeel, with orchard fruits and melon, and some minerality on the finish’.

£5.84 Majestic Commercial

Direct Wines France, Madame F, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc, France

Bronze medal winner

For team leader Jade Koch, this was a ‘honeyed, rich and buttery Chardonnay, and a little bit toasty, too, leading to a good mineral, saline finish’, while The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate enjoyed ‘good citrus fruit, but vanilla at the same time, as well as some stone fruit’.

£5.11 Direct Wines Production

Boutinot, Mucho Mas, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Bronze medal winner

‘Lovely aromatics of quince and white flowers,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, going on to praise this wine’s ‘good body and structure’. Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine found ‘citrus notes like grapefruit and lemon, with good aroma, minerality and good length, too’.

£5.18 Boutinot

Murviedro, Fauno, Blanco, Viura/Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Valencia, Spain

Commended medal winner

£4.92 Boutinot

Boutinot, El Tesoro, Verdejo 2016, Castilla y León , Spain

Commended medal winner

£5.08 Boutinot

Boutinot, Prime Cuts, White 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Commended medal winner

£4.79 Boutinot

Boutinot, Dutch Hope, Chenin/Viognier 2017, Western Cape, South Africa

Commended medal winner

£5.07 Boutinot

Famille Helfrich, Parlez-Vous, Sauvignon 2017, Loire , France

Commended medal winner

£5.84 Tolchards

Viña La Rosa, La Palma, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Cachapoal Valley, Chile

Commended medal winner

£4.50 Fuller's

WX Brands, Marques de Calado, Macabeo 2017, Castilla, Spain

Commended medal winner

Botter, Tua, Garganega/Pinot Grigio 2016, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

Sierra Norte, Fuenteseca, Organic, Macabeo/Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Utiel-Requena, Spain

Commended medal winner

£5.98 Boutinot

Casa de Vila Nova, Vila Nova 2016, Vinho Verde , Portugal

Commended medal winner

£5.76 Boutinot

Concha y Toro, Mountain Range, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Central Valley, Chile

Commended medal winner

£5.88 CyT UK

Araldica, Alasia, Piemonte Cortese 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£4.94 Boutinot

Araldica, Piemonte Chardonnay 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£5.08 Boutinot

Cartafina, Masseo, Trebbiano 2016, Umbria , Italy

Commended medal winner

Botter, Vivoli, Pinot Grigio 2017, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£4.88 Molson Coors

Hauts de Montrouge, Domaine de Perhus, Colombard/Sauvignon, Côtes de Gascogne 2017, South West France, France

Commended medal winner

£5.45 Fuller's

Foncalieu, Reserve St Michel, Grenache Blanc, Pays d'Oc 2017, Languedoc, France

Commended medal winner

£4.50 Fuller's

Foncalieu, Le Versant, Viognier, Pays d'Oc 2016, Languedoc , France

Commended medal winner

£5.95 Fuller's

Telegraph Road, Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2016, South Eastern Australia, Australia

Commended medal winner

£5.09 CellarVino

Adria Vini, Ancora, Bianco, Garganega delle Venezie 2017, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£4.84 Boutinot

Darling Cellars, The Capeman, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Darling, South Africa

Commended medal winner

Hungary

Szeremley, Kéknyelü, Badacsony 2006, Lake Balaton, Hungary

Gold medal winner

A Gold-worthy wine with a strong personality, as Valentin Radosav of Gymkhana found: ‘Delicate mango, pineapple, yellow plum and a creamy nose, with well-balanced acidity on a zesty palate showing tropical fruit and quince flavours with pear and woody beeswax notes and dried apricots on the finish.’ ‘A herbal attack with hints of basil, a textured mouthfeel and slightly spritz, too, with a warm finish,’ added team leader Annette Scarfe MW.

£12.88 Maluxfood & Wine Co

Frittmann, FPV, Generosa 2016, Kunság, Hungary

Silver medal winner

A real stylistic departure, with team leader Annette Scarfe MW finding ‘ripe quince and lemon peel, with lovely oily texture and hints of apricot, refreshing and well made’, while Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London noted ‘aromatic floral, grassy aromas, grapey and peachy with crisp acidity, light florals and a hint of residual sugar on the palate and good minerality’.

£10.70 Maluxfood & Wine Co

Gizella Pince, Barát, Hárslevelü 2016, Tokaj, Hungary

Silver medal winner

Consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor highlighted ‘floral peach and apricot on the nose, lovely ripe fruit on the palate with nectarine and hits of quince and chalky granite’, while The Ritz London’s Matteo Furlan appreciated its ‘elegant balance, grapey richness and good use of oak’.

£19.00 Thirty Nine 10

Szepsy, Estate, Furmint 2015, Tokaj, Hungary

Silver medal winner

‘A beautiful display of where fruit and flavour meet terroir and winemaking,’ began consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor, pleased with its ‘balanced magnolia and white peach fruit, notes of white tea and chalky mineral on the finish, with hints of Burgundian oak’.

£21.44 Top Selection Ltd

Majoros, Deák, Furmint 2015, Tokaj, Hungary

Bronze medal winner

‘Toasty and tropical, roasted nut nose with pronounced cedar notes,’ began Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London, finding ‘nice minerality on a waxy, slightly oxidised palate, yet fresh and complex with a good finish’.

£12.86 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Gizella Pince, Furmint 2016, Tokaj, Hungary

Commended medal winner

£16.00 Thirty Nine 10

Italy: Central – White

Colle Corviano, Pecorino, Colline Pescaresi 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Gold medal winner

A complex and undoubtedly Gold-worthy style, this had ‘lychee on the nose, then a touch of residual sugar on the palate with Turkish Delight and orange blossom, a waxy texture and acidity on the finish’, according to an impressed James Fryer of Woodhead 17, while Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro was taken with its ‘ripe apricot, peach and honey aromas, rounded lime and citrus with some sweet notes and thyme herb on the palate’.

£11.72 AZIENDA VINICOLA TALAMONTI SRL

Belisario, Vigneti del Cerro, Verdicchio di Matelica 2016, Marche, Italy

Gold medal winner

This Gold winner separated itself from the crowd with ‘fruity green apple on the nose, showing good fruit character, texture and freshness’, began Street XO’s Raphael Thierry, with team leader Laurent Richet MS picking up a ‘slightly oxidative approach, but also exotic fruit flavours, and peach and apricot, with a saline note of complexity’. ‘Generous tropical fruits and a zestiness’ on the palate sealed the deal for team leader Andrea Briccarello.

£10.22 Liberty Wines

De Angelis, Pecorino 2016, Marche, Italy

Silver medal winner

Linh Ziolkowska of Yauatcha City found this wine ‘restrained on the nose, with notes of apple cider and citrus, honeyed and peachy on the palate’, while team leader Martin Lam noted ‘white flowers on a dry honeyed nose, balanced and rounded ripe fruit on the palate with balancing acidity’.

£8.85 Jascots Wine Merchants

iLauri, Nora, Chardonnay, Colline Pescaresi 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Peach and citrus, good acidity in a fresh, elegant, minerally style with a long finish,’ said Frédéric Billet of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, while team leader Jade Koch found ‘Italian sun in a honeyed, oily and warm style that would be great by the glass’.

£7.56 Milton Sandford Wines

Santa Barbara, Stefano Antonucci, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Classico Superiore 2015, Marche, Italy

Silver medal winner

Street XO’s Raphael Thierry highlighted ‘almond and apple on the nose, with a citrusy palate that shows enough vibrancy and texture to match with delicate-flavoured foods’, while for Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles there was ‘a slight sweetness on the palate, tropical fruit, peach and almond notes with good minerality’.

£14.54 Delitalia

Bisci, Verdicchio di Matelica 2016, Marche, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Intense palate of lime and exotic fruits, peach and gooseberry, slightly oxidative in style but balanced by a pleasant minerality,’ said Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles. ‘Vibrant, with good purity of lemon-lime fruit and a touch of grass,’ added Street XO’s Raphael Thierry.

£9.37 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Cantina Goccia, D'oro 2016, Umbria, Italy

Silver medal winner

A ‘food-friendly style, with herbaceous asparagus notes on the nose’, said Frédéric Billet of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa of this 100% Grechetto white, highlighting its ‘great acidity with citrus, mineral and floral notes’, while Vinoteca’s Charlie Young enjoyed its ‘savoury and herbal aromas, citrus punch and good texture with almond notes on the finish’.

£9.95 Cantina Goccia

Talamonti, Trabocchetto, Pecorino, Colline Pescaresi 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘White peach and white florals bordering on pineapple in the mid-palate, with bitter herbal notes and some oiliness, with rose petal hints on the finish,’ said Woodhead 17’s James Fryer, with Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro picking up ‘aromatic white flowers, good balance with fresh peach and apricot’.

£10.20 VinumTerra

Poggio al Tesoro, Solosole, Vermentino 2016, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

Vinoteca’s Charlie Young liked this wine for its ‘citrus, spicy and stony aromas, followed by white peach and pear fruit with good weight on the palate, elegantly carried by citrus acidity’, while Frédéric Billet of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa noted ‘hints of petrol on a herbaceous nose, and a mineral and citrus palate’.

£13.59 Liberty Wines

Paolo e Noemia d'Amico, Calanchi di Vaiano, Chardonnay 2016, Lazio, Italy

Commended medal winner

£14.05 Eurowines

Paolo e Noemia d'Amico, Falesia, Chardonnay 2016, Lazio, Italy

Commended medal winner

£20.30 Eurowines

Santa Barbara, Tardivo Ma Non Tardo, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Riserva Classico 2015, Marche, Italy

Commended medal winner

£22.50 Delitalia

iLauri, Avalos, Pecorino, Colline Pescaresi 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

Cantina Tollo, Rocca Ventosa, Pinot Grigio 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

£7.80 Eurowines

Feudo Antico, Pinot Grigio 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.15 Eurowines

Talamonti, Trebì, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

£7.26 VinumTerra

Monte Schiavo, Ruviano, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Classico 2016, Marche, Italy

Commended medal winner

£5.66 Boutinot

Monte Schiavo, Pallio di San Floriano, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Classico Superiore 2016, Marche, Italy

Commended medal winner

£7.61 Boutinot

Monte Schiavo, Tenute Pieralisi, Villaia, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Classico Superiore 2016, Marche, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.00 Boutinot

Fontana Candida, Luna Mater, Frascati Superiore 2015, Lazio, Italy

Commended medal winner

£12.50 GIV UK

Belisario, Cambrugiano, Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva 2015, Marche, Italy

Commended medal winner

£16.10 Liberty Wines

Belisario, Vigneti B, Verdicchio di Matelica 2016, Marche, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.60 Liberty Wines

Casal Thaulero, Orsetto Oro, Pecorino, Terre di Chieti 2016, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.89 Alivini

Andrea Felici, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Classico Superiore 2016, Marche, Italy

Commended medal winner

£10.30 Lea & Sandeman

Italy: Central, including Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Paolo e Noemia d'Amico, Atlante, Cabernet Franc 2014, Umbria, Italy

Gold medal winner

A second Umbrian Gold in this category, and Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS felt its ‘leafy capsicum, slightly stalky but dark, ripe, plummy fruit and spices on the nose’ led to an ‘elegant delivery with complex mid-palate and a wide range of fruit tones and spice notes on a balanced and classy palate, and earthy on the finish’. ‘Very aromatic and good mineral, fresh aromas, with nice red fruits and juicy character, and balanced tannins and acid,’ agreed Christoph Hons of Park Chinois.

£31.90 Eurowines

Cantina Goccia, Nesso 2009, Umbria, Italy

Gold medal winner

Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel was enchanted by this Gold Lister’s ‘very complex nose with berry and tobacco aromas, spicy chocolate and toasty notes’, and thought it had ‘a balanced palate and smooth tannin, for drinking now’. Team leader Lionel Periner agreed, noting ‘elegant, complex, floral cooked berry aromas with a hint of smoke, complex and full-bodied on the palate with oak well balanced and floral hints on a long finish’.

£16.50 Cantina Goccia

Cantina Tollo, Mo, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 2013, Abruzzo, Italy

Gold medal winner

Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse was among this Gold Lister’s many admirers, enjoying its ‘great depth and subtlety’ and considering it ‘good for grilled foods and may I say barbecue as well’, while Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia was a fan of its ‘woody, cedar aromas, cinnamon and black plum, tobacco and jam with good, balanced tannins and body’. ‘Smoke, black olive, crushed stone fruits with a nice balance of benign savoury bitter notes, semi-dried dark berries and mocha,’ added team leader Angela Reddin.

£11.50 Eurowines

Santa Barbara, Mossone, Merlot 2015, Marche, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Very rustic style with traditional winemaking,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, who liked its ‘lovely core of fruit supported with dark butter, chocolate and spice notes’, while Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London found it ‘deep,dark and intense, with rich black fruit and liquorice, hints of dried herbs, gamey and tannic and spicy’. Double-decanting is advised, or more time in the cellar.

£51.50 Delitalia

Colle Corviano, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Silver medal winner

Full of ‘fresh plum with gentle, fresh tea leaves, ripe cassis with pepper and tobacco leaf notes’, said Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club, while Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico found it ‘more spicy than fruity, with notes of red fruit, coconut, vanilla, chocolate and liquorice’.

£7.83 AZIENDA VINICOLA TALAMONTI SRL

Umberto Cesari, Liano, Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon, Rubicone 2015, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Silver medal winner

There were ‘fresh, dark cherries and blackberries on the nose’, began Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav, followed by ‘juicy round tannins on a ripe, fruit-focused palate with fresh acidity’. Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London picked up ‘cranberry, black and blue berries, jammy ripeness and a lot of red fruit’, and found it ‘dusty and gamey, smoky and meaty on the palate’.

£21.99 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

La Valentina, Spelt, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2014, Abruzzo, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Fresh, pure, elegant nose, young but lovely balance here,’ began Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson, who found it ‘classically structured, with spice, clove and plum on the palate, gravelly and complex on the finish’. ‘Great price for a very well-balanced wine with rich depth, clean nose and addictive taste,’ added Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse.

£16.51 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Cantina Goccia, Nodo 2012, Umbria, Italy

Silver medal winner

A nose of ‘savoury plums, meat juices, dark berries, spices and tar’ stood out for Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS, with ‘complexity and good depth, a fresh mid-palate and long finish with the emphasis on the savouriness’.

£11.50 Cantina Goccia

Cantina Goccia, Pnero 2012, Umbria, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘With sunshine richness of fruit and structured tannin, you could almost think it was Australian,’ began consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor, with team leader Annette Scarfe MW noting ‘good varietal typicity after a little air, with sweet, ripe cherry fruit flavours’.

£12.00 Cantina Goccia

Casal Thaulero, Orsetto Oro, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2015, Abruzzo, Italy

Silver medal winner

This had a ‘big, plush’ nose, said team leader Simon Woods, who liked its ‘ripe, raisiny notes, berry and fig with a warm, juicy palate, spice hints and nice texture that’s fleshy and balanced’.

£9.87 Alivini

Lungarotti, Rubesco, Vigna Monticchio, Torgiano Rosso Riserva 2010, Umbria, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Annette Scarfe MW enjoyed this wine’s ‘lovely expression, with delicate red fruit and notes of liquorice and dark chocolate, followed by hints of bitter cherry with well-integrated oak’.

£28.90 Eurowines

Lungarotti, Rubesco, Rosso di Torgiano 2013, Umbria, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Christoph Hons of Park Chinois found ‘very fragrant, sweet red fruits, ripe and full on the nose, followed by a meaty, bold character on the palate, fresh and crisp, lively and good value’, while Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS liked its ‘berries and cherries, savouriness and chargrilled notes, fruit-forward style with spices notes, good weight and balanced delivery’.

£9.85 Eurowines

Cantina Villafranca, Roma, Rosso Riserva 2014, Lazio, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London found a ‘floral nose with black and red fruit on a good palate, with decent complexity’, while for team leader Annette Scarfe MW there was a ‘clean and fresh nose of redcurrants with a hint of spice, soft smooth tannins and a fresh finish’.

£10.50 Eurowines

Talamonti, Modà, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2017, Abruzzo, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Angela Reddin liked the ‘soft, juicy nose of plum and vanilla, light tannin and medium-low acidity’, making it a ‘fruit-forward and appealing style’ of wine, while Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse commented: ‘Rich chocolate, deep afternoon delight, love it!’

£7.46 VinumTerra

Il Faggio, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2016, Abruzzo, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico liked this wine’s ‘red cherry, blackberry and black plum aromas, slight spicy notes of vanilla and liquorice in a simple, nice and juicy style’. Meanwhile Four Degree’s Jonathan Kleeman felt it was ‘clean and precise with a fresh finish, an easy-drinker to be enjoyed with friends’.

£6.61 Liberty Wines

Paolo e Noemia d'Amico, Notturno dei Calanchi, Pinot Nero 2013, Umbria, Italy

Commended medal winner

£27.35 Eurowines

Orsogna, Nican 2009, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

Zero Puro, Mineraliae 2015, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

Orsogna, Malverno 2013, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

iLauri, Le Pinciaie, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2015, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

Umberto Cesari, Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva 2015, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Commended medal winner

Nicodemi, Le Murate, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Colline Teramane 2016, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.67 Winetraders

Monte Schiavo, Tenute Pieralisi, Re di Ras, Rosso Piceno 2013, Marche, Italy

Commended medal winner

£15.00 Boutinot

Gran Sasso, Alta Quota, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Colline Teramane 2011, Abruzzo, Italy

Commended medal winner

£13.49 Liberty Wines

Italy: Chianti

San Felice, Poggio Rosso, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

Turning judges’ heads and simultaneously taking home the Gold, this Gran Selezione drew praise from Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia for its ‘concentrated, dried dark fruits, sandalwood spice and cherry blossom notes, and a grippy but quite giving palate’. ‘Warm floral notes of violet, with a palate of plum and some peppery spice,’ added team leader Tom Forrest. ‘Rich, elegant and balanced, with good dark fruit,’ concluded Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche.

£27.28 Boutinot

Rocca di Castagnoli, Poggio a'Frati, Chianti Classico Riserva 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘Bold, with red fruit on the nose, purple floral and herbaceous notes, elegant tannins and lovely freshness,’ praised team leader Laura Rhys MS as this Chianti Classico Riserva effortlessly took the Gold, with Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason finding it ‘earthy and slightly rustic, with notes of chocolate, smoke and juicy fruit’. ‘Violet and velvety,’ thought The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate, with added complexity from ‘tomato leaves, smoky tobacco and coffee’.

£15.10 Eurowines

Ruffino, Riserva Ducale, Oro, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2012, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

Clearly a Gold List wine, this combined ‘floral notes of violets and rose petals with hazelnut on the nose, a soft palate of ripe cherries, pepper and vanilla’, according to team leader Tom Forrest, with Typing Room’s Alex Pitt picking up ‘nice cherry fruit with some slightly cured meat characters, but well-balanced acidity and structure on the palate’. For consultant Chantal Serrano it showed ‘good development, with dried fruit, cocoa and mint, all with good balance’.

£26.24 Matthew Clark

Uggiano, Fagiano, Chianti Riserva 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner Food MatchCritics Choice

Pierre Brunelli of L’Enclume was impressed with this Gold winner’s ‘classic nose of floral notes, meaty hints and spices with figs, very fresh tannins and good concentration on the palate’, while for team leader Laura Rhys MS there was ‘dark, bitter cherry, plum and cherry stone aromas, black stone minerality and good oak integration on the palate but bold tannins’. Its ‘dark fruit, cedar, dried mushroom and roasted notes’ made this, according to team leader Laurent Richet MS, ideal for a barbecued rib of beef.

£8.98 Boutinot

Castello Vicchiomaggio, San Jacopo, Chianti Classico 2016, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

Alex Pitt of Typing Room loved this Gold Lister’s ‘inviting aromas of vine tomatoes and wild strawberry’, followed by a ‘silky and elegant palate with nice balance of fruit and savoury notes’, and The Don’s Carlos Ferreira noted ‘tobacco leaves and black olives with black cherry fruit, great balance and level of tannin, and spicy black fruits on the finish’. ‘Voluptuous and complex, with dark spices and round tannins,’ concluded team leader Andrea Briccarello.

£12.70 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Castello Vicchiomaggio, Agostino Petri, Chianti Classico Riserva 2015, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

Team leader Laura Rhys MS was drawn to this exceptional Gold winner’s ‘bold and juicy dark fruits on the nose, spice and weight on the palate’, finding it a ‘modern style with prominent but well-integrated oak’. ‘Beautifully balanced, with lovely volume in the mouth, with some black fruit compote and a spicy finish,’ added Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club found further complex notes of ‘olive, tobacco leaf and leather’.

£17.00 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Castello Vicchiomaggio, La Prima, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2014, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

On encountering this Gold winner, Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia was lured in by an ‘enticing nose of dark berry compote and toffee apple, leading to an opulent and silky-smooth palate’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira highlighted ‘dried cherry and plum with liquorice and tomato leaf on the nose, textured, spicy black fruit on the palate with a finish that’s really fresh and very well balanced’. ‘Rich, luscious and beautiful,’ was how The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones summed it up.

£33.15 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

San Felice, Il Grigio, Chianti Classico Riserva 2014, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

Pierre Brunelli of L’Enclume enjoyed this wine’s ‘cured meat spicy notes, lavender floral elements and intense, very well-balanced palate’, and Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason felt its ‘ripe, sun-dried tomato fruit, good silky body, smooth tannins and well-rounded depth make it very food-friendly, ideal with a beef ragu’.

£12.04 Boutinot

Rocca di Castagnoli, Stielle, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

Definitely a food wine, stressed Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia, noting its ‘subtle aromas of berry pudding with nuances of herbs and spices, and a soft but structured palate’, backed up by Typing Room’s Alex Pitt, who found ‘touches of mintiness and herbs on the nose, showing more fruit on the palate, quite earthy and mineral, too’.

£21.50 Eurowines

Trambusti, Celsus, Chianti 2016, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

This was a ‘lighter, restrained style’, said team leader Laura Rhys MS, who was keen on its ‘bright red fruit, redcurrant and cherry with some weight on the palate and notes of spice’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason picked up notes of ‘tomato leaf, sour cherry and some body and depth’.

£7.00 Matthew Clark

La Sala, Chianti Classico 2015, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

For Typing Room’s Alex Pitt, this was all about ‘framboise and Morello cherry, lovely balance between acidity and tannin, and a silky fruit character’, while team leader Tom Forrest enjoyed its ‘lifted violet and leafy aromas’ and its ‘juicy cherry fruits with a slightly sour note washing the tannins away’.

£11.00 Howard Ripley

Castellare, Chianti Classico Riserva 2014, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Really concentrated,’ began Pierre Brunelli of L’Enclume, who liked its ‘ripe blackberry and dark chocolate character with good structure to balance and a big hit of oak’, with Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason thinking it was ‘deep, dark, huge and rustic, young but has potential’.

£18.87 Bibendum

Uggiano, Chianti Classico Riserva 2014, Tuscany, Italy

Bronze medal winner

With L’Enclume’s Pierre Brunelli highlighting this wine’s ‘spiced meat aromas, dried flowers and good structure’, team leader Laura Rhys MS found ‘juicy cherry, elegant spice with good weight and complexity on the palate, giving good value all-round’.

£7.98 Boutinot

Badia di Morrona, I Sodi del Paretaio, Chianti 2016, Tuscany, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Slightly smoky with earthy aromas too,’ began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, noting ‘dark and red fruit, ripe tannins on a deep, fairly complex palate’, concluding that it was ‘good value for money’.

£7.95 Eurowines

San Felice, Chianti Classico 2015, Tuscany, Italy

Commended medal winner

£8.98 Boutinot

Ruffino, Riserva Ducale, Chianti Classico Riserva 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Commended medal winner

£16.09 Matthew Clark

Trambusti, Tenuta Poggio ai Mandorli, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2012, Tuscany, Italy

Commended medal winner

£15.22 Matthew Clark

Vinexus, Grati, G, Chianti 2016, Tuscany, Italy

Commended medal winner

Tolaini, Montebello Sette, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Commended medal winner

£22.50 Eurowines

Uggiano, Roccialta, Chianti Riserva 2015, Tuscany, Italy

Commended medal winner

£6.58 Boutinot

Castello di Fonterutoli, Chianti Classico 2015, Tuscany, Italy

Commended medal winner

Italy: North-East - Red, including Amarone & Valpolicella

Cesari, Mara, Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2015, Veneto, Italy

Gold medal winner

A Gold to go with Cesari’s pair of Silver medals, and a couple Bronzes too, this was a ‘ripe and succulent’ style, said team leader Sam Caporn MW, who thought it was showing ‘lots of black and Morello cherry fruit, with a little residual sugar but a long and herbal finish’, while Fenwick’s James Franklin also noted ‘soft tannins, violets and herbal elements’. ‘Wild cherries with a lovely crunchiness to them,’ added Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, also describing ‘minerality, and a long, spiced finish’.

£7.75 Fuller's

Campagnola, Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2016, Veneto, Italy

Gold medal winner

As this took its rightful place on the Gold List, team leader Tom Forrest picked up notes of ‘tobacco and clove spice, oak, cacao and dark cherry on the palate’, with a ‘creamy texture and a nice bite to the finish’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte appreciated its ‘good purity of fruit, with plum skin and redcurrants joined by some toasty spices and some moderate tannins and very good acidity’.

£9.95 Eurowines

Zenato, Sergio Zenato, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva 2011, Veneto, Italy

Gold medal winner

An indisputable and inevitable Gold, Aurel Istrate of The Connaught found plenty to enjoy here, with ‘smokiness, dark and red fruit and a rustic edge on the nose, with very well-integrated oak, peppercorn spice and figs, and with a nice, long finish too’. ‘Very concentrated,’ said The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo, finding ‘sour cherry, kirsch and liquorice notes, coffee and cedar aromas, tobacco and cigar box, mint and eucalyptus’, and ultimately describing the palate as ‘big, with fine tannins’.

£66.45 Eurowines

Zenato, Ripassa, Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2014, Veneto, Italy

Gold medal winner

Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia was drawn to this worthy Gold medallist’s ‘perfumed aromas of Morello cherry and bramble fruit, with dark chocolate dusting and crunchy fruit on the palate’, while James Franklin of Fenwick was equally impressed by a ‘seductive nose of jammy, ripe fruits, a soft, velvety and warming palate with great tannin and a long, savoury finish’. Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, meanwhile, found ‘lapsang tea and sweet, baked red and black fruit aromas, with good complexity and length – like a light Amarone style’.

£15.60 Eurowines

Allegrini, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013, Veneto, Italy

Gold medal winner

Our judges were seriously impressed, sending this straight to the Gold podium. Team leader Martin Lam described a ‘savoury then cassis nose, excellent, complex tarry fruit and ripe, savoury palate character with balanced acidity’, and The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo admired its ‘bready, pencil shaving aromas, dried strawberry and sour cherry, long palate with great ageing potential and careful use of oak’, while Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks appreciated its ‘coffee, ginger, laurel and black pepper notes, with an iron finish’.

£41.30 Liberty Wines

Nicolis, Ambrosan, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2011, Veneto, Italy

Gold medal winner Critics Choice

The Amarone Golds kept on coming, with this one having a ‘velvety, violet nose’ that led to ‘dark fruits, very well-integrated oak and an elegant finish’, according to The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate, with The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo highlighting ‘firm tannins on a crisp palate of cranberry, raspberry and red cherry fruit, concentrated and balanced, finishing long’. ‘Morello cherry and liquorice, with some raisin and leather notes too’ had Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks thinking about rabbit stew.

£29.10 Bibendum

Santa Sofia, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012, Veneto, Italy

Gold medal winner

A ‘complex, intense nose follows through on the palate’, began team leader Martin Lam, who found this substantial Gold medal wine to be ‘quite broad on the palate and very food-friendly’. The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo highlighted ‘a fresh, savoury nose, dried fruits, plum and prune with notes of cocoa on the finish’, which, according to team leader Laurent Richet MS, made it an ideal accompaniment for ‘deer with chocolate sauce and roasted root vegetables’.

£24.05 Mondial Wine

Roccolo Grassi, Valpolicella 2012, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Tom Forrest noted ‘ripe aromas, if a little on the lighter side, with cherries and cedar spice notes, then some alternative leafy notes of cherry and berry on the palate with a drying finish’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte found some ‘coal and iodine notes that match the fruit intensity’.

£23.69 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Ca' La Bionda, Ravazzòl, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Bright, herbaceous nose, grippy strawberry jam and wild strawberry palate with caramel notes,’ said Euan McColm of Beaverbrook, while team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW described ‘aniseed and cedar aromatics, salty red fruit on a fine, complex palate that develops in the mouth’.

£36.70 Top Selection Ltd

Campagnola, Caterina Zardini, Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2016, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia enjoyed its ‘ripe fruit characteristics of plum pudding and mocha, with an uncomplicated, approachable palate’, while team leader Sam Caporn MW picked up flavours of ‘mulberry and bramble with soft blueberry and red cherry’.

£13.67 Eurowines

Montresor, Satinato, Amarone della Valpolicella 2014, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

A ‘popular, succulent style’, said team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, who found it ‘bursting with juice, roasted bacon oak, mid-weight and fleshy’, with Woodhead 17’s James Fryer highlighting ‘juniper and black pepper, herbal aromas, juicy black fruit and serious tannin’. ‘Red paprika power, fresh acids and notes of coffee, but light,’ added Gauthier Soho’s Rita Kardos.

£19.45 Boutinot

Serego Alighieri, Vaio Armaron, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2011, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Flowers and fruits, plump and fleshy, bursting with character,’ began team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, while for Woodhead 17’s James Fryer the ‘palate screams of fresh ground coffee and cassis, some medicinal notes mid-palate, finishing with juicy black fruit and black pepper with a long mochaccino finish’.

£45.96 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Sansonina, Merlot 2014, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

This was described as ‘an aristocratic wine’ by Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who picked up ‘chocolatey raisins and Genoa cake aromas, silky, smooth and round with wonderful balance, elegance and complexity, luscious’, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn loved its ‘satanic fruit’ and found it to be ‘dark and broody, powerful on the palate with smooth tannins’, making it a ‘fantastic wine’.

£29.75 Eurowines

Alpha Zeta, R, Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2015, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

A good all-rounder, showing ‘lots of red fruits, smoke and vanilla on the nose’, said Christoph Hons of Park Chinois, also noting that it was ‘smooth and pleasant, with strawberry and raspberry fruit on the palate and a soft ending’.

£10.24 Liberty Wines

Villa Mattielli, Valpolicella Ripasso 2016, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Ripe red and black cherry fruits, some oak cinnamon spice, soft and creamy texture with more cherry and some heavier, dark notes that wash away on the finish,’ said team leader Tom Forrest. ‘Superb fruit, simple but elegant,’ concluded Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche.

£13.00 Top Selection Ltd

Bertani, Valpantena, Amarone della Valpolicella 2014, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Fresh, curranty nose, vanilla and sweet with violets and a long, grippy finish,’ began Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm, with James Fryer of Woodhead 17 finding it ‘raisined but flashy, with some bright acidity, fruit and tannins, and a slightly spirit quality’.

£29.50 Enotria&Coe

Bertani, Vintage Edition, Secco 2015, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Lionel Periner found ‘light intensity, nice red fruit, hints of florals, bell pepper and oak well balanced on the nose, medium-bodied on the palate with some drying tannin but well balanced, finishing long with a hint of spice’, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn noted ‘bags of red fruits with apple and some complexity, nutty and earthy’.

£17.90 Enotria&Coe

Sartori, Regolo, Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2015, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche enjoyed its ‘lovely nose of fruit and minty hints, soft and round palate that’s deep and juicy’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte found a ‘lighter body with confected sour cherry and tomato, and a long finish of raisin skin’.

£10.96 Enotria&Coe

Tommasi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Savoury and meaty with spicy notes of clove and black pepper, for a good entry-level style,’ said The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo, while The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate enjoyed its ‘elegantly jammy nose, sour cherry and tomato leaves on the palate and elegant tannins’.

£24.93 Maisons Marques et Domaines

Santa Sofia, Montegradella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2015, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Quite intriguing aromas with lots of floral oak and spice,’ began team leader Sam Caporn MW, finding a palate of ‘red fruits, rose petals, fennel and red plums, balanced and interesting, elegant and long with great use of oak’.

£17.30 Mondial Wine

Cesari, Salvalai, Pinot Noir 2015, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Exceptional value for an easy-drinking summer red, and perfect chilled’, began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, finding this wine ‘subtle, delicate, fresh and fruity on the nose, with bright red cherry and soft, smooth tannins’.

£5.50 Fuller's

Cesari, Valpolicella Classico 2016, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

A ‘fresh, leafy, easy and pleasant classic’, began Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche, with Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte finding ‘light cocoa, butter and spice notes with a solid red fruit character – good, simple and fresh’.

£7.30 Fuller's

Orion Wines, Tenute Fiorebelli, Fiorebella, Rosso 2015, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

This was a ‘crowd-pleaser with lots of bright fruit, a hint of oak and a touch of sweetness on the finish’, said Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine, with team leader Lionel Periner also noting ‘cooked red fruits, hints of chocolate on toasted bread, medium weight with fruit and a hint of smoke on the finish’.

£9.24 Matthew Clark

Pieropan, Ruberpan, Vigna Garzon, Valpolicella Superiore 2015, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Vibrant, with bright oak influence, yet still balanced,’ began Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, highlighting its ‘freshness, red fruits and mint’, while Antóin UáRuairc of UK Midland Sommelier Ltd liked its ‘zingy flavour, low tannin and very fruity’ style.

£15.58 Liberty Wines

Sartori, Corte Brà, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2010, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm found it ‘round and easy, fat and elegant’, with its ‘sweet woody spice, caramel and vanilla nose with continental breakfast prunes on the palate’. ‘Juicy cooked fruit, bramble jam with an edge of freshness – serve with ice cream!’ added team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW.

£25.24 Enotria&Coe

Nicolis, Seccal, Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2015, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

A pleasing package for Fenwick’s James Franklin, who found ‘mature fruits, smoke and depth on the nose, beautiful cherry, herbal and floral characters with grippy, full tannins and a long finish’.

£14.24 Bibendum

Campagnola, Vigneti Vallata di Marano, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2014, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£20.25 Eurowines

Serego Alighieri, MontePiazzo, Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2013, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

Masi, Riserva di Costasera, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

Zenato, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£32.85 Eurowines

Ca' Rugate, Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2015, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

Prà, Morandina, Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2015, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£15.15 Boutinot

Zenato, Cresasso, Corvina Veronese 2012, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£29.05 Eurowines

Montresor, Capitel della Crosara, Valpolicella Ripasso 2015, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£10.85 Boutinot

Bertani, Valpolicella Ripasso 2015, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£12.91 Enotria&Coe

Bertani, Valpolicella 2016, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.06 Enotria&Coe

Italy: North-East - Trentino, Alto Adige & Friuli Venezia Giulia – Red

Cantina Bolzano, Taber, Riserva, Lagrein 2015, Alto Adige, Italy

Silver medal winner

Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair was taken with this wine’s ‘intense structure, full body and high tannin, balanced by lots of black plum and black cherry, cinnamon spice notes with tobacco and earthy hints, chocolate and leather with peppery spice’, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants felt it was ‘built to last, still young but definitely approachable now, with concentration and minty freshness, succulent black fruit and graphite, firm yet very balanced’.

£32.38 Cantina Bolzano

Cantina Bolzano, Mumelter, Riserva, Cabernet 2015, Alto Adige, Italy

Silver medal winner

Simone Fadda of Roka Aldwych liked the ‘vibrant bouquet of black and red fruits, blackcurrant and cherry, then a silky mouthfeel with firm tannins’, while Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant felt it was ‘good to go with venison or beef, with its dark fruit, nice liquorice notes in the background and long finish’.

£27.22 Cantina Bolzano

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Nerofino 2014, Trentino, Italy

Silver medal winner

A wine of ‘lovely structure’, said Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant, finding it ‘quite peppery on the nose with a smooth, pungent, spicy background’, while Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS noted ‘savoury, crushed red fruit and stone fruit aromas with spicy meat and tarry oak notes’.

£9.00 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Merlot 2016, Trentino, Italy

Silver medal winner

Simone Fadda of Roka Aldwych enjoyed this wine’s ‘red and black fruits on the nose with herbal hints, then black berries and sweet liquorice hints on the palate’, while for team leader Andrea Briccarello it was ‘clean, juicy, soft and round, easy-drinking and a good by-the-glass option’.

£7.20 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Bossi Fedrigotti, Fojaneghe, Vigneti delle Dolomiti 2012, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Silver medal winner

Full-bodied and packed with flavours, revealing ‘blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry, plums, violets’ on the nose, said Cristian Sánchez of Hotel du Vin Cambridge, as well as ‘clove spice and anise, leather and graphite, hints of vanilla, ripe tannins and a long, pleasant finish’. ‘A wine to enjoy with game or pâté,’ added team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£18.06 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Masut da Rive, Pinot Nero 2015, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

For Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant this was ‘very floral on the nose, quite toasty on the palate but with nice freshness to match with food’, and he thought it ‘would be lovely with cheese’. Meanwhile Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS found ‘spicy, savoury notes and chocolate aromas, but a savoury palate’.

£13.00 Jascots Wine Merchants

Bastianich, Vespa, Rosso 2012, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Great, deep and concentrated, but not in a too-much kind of way,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS, who found it ‘balanced, well crafted, with dark fruit and meaty notes, delicate tannin, great for food with rich sauces’, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants noted ‘distinctive pine needle and rosemary, fleshy style, fresh and charmingly fruit-forward, but with balance and nerve’.

£20.13 Bibendum

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Riserva, Lagrein 2014, Trentino, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Cristian Sánchez of Hotel du Vin Cambridge enjoyed this wine’s ‘sweet black cherries, black plum, blackberry jelly and liquorice notes on the nose, clove and vanilla spice hints, good ripe tannins and high concentration of flavours, with lovely acidity and a long, sweet finish’.

£9.00 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Teroldego Rotaliano 2016, Trentino, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘An approachable style,’ began Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant, who found it ‘delicate and floral on the nose, slightly less so on the palate – a wine for a feast’. ‘Plenty of blueberries and cherry notes, and a good smoky back-palate,’ added team leader Andrea Briccarello.

£7.95 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Collavini, Pucino, Refosco 2016, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

While Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair highlighted ‘pronounced cherries and plum on this wine’, team leader Laurent Richet MS felt it would be ‘a lovely wine to showcase by the glass, with gentle aromas of spice and fruit – red, black and cherry – and hints of black pepper and sandalwood’.

£11.38 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Cavit, Bottega Vinai, Pinot Nero 2015, Trentino, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Light, crunchy and fragrant, the fruit is red and wild with a tendency to freshness rather than ripeness, but complexity and a charred aftertaste,’ began Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurant, with team leader Laurent Richet MS adding that it was ‘a dangerous wine, as you’d go for a second bottle!’

£8.75 Boutinot

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Riserva, Teroldego Rotaliano 2013, Trentino, Italy

Commended medal winner

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Trentino, Italy

Commended medal winner

J Hofstätter, Meczan, Pinot Nero 2016, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Commended medal winner

Franz Haas, Pinot Nero 2015, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Commended medal winner

£18.12 Liberty Wines

Alois Lageder, Krafuss Estate, Pinot Noir 2013, Alto Adige, Italy

Commended medal winner

£26.70 Bibendum

Italy: North-East - Trentino, Alto Adige & Friuli Venezia Giulia – White

Tramin, Nussbaumer, Gewürztraminer 2016, Alto Adige, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘A delicate, rose petal nose with very pretty, plump fruit, some gentle peach and spiced pear,’ was team leader Nigel Lister’s appraisal as this took its rightful spot on the Gold List, while Woodhead 17’s James Fryer spoke of ‘plush white florals, like magnolia, with good weight on the palate, and intense rose water and talcum notes’. ‘Nice freshness and aromatics, with some lychee and spice,’ concluded team leader Sam Caporn MW.

£20.46 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Tramin, Stoan 2016, Alto Adige, Italy

Gold medal winner

A broad combination of flavour influences helped elevate this to Gold, with team leader Annette Scarfe MW highlighting ‘ripe stone fruit with an oily texture, orange peel and lemon zest on a creamy mid-palate, notes of rose petals and spices’, and Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav enjoying ‘stone fruit and yellow flowers, complex and intense in the mid-palate but with well-balanced acidity and a long finish, bringing in tropical fruit, flowers and nutmeg’.

£19.47 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Alois Lageder, Löwengang, Chardonnay 2014, Alto Adige, Italy

Gold medal winner

While finding it ‘bashful and restrained on the nose’, Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel was charmed by this Gold medallist’s ‘oily and biscuity, refreshing nose, with lime and yellow plum fruit dominating the palate, and showing some light, nutty oxidation on the finish’. ‘Apricot flesh aromas and some good ripeness on the finish’ were described by Woodhead 17’s James Fryer, while team leader Sam Caporn MW was taken by its ‘restrained and well-handled use of oak’, ultimately concluding that it was ‘elegant and delicious’.

£26.20 Bibendum

St Michael-Eppan, Sanct Valentin, Pinot Grigio 2015, Alto Adige, Italy

Silver medal winner

Highlighting its ‘smoky oak and fruit on the nose, citrus and apple with apricot and honey notes’, Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel also found ‘white pepper and buttered toast richness on the palate cut by good acidity, with a toasty, smoky but balanced finish’.

£21.05 Eurowines

Cantina Bolzano, Kleinstein, Gewürztraminer 2016, Alto Adige, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Nigel Lister approved of this wine’s ‘bright rose, lychee, classic Turkish Delight aromas, rich and ripe palate with good balance of fruit, Asian spices and a pleasant almond kernel finish’.

£18.82 Cantina Bolzano

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Chardonnay 2017, Trentino, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Floral, grassy, straightforward primary fruits on the nose, with hints of herbs and flowers,’ began Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London, finding a ‘decent palate, mineral and fresh, crisp and round, with more floral notes on the finish’, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW noted ‘lovely ripe lemons on the palate and a waxy texture’.

£7.15 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Pinot Grigio 2017, Trentino, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Tasty,’ began team leader Sam Caporn MW, further describing a wine that was ‘ripe and fresh, with lots of Conference pears and zingy, sherbet notes’, before concluding that this was ‘flavourful and balanced’. James Fryer of Woodhead 17, meanwhile, appreciated its ‘good texture on the palate, with tinned pineapple and green herb notes’.

£7.75 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Trentino, Italy

Silver medal winner

Simple pleasures here for team leader Nigel Lister, who enjoyed its ‘waxy, soft yellow peach nose with a touch of spice, ripe and succulent flavours on a well-balanced, fresh palate’, and thought it was ‘a good food wine and great value’. Fellow team leader Andrea Briccarello highlighted its ‘crisp, citrusy style with nice salty notes, to go with oysters and lemon’.

£7.81 Berkmann Wine Cellars

J Hofstätter, Barthenau, Vigna San Michele, Pinot Bianco 2014, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Rich, golden and ripe,’ began Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel, who liked its ‘very dry palate’ and ‘hints of pithy bitterness’, and thought it was ‘mineral with good structure’, while for team leader Nigel Lister there were ‘distant honey notes, peach and pear in a very fresh, lively style’.

£21.95 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Cavit, Bottega Vinai, Nosiola 2017, Trentino, Italy

Silver medal winner

Refreshing and clean, with ‘fruity and fresh pear aromas, good structure in the mouth with pear skin, lime juice and zest notes’, said Carolina Seibel of Portland Restaurant, with team leader Nigel Lister adding ‘apple and pear fruit, zesty and sherbety, good value and well balanced’.

£6.95 Boutinot

Cantina Bolzano, Riserva, Sauvignon 2015, Alto Adige, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Floral aromas, peaches and lychee with fresh, crisp acidity balancing the fruit in this oaked style of an aromatic grape,’ said Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW found it a ‘lovely, inviting expression with fresh herbal and delicate pine needle notes’.

£22.05 Cantina Bolzano

Pighin, Pinot Grigio, Collio 2016, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS picked up aromas of ‘tangerine and clementine, candied fruit with a touch of richness’, followed by ‘candied lemon with nice vibrancy on the palate, good definition with balanced mid-palate and a fruity sweetness on the finish’. ‘Grassy, earthy and crisp, with good fruit,’ added Christoph Hons of Park Chinois.

£12.40 Mondial Wine

Livon, Gran Cru, Braide Alte 2015, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Annette Scarfe MW found ‘vibrant flavours and a full, aromatic mid-palate, with white flower notes’, while freelance sommelier Julio Iglesias described it as ‘high intensity, with sweet fruit and floral notes, as well as a honeyed element’.

£24.35 Eurowines

Jermann, Pinot Grigio 2016, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Grapey flower aromas with fruit peel and marshmallow notes,’ began Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS, finding ‘a vibrant palate with great flavours and balance’, while Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel liked its ‘fruit and spice on the nose with a savoury palate and toast and honey finish’.

£17.38 Enotria&Coe

Collavini, Benedete, Ribolla Gialla 2016, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav liked this wine’s ‘fresh style, with flower and nutty aromas, yellow plum with well balanced acidity’, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW picked up ‘ripe grapefruit and lemon, lovely texture rounded with ripe stone fruit notes’.

£11.92 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

St Michael-Eppan, Sanct Valentin, Pinot Bianco 2015, Alto Adige, Italy

Commended medal winner

£21.05 Eurowines

St Michael-Eppan, Sanct Valentin, Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Alto Adige, Italy

Commended medal winner

£22.25 Eurowines

San Simone, Sauvignon Blanc, Friuli Grave 2016, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£8.33 Eurowines

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Riserva, Pinot Grigio 2016, Trentino, Italy

Commended medal winner

Bossi Fedrigotti, Vign'Asmara 2014, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Commended medal winner

Cavit, Bottega Vinai, Pinot Grigio 2017, Trentino, Italy

Commended medal winner

£7.70 Boutinot

Alois Lageder, Haberle, Pinot Bianco 2015, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Commended medal winner

£13.93 Bibendum

Alois Lageder, Porer, Pinot Grigio 2016, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Commended medal winner

£15.11 Bibendum

Italy: North-East - White, including Soave

Pieropan, La Rocca, Soave Classico 2015, Veneto, Italy

Gold medal winner

Elevated to Gold amidst praise from our judges, this Soave had ‘stone fruit and fresh tobacco leaf aromas with rich lees notes on the nose’, began Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club, ‘with a herbal, balsamic character too, and elegant on the finish’. Four Degree’s Jonathan Kleeman liked its ‘rich, rounded and luscious style, oak flavours coming through but not dominating, and fruit that’s ripe but still fresh and zippy’.

£19.04 Liberty Wines

Suavia, Monte Carbonare, Soave Classico 2015, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

Characterful flavours here, with Jonathan Kleeman of Four Degree enjoying its ‘spicy, aromatic nose and tones of mallow and bergamot in the mouth, fresh spring flowers on a clean finish’. ‘Great fruit, seltzer edges and good fresh fruit,’ added team leader Simon Woods.

£13.80 Bibendum

Prà, Monte Grande, Soave Classico 2016, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Simon Woods was happy with the ‘generous, peachy fruit combined with crisper herby and stony notes’, finding it ‘long, elegant and ageworthy’, and Four Degree’s Jonathan Kleeman liked its ‘intense, direct style with lots of citrus and underripe fruit’.

£13.72 Boutinot

Bertani, Vintage Edition, Soave 2015, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

This less-than-typical style showed ‘intense, punchy mineral notes and almost Riesling-like pungency’, according to team leader Simon Woods, who found it ‘good and grippy, but with a soft lychee finish’. Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club felt the ‘fruit has slightly oxidative notes, with herbal flavours and a long finish’.

£14.14 Enotria&Coe

Sartori, Marani, Bianco Veronese 2015, Veneto, Italy

Silver medal winner

Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson enjoyed this wine’s ‘pretty, floral, aromatic nose, leading to a textural, characterful palate showing almonds, citrus and lemon, with a creamy texture cut by nice hints of acid’, and rated it ‘very good’. ‘Lemon zest and citrus peel, nice tangy palate, refreshing and moreish,’ added team leader Angela Reddin.

£8.99 Enotria&Coe

Suavia, Massifitti, Bianco Veronese 2015, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Team leader Angela Reddin found a ‘nutty nose with lifted lemon sherbet and curd aromas, very bright and clean on the palate’, while Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson felt its ‘simple, neutral nose and creamy texture with pears, spice and good weight are attractive and food-oriented, good for roast chicken’.

£13.89 Bibendum

Villa Mattielli, Campolungo, Soave Classico 2016, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Intense, with notes of pine and lovely herbal freshness, grip and finesse on the palate,’ began team leader Simon Woods, picking up ‘slightly salty notes on a long, intriguing finish’, while Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico found ‘camomile and elderflower aromas, some peach and citrus coming through with a slight note of bitterness on the palate’.

£10.71 Top Selection Ltd

Pieropan, Calvarino, Soave Classico 2015, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

A ‘deep, pungent and punchy’ style for team leader Simon Woods, who enjoyed its ‘good intense, heady and vibrant character, juicy and young, with a slight leesy richness, but fascinating’. ‘Peachy, biscuity and toasty,’ added Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico.

£14.59 Liberty Wines

Monte Tondo, Corte del Sole, Soave 2016, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

This was ‘precise and complex for an entry-level style’, said Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico, who liked its ‘tree fruit, peach and camomile white flower notes, nice mineral elements, quite long flavour and almond notes coming through on the finish’.

£7.81 Jascots Wine Merchants

Riondo, Lunardi, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2017, Veneto, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair found ‘green apple, and a light and fresh character with a lemony hint’, with Hakkasan Hanway Place’s Gabriel Liotta thinking it ‘ripe and aromatic, with stone fruit notes’, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn described it as ‘fresh and vibrant’ and, crucially, ‘value for money’.

£5.40 Forth Wines, Moreno Wines

Ca' Rugate, Monte Fiorentine, Soave Classico 2016, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

Prà, Staforte, Soave Classico 2015, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£13.72 Boutinot

Alpha Zeta, Single Vineyard, Terrapieno, Pinot Grigio 2017, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£8.80 Liberty Wines

Suavia, Soave Classico 2016, Veneto, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.07 Bibendum

Italy: North-west, Red including Barolo/Barbaresco

San Silvestro, Brumo, Nebbiolo d'Alba 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner Food Match

A ‘great value and good all-rounder’, according to Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, this took its place on the Gold List, offering ‘ripe red cherry notes, with some floral perfume and a raisin note too’. He went on to describe ‘good, ripe tannins and a light, fresh body, with clean acidity’, while Mario Tomekovic of Smiths of Smithfield highlighted ‘cherry and ripe plums, as well as blackberry, on a rich and complex palate with a long aftertaste’.

£10.03 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Dezzani, La Luna e Le Stelle, Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner Food Match

As this was elevated to Gold, Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin was taken by its ‘very bright aromas of spiced cherries and plummy fruit’, followed by ‘sour cherries on a bitter-sweet palate with good typicity and balanced ripeness’. Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair, meanwhile, was impressed by ‘violet and raspberry on the nose’, which was followed by ‘plum and cherry fruit on the spicy palate, leading to a nice finish with more violet and some mint’.

£9.60 Eurowines

Cabutto, Tenuta La Volta, Barolo 2011, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

The first Gold in a massive medal haul for Barolo this year, this had ‘sweet red fruit aromas with mossy, mushroom hints, and juicy and exotic fruit on the palate, with tobacco and spice’, began Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent, while team leader Nigel Lister enjoyed its ‘tarry, smoky nose, young bright fruit and glistening acidity, showing good typicity’. ‘A very fine, elegant structure, with a perfumed nose and ripe, fresh fruit on the palate,’ concluded Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants.

£20.88 Winetraders

Scarpa, Tettimorra, Barolo 2012, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

Double-decanting was advised for this ‘youthful, tarry, meaty’ style that captured the hearts of our judges while taking the Gold, and leaving an impression on Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent with its ‘botanical aromas, great tannins and well-integrated oak on the palate, with good length and a juicy finish’. ‘Composed, elegant and balanced,’ added Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, who enjoyed its ‘developing bouquet, with undergrowth, dried leaves and flowers, and a tar note too’.

£42.72 ANTICA CASA VINICOLA SCARPA srl

Rovellotti, Chioso dei Pomi, Ghemme 2011, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

Clearly a Gold medallist, to go by the generous praise from our judges. Team leader Lionel Periner highlighted ‘notes of kirsch and dried flowers’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason found it ‘complex and excellent, with dark chocolate, coffee-mocha, tar and tobacco aromas, woody and earthy, tomato skin with dark cherries, plum and damson on the palate’. All of this, plus ‘lots of potential for ageing’, thought Crafthouse’s Andrea Rossi.

£22.70 Rovellotti Viticoltori in Ghemme

Anna Maria Abbona, Barolo 2013, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘A distant, autumnal, poetic nose: a lark ascending,’ mused team leader Nigel Lister, who, back on the ground, appreciated this Gold medallist’s ‘lovely red fruit’ and thought there was ‘great potential in a lovely wine, made for rich game dishes’. Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent agreed, finding ‘intense floral aromas, dried petals and cardamom spice notes, sous-bois and cocoa notes with juicy tannins’, while Leonie Loudon of Mediterroenean – Wines of the Mediterranean was taken with its ‘beautiful robe of violets and red and black fruits, elegant tannins and a hint of rosemary on the finish’.

£29.23 Moreno Wines

Bruno Rocca, Rabajà, Barbaresco 2014, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner Critics Choice

This highly acclaimed Gold Lister was ‘a big wine’, according to consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor, who admired ‘lots of fresh new oak that will integrate with time, underlying rich ripe fruit with bright acids and fresh tannins, and classic high notes of red fruits’. Team leader Tom Forrest praised ‘spicy cedar and oak, with some violet aromas too, leading to a soft palate with pepper and cherry joining more cedar, spice and floral notes’.

£58.70 Liberty Wines

Olim Bauda, Barbera d'Asti, Nizza 2014, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

As this took its place on the Gold podium, The Don’s Carlos Ferreira described ‘black and red fruits, dried tomato and black olives on the nose, and an elegant palate’, while team leader Angela Reddin enjoyed its ‘sandalwood and tobacco aromas with Morello cherry fruit, brisk tightness and lovely freshness’, adding that it was ‘very well made, elegant and delicious’. ‘Intense and fresh at the same time, and both rounded and elegant on the palate,’ summed up Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair.

£20.75 Tenuta Olim Bauda

Michele Chiarlo, Tortoniano, Barolo 2013, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

Impressing Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms with its ‘herbs and tar on the palate, great fruit all in place and well-structured tannins’, for Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club this clear Gold candidate also revealed ‘dark cherry with gentle farmyard aromas, black pepper spice with fresh plum notes on the palate and complex tannins’. ‘Rustic and polished at the same time’, summed up Andrés Ituarte of Coq d’Argent, describing ‘layers of flowers, forest floor and worn oak’.

£35.57 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Villa Oppi, Pallido 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

A wine with a difference, and deserving of Gold, with Christopher Parker of Lime Wood Hotel noting ‘fresh herbs, dill and tarragon, along with red berries and lashings of Turkish Delight’, and team leader Simon Woods also enjoying its ‘quirky style, with earthy strawberry fruit, dainty and lively palate with good balance and a slightly herbal finish’. ‘An interesting wine with a big personality,’ said Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, who liked its ‘spicy cherry fruit and a lovely freshness’.

£13.33 The Wine Drinker

Castel del Lupo, La Gioiosa, Bonarda 2016, Lombardy, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Earthy, fresh berry aromas, really savoury, unoaked, chunky berry-fruit style,’ began Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS, who found it ‘well made in a traditional style that’s perfect for cold cuts’, while team leader Angela Reddin liked its ‘plum and cherry nose with balsamic, iodine hints, bubblegum and juicy fruits on the palate’, making it a ‘good pub wine’.

£8.00 Boutinot

Dezzani, Gli Scaglioni, Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2011, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Ripe, rich and impressive,’ began team leader Simon Woods, who found it ‘deep, plush, very modern and flashy, but balanced and intense, with dark cherry and blackcurrant fruit’, while Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin enjoyed its ‘big, chunky, spicy, smoky, musky’ character.

£32.60 Eurowines

Dezzani, 80 Anni, Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

Christopher Parker of Lime Wood Hotel admired this wine’s ‘premium style, gravelly stone minerals with hedgerow blackberry fruit and forest floor notes’, while Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin found it a ‘generous, nice quaff, with clafoutis-like, juicy, dark plum and sour cherry fruit, spiced and smoky with a touch of dark chocolate’.

£14.60 Eurowines

Scarpa, La Bogliona, Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2010, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

Matthieu Longuère MS of Le Cordon Bleu London liked this wine’s ‘unmanipulated, dry, earthy, Morello cherry and savoury-meaty style’, while Daria Ershova of Ten Green Bottles highlighted ‘red cherry and balanced oak, fresh acidity with very textural, soft tannins, notes of white pepper and eucalyptus and a long finish’.

£28.50 ANTICA CASA VINICOLA SCARPA srl

Scarpa, Rouchet, Briccorosa, Monferrato Rosso 2014, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental found ‘nice, complex fruit aromas with mineral notes and spices, very food-friendly in the mouth with fruit-driven flavours, ripe and well-integrated tannins’, while Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin picked out its ‘precise, pure style with strawberry and anise, and leafy bitter-sweet notes, savoury on the finish’.

£22.05 ANTICA CASA VINICOLA SCARPA srl

Torraccia del Piantavigna, Gattinara 2013, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

With ‘violets and cherry aromas dominating, followed by very earthy and meaty notes with a touch of pungent spice’, Mario Tomekovic of Smiths of Smithfield found ‘firm tannins but an enjoyable palate, with fruitiness and balsamic flavours giving complexity, leading to a long aftertaste’, and thought it would be ‘great to accompany main dishes’.

£15.29 Continental Wine and Food

Pelissero, Tulin, Barbaresco 2014, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Earthy and funky, truffle nose, smooth and young on the palate, tannins needing to soften, but fantastic wine!’ said a keen Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine. Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason was in agreement, noting: ‘Very meaty, leathery, full, with powerful tannins and complex fruits, to be decanted, and will be amazing in a decade!’

£44.63 Alivini

Vite Colte, La Luna e I Falò, Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

A more scented style, with The Don’s Carlos Ferreira discovering ‘a nose full of cherry and some pine-like, eucalyptus elements, white pepper hints on the palate, which is fruity and well balanced’, and team leader Angela Reddin enjoying a ‘delicious factor in the mouth, silky smooth tannins with abundant and luscious fruit’.

£12.00 VinumTerra

Vietti, Tre Vigne, Barbera d'Asti 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

Providing ‘lovely textbook violet and bramble fruit and polished style’ for Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS, this revealed ‘tomato, grass and black fruits on the nose, a palate of cherry liquor and black spices’ and ‘a bit of tannin’ for The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, who thought it ‘very well balanced’.

£15.89 Bibendum

Tenimenti Ca' Bianca, Barolo 2013, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent liked this wine’s ‘dried leaves and tar, goji berries and forest floor on the nose, elegant and supple palate with balanced floral and tarry characters’ and thought it had ‘a good finish’, with Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms noting ‘delicate red fruit and spice following nicely on to the palate with fine tannins and all elements in place’.

£18.50 GIV UK

GD Vajra, Langhe Nebbiolo 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

This left an impression on Melania Bellesini of The Fat Duck, with its ‘beautiful floral bouquet of rose petals, violets and fresh summer berries, elegant raspberry, strawberry and Morello cherry, then a very juicy palate with fine tannins, layers of fresh fruit, sweet spices and vanilla, and long finish of crunchy red fruits’.

£15.98 Liberty Wines

Marchesi di Grésy, Martinenga, Barbaresco 2013, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

This was a ‘grown-up wine with refined tannins and good acidity’ for Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, and Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason enjoyed its ‘floral violets, meaty biltong and suede-leather on the nose, very complex, full and rounded palate with sun-dried tomato, fresh acidity and long finish’, concluding: ‘Delightful.’

£36.31 Boutinot

Fontanafredda, Barolo di Serralunga d'Alba 2013, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Big, juicy, rich and concentrated, tarry and meaty,’ began Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent, backed up by Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club, who liked its ‘fresh raspberry fruit with baked, spiced notes on the nose, meaty complexity with earthy oak notes on the palate, dark olives and a powerful finish’.

£29.30 Enotria&Coe

Costaripa, Maim, Valtènesi 2013, Lombardy, Italy

Silver medal winner

A pleasingly different wine for team leader Angela Reddin, with its ‘very distinctive, smoky hot stone, tea chest aromas over summer berries, followed by a lighter and more elegant palate than expected, with a luxurious finish’. ‘Lovely plummy fruit with grip, an interesting food wine,’ added Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS.

£18.32 Alivini

Ca' del Baio, Vallegrande, Barbaresco 2014, Piedmont, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Orange baked notes, alcohol warmth, hints of tea on the nose,’ began team leader Jade Koch, who found it ‘really interesting, long and mineral, cool and lean yet full of secret life, will age but is dancing with purple fruits, pepper and raisins, very exciting’.

£21.45 Eurowines

Araldica, Crocera, Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Ripe cherries and allspice aromas, soft and warm on the palate, but refreshing,’ said Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker, with Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin finding ‘upfront, crunchy berry fruit, soft texture with a hint of bitterness on the finish’.

£6.25 Boutinot

Cascina Ballarin, Langhe Nebbiolo 2014, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

San Silvestro, Ottone 1, Barbera 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Ceretto, Monsordo, Langhe Rosso 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Vietti, Castiglione, Barolo 2013, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£37.03 Bibendum

Nino Negri, Sfursat, Carlo Negri, Valtellina 2015, Lombardy, Italy

Commended medal winner

£23.05 Eurowines

Araldica, Rive, Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.42 Boutinot

Marchesi di Grésy, Monferrato Rosso 2010, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.34 Boutinot

Massolino, Barolo 2013, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£27.59 Liberty Wines

Olim Bauda, Le Rocchette, Barbera d'Asti Superiore 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Pelassa, San Pancrazio, Barbera d'Alba 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Michele Chiarlo, Le Orme, 16 Mesi, Barbera d'Asti 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Michele Chiarlo, Cipressi, Barbera d'Asti, Nizza 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Italy: North-west, White including Gavi

Ancilla, Ella, Lugana 2016, Lombardy, Italy

Gold medal winner

An impressive Gold medal recipient, this had a ‘full, volcanic nose with hints of incense and floral notes’, according to Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London, who found a ‘lovely palate that’s dry, with primary fruit, fresh and balanced, and elegant, too, with hints of oak and minerality on a long finish’. Meanwhile consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor picked up notes of ‘sweet grapefruit, balanced acidity and fleshy peach with a grassy finish’.

£18.42 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

La Scolca, Black Label, Gavi dei Gavi 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘Mineral, elderflower, citrus and flowers on the palate,’ mused Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro as this was added to the Gold List, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 found it ‘very perfumed, with pear and white flowers, and almonds on the nose, with brown pear skin, wheat and subtle oyster shells on the palate, and acacia flowers on the finish with pear syrup and lychee complexity’. ‘Aromatic, juicy and tropical, with great acidity and complexity,’ concluded Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason.

£24.90 Eurowines

La Scolca, White Label, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

One of a pair of Gavi Golds for La Scolca, Yauatcha City’s Linh Ziolkowska praised its ‘depth and character, showing freshness, acidity, citrus and minerality, with a medium-weight finish’, and Woodhead 17’s James Fryer enjoyed its ‘nose of white florals and pear flesh, soft and fuzzy nectarine on the palate with subtle acids and some lactic, salty mineral notes’. For Andrea Carozzo of The Mount Vineyard, ‘green and citrus fruits’ led to ‘a delicate palate, with good balance overall’.

£13.55 Eurowines

Cà dei Frati, Brolettino, Lugana 2015, Lombardy, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘Restrained lemon peel with a creamy mid-palate, savoury lees and an oily texture,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW on encountering this Gold medallist. ‘Its delicate use of oak gives body and structure, and it’s still youthful so worth decanting to reveal its depth and complexity,’ she recommended. Fellow team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, described ‘wet stones and peach, orange and tropical notes, too, as well as a nutty, toasty element’.

£16.04 Liberty Wines

Ceretto, Blangé, Arneis, Langhe 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London liked this wine’s ‘really zesty aromas’, describing a ‘dry and crisp style with primary fruit and a little spritz on the palate with good length’, while Andrea Carozzo of The Mount Vineyard found it to have ‘a delicate nose, with green apple and floral aromas, with pear, lemon and a hint of yoghurt on the palate’.

£17.35 Top Selection Ltd

Pelassa, San Vito, Roero Arneis 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Delicate lemon zest with a slight spritz, a textured mid-palate typically Arneis,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while for consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor it was all about ‘spring showers and fresh grass, good texture and white peach’.

£10.50 Davy's Wine Merchants

Nunzio Ghiraldi, Il Gruccione, Lugana 2016, Lombardy, Italy

Silver medal winner

Valentin Radosav of Gymkhana found ‘yellow flower and hazelnut aromas, then a rich, ripe, zesty palate of peach and melon fruit with notes of camomile, and a long, zesty finish’. Meanwhile team leader Annette Scarfe MW noted a ‘lovely creamy mid-palate with lemon and grapefruit rind, ripe stone fruit and a fresh finish’.

£11.30 Winetraders

Morgassi Superiore, Volo, Gavi del Comune di Gavi Riserva 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Nice nose of Nashi pear with a fresh fruit palate, very direct with high acidity,’ began Yauatcha City’s Linh Ziolkowska, with James Fryer of Woodhead 17 noting ‘yellow fruit, pear and hazelnut, brown pear flesh and wheat on the palate with touches of grapefruit pith and sea salt edges’.

£13.58 Bibendum

Tenimenti Ca' Bianca, Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Woodhead 17’s James Fryer enjoyed this Gavi’s ‘nuttier-style nose with hints of almond skin and wheat’, noting ‘apricot stones and oyster shells on the palate, almost Petit Chablis-esque or Muscadet in character’, while team leader Martin Lam noted ‘wet stone and pear aromas, aromatic and floral on the palate’.

£9.54 Matthew Clark

Araldica, Bricco Battistina, Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.00 Boutinot

Villa Sparina, Il Portino, Gavi di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Vite Colte, Masseria dei Carmelitani, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.25 VinumTerra

Broglia, La Meirana, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Broglia, Bruno Broglia, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Nunzio Ghiraldi, Sant'Onorata 1953, Lugana 2015, Lombardy, Italy

Commended medal winner

£15.78 Winetraders

Morgassi Superiore, Tuffo, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.00 Bibendum

Michele Chiarlo, Rovereto, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Italy: South – Red

Leone de Castris, 50° Vendemmia, Salice Salentino Riserva 2015, Puglia, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘A gentle giant,’ began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason in his praise of this Gold medallist, finding ‘lots of ripe tannin and structure, but with ripe fruit and liquorice, and a savoury element too’, while freelance sommelier Julio Iglesias enjoyed notes of ‘tobacco, vanilla and some minerality’, finding the combination to be ‘balanced and structured’. A perfect match for pork ribs with a sweet glaze, added team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£11.70 Eurowines

I Pàstini, Versosud, Susumaniello, Valle d'Itria 2014, Puglia, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘Class, sophistication and elegance’, in the words of Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, were just the characteristics to elevate this to Gold, with Mason praising it for being ‘food orientated and great value’. ‘Musky forest fruits’ led, according to team leader Nigel Lister, to ‘coffee notes on the palate, with some elegant dark chocolate, too’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club was impressed by ‘plum and sweet cinnamon, with a fresh, elegant earthiness on the palate, and some gentle, fresh raspberry fruit’.

£11.60 Winetraders

Cesari, Sollione, Primitivo 2016, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A ripe and juicy wine, with red fruit and soft tannins, as well as some fresh acidity, and good spice on the finish. Good value for money, too,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW. Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn agreed: ‘Good cherry-fruit flavours and nice acidity – as well as a great price.’

£5.30 Fuller's

San Marzano, Talò, Malvasia Nera, Salento 2016, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Sweet black fruit, as well as some smoke,’ began Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent, while for Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club this had ‘jammy plum aromas with a light herbal note, leading to some sweet spice and gentle cherry notes’ that culminated in ‘a complex finish’.

£9.84 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

San Marzano, Collezione Cinquanta, Rosso d'Italia NV, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

For team leader Annette Scarfe MW this had ‘ripe, rich and generous fruit, with well-balanced use of oak’, making it ‘a good food wine, with soft tannins’. Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine found it ‘broody and rambunctious, with rich, big fruit’.

£16.80 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

San Marzano, Sessantanni, Primitivo di Manduria 2015, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

This Puglian red had, according to Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine, ‘great fresh-fruit intensity and some good complexity’, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW described ‘a warm, spicy nose, with clean, vibrant fruit and dark chocolate notes, and soft, ripe tannins’.

£20.43 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Leone de Castris, Villa Santera, Primitivo di Manduria 2016, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

For team leader Annette Scarfe MW, this opened with ‘an attractive nose, with mixed fruit compote and some spice’, which led to ‘a fresh mid-palate that’s concentrated and spicy, and not cloying’. Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons, meanwhile, found it ‘rich and full, with oak and sweet spice’.

£11.80 Eurowines

Fattoria San Francesco, Duca dell'Argillone, Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore Riserva 2013, Calabria, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A light, soft and gentle wine – fresh and fun, with ripe red fruit,’ described Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, while Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa found it ‘light yet intense, a fresh, sour red fruit character’.

£14.15 Laytons

Villa Matilde, Stregamora, Piedirosso, Roccamonfina 2016, Campania, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A complex, balanced wine,’ began Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant, who spoke of ‘dark berry fruit and a long finish’, while Jurijs Nemkovs of Hakkasan Mayfair found it to have ‘a complex nose and palate, with a generous structure’.

£13.20 Eurowines

Le Vigne di Sammarco, Bisso, Salice Salentino Riserva 2015, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A high-intensity wine, with smoky dark fruit,’ said team leader Lionel Periner, while Core by Clare Smyth’s Timothy Connor appreciated its ‘rich red and black fruit, with good acidity and ripe tannins’, and Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason described ‘peppery spice aromas’.

£12.14 Alivini

Cantine del Notaio, L'Atto, Aglianico 2015, Basilicata, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A big wine with big, ripe tannins and some vibrant acidity, not to mention some complex black fruit, chocolate and spice notes,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn found it to be ‘perfumed and floral, with nice balance, and some minerality too’.

£10.14 Berkmann Wine Cellars

A Mano, Primo Mano, Primitivo 2015, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Elegance from southern Italy,’ began Wild Wine Club’s Debbie Warner, describing a wine with ‘perfumed violets on the nose, and sour cherries, damsons and sloes on the palate, all leading to a mouth-puckering finish that’s crying out for food’.

£16.50 Liberty Wines

Farnese, Fantini, Edizione 17, Cinque Autoctoni 2015, Vino da Tavola, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A complex wine,’ began Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms, describing ‘coffee, dried plum, prune and menthol’ aromas, leading to ‘sweet berry fruit with some wood smoke’ on the palate, while Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth called it ‘dark, rich and intense’ and suggested this was ‘one for food’.

£19.94 Liberty Wines

Botromagno, Primitivo della Puglia 2016, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Simon Woods found this ‘rounded, with generous berry and prune notes’, while Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent described ‘biscuit notes, as well as blackberries and some liquorice’, which contributed towards this wine’s ‘elegance and balance’.

£10.96 Enotria&Coe

Vigneti del Salento, Zolla, Primitivo di Manduria 2016, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘An intense aroma of dried figs and raisins, with some sweet spice on the palate balanced by ripe red fruits and blackcurrants, all elevated by some acidity,’ said Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine. ‘Spicy with some complexity,’ thought team leader Annette Scarfe MW, also finding ‘ripe fruit and soft tannins’.

£12.55 Liberty Wines

San Marzano, Talò, Primitivo di Manduria 2016, Puglia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘A rich and full-bodied wine,’ began Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons, going on to describe ‘ripe, dark fruits complemented by some sweet spice and leading to a long finish’, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW identified some ‘generous use of oak’.

£11.24 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Masseria Borgo dei Trulli, Lucale, Primitivo, Salento 2016, Puglia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Raisins and plums on the nose, leading to some sweet spice, like cinnamon and nutmeg,’ said Hakkasan Mayfair’s Jurijs Nemkovs, while Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant found ‘cloves and gingerbread, with some ripe tannins on the long finish’.

£7.84 Bibendum

A Mano, Susumaniello 2016, Puglia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

This had upfront ‘red fruit and kirsch’ aromas, according to team leader Lionel Periner, with a ‘full, well-balanced palate’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason described a wine that was ‘savoury and resinous, with good concentration and smooth ripe tannins’, making it a food-friendly wine, he explained.

£10.40 Liberty Wines

San Marzano, Il Pumo, Salice Salentino 2017, Puglia, Italy

Commended medal winner

San Marzano, Vindoro, Negroamaro, Salento 2015, Puglia, Italy

Commended medal winner

Tenuta Iuzzolini, Maradea, Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore Riserva 2013, Calabria, Italy

Commended medal winner

£27.60 Mondial Wine

Galardi, Terra di Lavoro, Roccamonfina 2012, Campania, Italy

Commended medal winner

£39.50 Eurowines

Bisceglia, Terra di Vulcano, Syrah 2015, Basilicata, Italy

Commended medal winner

£7.64 Bibendum

Bisceglia, Gudarrà, Aglianico del Vulture 2016, Basilicata, Italy

Commended medal winner

£14.22 Bibendum

Masseria Li Veli, Askos, Susumaniello, Salento 2016, Puglia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£14.06 Bibendum

Villa Matilde, Falerno del Massico, Rosso 2012, Campania, Italy

Commended medal winner

£14.60 Eurowines

Statti, Gaglioppo 2016, Calabria, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.20 Eurowines

A Mano, Imprint, Appassito Primitivo 2016, Puglia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£10.40 Liberty Wines

Vinosìa, Neromora, Aglianico, Irpinia 2015, Campania, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.97 Alivini

Scala, Retro Edition, Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore 2014, Calabria, Italy

Commended medal winner

£10.67 Bibendum

Italy: South – Red Sicily & Sardinia

Santa Maria La Nave, Calmarossa, Etna Rosso 2014, Sicily, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘An enticing nose’ was among the effusive praise this Sicilian red received, along with its Gold medal, with Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia describing ‘an opulent palate, with good length’. For Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, this had ‘a smoky, tarry nose reminiscent of Nebbiolo’, as well as ‘firm structure, fruit that is intense and dark, and good concentration too’. This food-friendly combination had The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi picturing it with ‘venison with cranberry, or haggis’.

£29.98 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Donnafugata, Bell’Assai, Frappato di Vittoria 2016, Sicily, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘A vibrant, pleasant summer wine,’ said an impressed Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles as this took a well-deserved Gold medal, finding ‘lovely fresh fruits and good acidity’. Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse identified ‘lavender perfume and a splash of cinnamon towards the finish’, and Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson thought it was ‘hugely drinkable’, praising its ‘pretty, fragrant nose with cherries and wild flowers, and an elegant, pure palate with more cherries, wild herbs, and the grip of some fresh tannin’.

£16.50 Liberty Wines

Villa Oppi, Nero d'Avola 2015, Sicily, Italy

Gold medal winner

A clear Gold List candidate, this had ‘blackcurrant, cherry and blackberry jam notes’, began Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston, who went on to describe a palate packed with ‘liquorice and spice that is well balanced by tannins, and leading to a sweet finish’. ‘Rounded ripe fruit, with chocolate and nuts too, leading to an elegant finish,’ said Four Degree’s Jonathan Kleeman, summing it up as ‘punchy, and very drinkable’.

£13.33 The Wine Drinker

Cesari, Adesso, Nero d'Avola 2016, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A great value wine,’ said team leader Laura Rhys MS, who went on to describe ‘soft berry fruit, as well as spice, cocoa and coffee notes’, while Melody Wong of Ten Trinity Square Private Club noted ‘baked strawberry and pastry notes’.

£5.30 Fuller's

Unmaredivino, Oltremare, Colli del Limbara 2014, Sardinia, Italy

Silver medal winner

Andrés Rangel of Sketch enjoyed notes of ‘menthol and liquorice, with some high tannins’ in this Sardinian red. Yohann Pinol of Wiltons appreciated its ‘smokiness, and with some good structure, too’, while The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate liked its ‘very good oak integration’.

£26.08 Davy's Wine Merchants

Argiolas, Is Solinas, Carignano del Sulcis Riserva 2014, Sardinia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A full wine, with good fruit concentration,’ began Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants in his praise of this Sardinian red, describing ‘ripe, sweet, red and black fruit, with a chocolatey and smoky palate’. ‘A very serious wine, with good tannins and dark fruit,’ concluded team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£15.00 Eurowines

Unmaredivino, Rossosmeraldo, Colli del Limbara 2015, Sardinia, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Angela Reddin described ‘cherries, chocolate and a slight whiff of anise too’, finding this to have ‘lovely balance’. ‘Amazing rich, dark flavours here make bison with a parmesan honey crust come to mind,’ added The London Cookhouse’s Michael Moore.

£13.17 Davy's Wine Merchants

Tasca, Rosso del Conte 2013, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A complex wine, with cured meat, thyme and pine needle notes,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants described a wine with ‘great concentration and power, with lots of wild herbs and red fruits, and well-integrated oak’.

£43.41 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Pala, I Fiori, Cannonau 2016, Sardinia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘So perfumed!’ began team leader Jade Koch, who went on to describe ‘an interesting nose, with Earl Grey tea and strawberry notes, leading to a palate that’s big, yet lean, with good, ripe mulberry fruit and culminating in a drying finish’.

£10.14 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Donnafugata, Mille e Una Notte 2014, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A massive wine, with chalky and spicy notes,’ said team leader Jade Koch, while Andrés Rangel of Sketch thought it ‘rustic in style, with high tannins’. Yohann Pinol of Wiltons described it as ‘rich and opulent, and concentrated, too’.

£45.80 Liberty Wines

Fondo Antico, Per Te, Perricone 2016, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Laurent Richet MS was impressed by this Sicilian red’s ‘lovely intensity, with dried roses on the nose’, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants found ‘ripe, red fruit and sweet spices, leading to a juicy, fruit-forward palate, with some oak tannins’.

£9.94 Bibendum

Zisola, Nero d'Avola, Noto Rosso 2015, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Bright red berry fruit leads to earthiness and mushroom notes, as well as some sweet spice, and smooth, silky tannins,’ was how Ten Trinity Square Private Club’s Melody Wong described this Nero d’Avola, which Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston praised for its ‘crisp palate with tobacco and blackcurrant notes’.

£10.99 Maisons Marques et Domaines

Canicattì, Aquilae, Nero d'Avola 2016, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘An intense, pronounced nose with violets, dark cherries and black fruit, leading to more floral notes on the palate, and good length,’ said Jose Luis Hernandez of Hakkasan Hanway Place, while Ten Trinity Square Private Club’s Melody Wong found it ‘pure and elegant, with raspberry, strawberry and sweet spice’.

£8.20 VinumTerra

Antichi Vinai 1877, Koinè, Etna Rosso Riserva 2012, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Bitter chocolate and blueberry tart’ was team leader Jade Koch’s description of this Sicilian red, and she found the palate to be ‘lean and oh so dry’. Aurel Istrate of The Connaught complimented its ‘good balance and tannins, and good length, too’.

£19.95 Mondial Wine

Cusumano, Tenuta San Giacomo, Sàgana 2014, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Dark and inky fruit’ was team leader Laura Rhys MS’s first impression of this Sicilian red, going on to find ‘bold but integrated tannins, as well as some good freshness, and with super-spicy black pepper notes, and lovely length, too’.

£21.75 Eurowines

Feudo Arancio, Syrah 2016, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Notes of cherry and mocha, as well as some umami characteristics, all lead to a medley of crunchy fruit,’ said Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia, with Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse finding ‘rich, dark chocolate on the palate, with a smooth berry finish’.

£7.15 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Cusumano, Tenuta Presti e Pegni, Noà 2015, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘A concentrated, structured wine’ thought Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki, going on to describe notes of ‘blueberry, mulberry and prune, as well as smoke, toast and tar’. ‘Fruit concentration is balanced by firm structure – good winemaking,’ added Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants.

£21.75 Eurowines

Tasca, Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Warming bramble fruit notes, with dark, chewy sandalwood and a silky smooth finish,’ said Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia, while team leader Angela Reddin thought this had some ageing potential, with ‘lovely juicy weight of fruit and great tannic structure’.

£29.79 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Canicattì, Centuno, Rosso 2015, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston liked this wine’s ‘toasted notes and cherry, blackberry and cranberry fruit’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS thought it ‘inky and intense, with bold, ripe fruits along with spice, dried herbs, a meaty note and defined tannins’.

£9.40 VinumTerra

Santadi, Rocca Rubia, Carignano del Sulcis Riserva 2014, Sardinia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘A lovely nose with fruit, spice and minerality,’ began Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, going on to describe this as ‘creamy on the palate, with a lovely finish’, while Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse thought it was ‘very well developed and balanced’.

£9.63 Enotria&Coe

Cottanera, Contrada Diciassettesalme, Etna Rosso 2016, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Very pleasant,’ began Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, who went on to describe ‘fresh red fruit aromas, with soft tannins on the palate, and a long, fruity finish’, while team leader Jade Koch found it ‘warm and drying, and very savoury’.

£15.10 VinumTerra

Caruso & Minini, Sachia, Perricone 2015, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Ripe, cooked bramble fruit on the nose leads to a dry, juicy palate with smooth tannins and a hint of sweetness on the finish,’ said team leader Lionel Periner, while Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles described it as ‘very easy drinking, with tobacco and violet notes, and refreshing acidity’.

£7.83 Bibendum

Feudo Montoni, Vigna del Core, Perricone 2015, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘An inky wine, with ripe fruit, black berries and vanilla notes,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS, with Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki finding ‘tar and smoke, with prune and black cherry, too’, and suggesting that this would be ‘very good for meaty dishes’.

£12.58 Ester Wines

Antichi Vinai 1877, Petralava, Etna Rosso 2013, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£13.50 Mondial Wine

Antichi Vinai 1877, d'A, Nero d'Avola 2014, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£13.50 Mondial Wine

Alta Mora, Etna Rosso 2015, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£12.30 Eurowines

Feudo Arancio, Nero d'Avola 2016, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

Argiolas, Senes, Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva 2014, Sardinia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£16.55 Eurowines

Argiolas, Cardanera, Carignano del Sulcis 2016, Sardinia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.70 Eurowines

Tasca, Ghiaia Nera, Nerello Mascalese 2014, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

Alessandro di Camporeale, Kaid, Organic, Syrah 2015, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£13.92 Alivini

Tenuta Sette Ponti, Feudo Maccari, Saia, Nero d'Avola 2015, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£13.98 Boutinot

Cantine Nicosia, Vulkà, Etna Rosso 2015, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£12.00 Boutinot

Canicattì, La Ferla, Nero d'Avola 2016, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£6.41 VinumTerra

Canicattì, Rapido, Nero d'Avola Terre Siciliane 2016, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£6.50 VinumTerra

Planeta, La Segreta, Il Rosso 2016, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£8.30 Enotria&Coe

Planeta, Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2016, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.95 Enotria&Coe

Santadi, Terre Brune, Carignano del Sulcis Superiore 2013, Sardinia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£33.22 Enotria&Coe

Cantina del Vermentino, Marmora, Cannonau di Sardegna 2015, Sardinia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£8.29 Bibendum

Caruso & Minini, Terre di Giumara, Frappato/Nerello Mascalese 2015, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£7.56 Bibendum

Terrazze dell'Etna, Carusu, Etna Rosso 2014, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£15.75 Liberty Wines

Terrazze dell'Etna, Cirneco, Etna Rosso 2011, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£20.13 Liberty Wines

Sella & Mosca, Marchese di Villamarina, Alghero 2013, Sardinia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£34.57 Alivini

Italy: South – White

Masseria Li Veli, Askos, Verdeca, Salento 2017, Puglia, Italy

Gold medal winner

Puglia took the Gold here, with Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin enjoying its ‘ripe and juicy, pear-like fruit with liquorice hints, juicy, mineral and leafy palate that’s intense with fine texture, oiliness and minerality’, while Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker picked up ‘ripe apricots with gala melon notes, and a wild heather floral touch with ground white pepper’. For Diana Rollan of More than Wines Academy, ‘intense citrus and grassy notes, with good spice, balance, texture and weight’ made this ‘perfect for green curry’.

£14.06 Bibendum

Bisceglia, Terra di Vulcano, Falanghina, Benevento 2016, Basilicata, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Fresh and vibrant with a slightly green herbal edge, bright and juicy with lemon and fennel notes,’ began team leader Simon Woods, with Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin finding ‘peppery, vegetal, floral and grapefruit notes, refreshing acidity and mineral’.

£8.60 Bibendum

Villa Matilde, Falerno del Massico, Bianco 2016, Campania, Italy

Silver medal winner

In a more unusual, aromatic style, this showed ‘peach, citrus and blossom aromas’, said Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS, along with ‘pink grapefruit, really juicy-pithy fruit and a very long finish’. ‘Quince and a hint of Turkish jelly and spice, intriguing on the palate,’ added team leader Angela Reddin.

£13.20 Eurowines

A Mano, Bianco 2017, Puglia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Perfect for summer,’ began The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, enjoying its ‘apple and citrus nose and fresh palate’, while team leader Angela Reddin picked up on its ‘slight spritz, nectarine and melon, lemon sherbet character’, finding it ‘nicely ripe and fresh’.

£8.50 Liberty Wines

Vesevo, Greco di Tufo 2017, Campania, Italy

Silver medal winner

Full of fruit, with Daria Ershova of Ten Green Bottles picking up ‘pear drops, orange blossom and lime on the palate, with some apple and pear notes’, and team leader Angela Reddin finding it ‘lifted and vibrant, with vanilla and cooked yellow fruits with a touch of spice, nicely fat with a complex finish’.

£11.35 Liberty Wines

I Pàstini, Rampone, Minutolo, Valle d'Itria 2016, Puglia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

There were ‘Mediterranean aromas, oregano herb notes on a complex and intense nose’, said Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental, followed by ‘a dry palate with moderate acidity and more herbal flavours’. ‘Stony, yeasty and vegetal, zingy with a bitter touch,’ added Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin.

£11.60 Winetraders

Statti, Greco 2017, Calabria, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker liked this wine’s ‘oily texture, baked gooseberry tart, touch of dried thyme and sandstone minerals’, while for Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin it was ‘quite perfumed, with banana skin and ripe tropical notes’.

£11.20 Eurowines

Cavalier Pepe, Refiano, Fiano di Avellino 2016, Campania, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Melon and blood orange with a hint of grapefruit on a good, rich, fruity nose,’ said team leader Angela Reddin, noting a ‘generous palate with a slightly bitter finish making it a good food wine’.

£10.30 Mondial Wine, Gerrard Seel

San Marzano, Il Pumo, Sauvignon/Malvasia, Salento 2017, Puglia, Italy

Commended medal winner

Orion Wines, Rocca del Dragone, Greco di Tufo 2016, Campania, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.08 Bibendum

Cavalier Pepe, Nestor, Greco di Tufo 2016, Campania, Italy

Commended medal winner

Scala, Retro Edition, Cirò Bianco 2017, Calabria, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.91 Bibendum

Italy: South – White Sicily & Sardinia

Feudo Montoni, Vigna della Timpa, Grillo 2016, Sicily, Italy

Gold medal winner

One of a trio of Sicilian Golds, this impressed our judges, with Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn enjoying its ‘fresh and ripe lemons and limes on the nose, good acidity with some tropical notes on the palate and a background of minerality’. Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason noted ‘gentle citrus and stone fruit, mineral backbone’, finding it ‘fresh and smooth with herbal notes and grapefruit on the finish’.

£10.79 Ester Wines

Antichi Vinai 1877, Petralava, Etna Bianco 2017, Sicily, Italy

Gold medal winner

Aromatic concentration was central to this wine, and marked it out clearly for Gold, with Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants finding ‘delicate blossomy aromas, white flowers and grapey honey millefeuille, a palate dominated by aromatics, with more flowers, an oily texture and medium acidity, but matching the lean cut of the nose’. ‘Maybe Asian food,’ mused team leader Laurent Richet MS, picking up ‘assertive peach and apricot with vibrant acidity, clean and delicious’.

£13.50 Mondial Wine

Rapitalà, Grand Cru, Chardonnay 2016, Sicily, Italy

Gold medal winner

Impressed with its ‘rich, honeyed, almost smoked palate’, team leader Andrea Briccarello found ‘great complexity and delicious savoury style’ as this wine joined its fellow Sicilians on the Gold podium. Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS was similarly taken with its ‘flowery straw, fruit peel and peach aromas, textured and dense palate with bags of fruit and spices, round but powerful body with balanced acids’. ‘To recommend with some meaty fish or white meats,’ added Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant.

£18.56 Matthew Clark

Alta Mora, Etna Bianco 2016, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Herbal, clean, grape and white fruit aromas with flower notes, lean and light with a crisp and zingy mid-palate and a long, aromatic finish,’ said Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS, with team leader Andrea Briccarello finding it ‘complex, rich and aromatic, with nectarine and peach fruit and great acidity’.

£12.30 Eurowines

Tasca, Buonora, Carricante 2016, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

This was ‘all about freshness and crunch, lovely weight, like Grüner Veltliner without the spice’, Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants explained, while Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia picked up ‘very creamy citrus sweetness, grass and lemongrass on the nose, rich and rounded palate that’s a touch peppery with a hint of mint’.

£15.85 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Planeta, La Segreta, Il Bianco 2017, Sicily, Italy

Silver medal winner

Good local character here for Cristian Sánchez of Hotel du Vin Cambridge, who picked up ‘aromas of bitter orange and grapefruit, green apple and orange blossom floral notes, light on the palate with high acidity and a touch more bitterness on the finish’, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants felt it was ‘a notch up, subtle aromas with oiliness, texture from lees contact, fruit more pear than peach with good concentration’.

£8.30 Enotria&Coe

Unmaredivino, Terra e Mare, Vermentino di Gallura 2016, Sardinia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Simone Fadda of Roka Aldwych was drawn to this wine’s ‘fruity aromas with lemon peel and jasmine flower and tea leaf hints, slightly creamy texture with gentle acidity’, while Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS found ‘potpourri and lychee notes combined with coconut and peach, tinned fruit on a palate of great drive with a balanced outcome’.

£11.00 Davy's Wine Merchants

Colomba Bianca, Vitese, Catarratto 2016, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth picked up ‘grapefruit minerality and acidity with notes of honey and melon, green herbs’, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn felt its ‘guava and banana, bright fruit and mineral edge’ would be ‘good with salads or tuna’.

£7.26 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Santadi, Pedraia, Nuragus di Cagliari 2016, Sardinia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants liked its ‘medium-intense nose of sundried grass, sweet lemon peel, bitter orange and a perception of bruised fruit ripeness, lively acidity on a succulent, mineral, grapey palate with an almost Zibibbo aftertaste’.

£9.99 Enotria&Coe

Cantina del Vermentino, Funtanaliras, Vermentino di Gallura 2016, Sardinia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘A fun wine,’ said Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine, with its ‘citrus and lychee, floral aromas, juicy fruit and bubblegum hints’, while Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth pointed to its ‘fleshy fruit with a kick of flower petals and some oaky spice, with notes of tinned fruit on the palate’.

£12.10 Bibendum

Fondo Antico, Grillo Parlante 2016, Sicily, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant highlighted ‘lime and lemon citrus character with minerality that would cut nicely through more oily dishes’, while team leader Andrea Briccarello found it ‘green, grassy and vegetal, with great fruit and acidity on the palate’.

£9.82 Bibendum

Feudo Arancio, Grillo 2017, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

Argiolas, Iselis, Nasco di Cagliari 2016, Sardinia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£12.75 Eurowines

Alessandro di Camporeale, Vigna di Mandranova, Organic, Grillo 2017, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.61 Alivini

Cottanera, Barbazzale, Bianco 2016, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.46 VinumTerra

Caruso & Minini, Terre di Giumara, Grecanico 2017, Sicily, Italy

Commended medal winner

£7.22 Bibendum

Sella & Mosca, Terre Bianche, Cuvee 161, Torbato, Alghero 2016, Sardinia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£13.92 Alivini

Cantina del Vermentino, Marmora, Vermentino di Sardegna 2016, Sardinia, Italy

Commended medal winner

£8.32 Bibendum

Italy: Tuscany, including Montalcino

San Felice, Campogiovanni, Brunello di Montalcino 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

The first of a pair of Golds for Montalcino and Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel was impressed with its ‘complexity, developing red and dark fruit and dried red berry aromas, leathery plushness on the palate with good structure, solid tannins and notes of orange with oak integration and a plummy finish’. ‘Textbook nose, with cigar box notes, great freshness and vibrancy,’ added team leader Andrea Briccarello, while Mathew Simmonds of Paul Kitching 21212 Restaurant, Edinburgh thought it perfect for lamb or boar dishes.

£25.72 Boutinot

Capannelle, Solare 2007, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘Drink this with urgency!’ advised Street XO’s Raphael Thierry on encountering this worthy Gold winner, loving its ‘balsamic and smoky nose, followed by a palate showing good development with dried fig, chocolate and tomato, leather and dark spices’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte noted a ‘soft palate and more traditional style, with cooked red fruit and blackberry crumble characters, some hints of sweaty leather and worn oak’.

£29.85 Top Selection Ltd

Argentiera, Bolgheri Superiore 2015, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte was most impressed with this wine’s Gold-worthy SuperTuscan styling, finding a ‘silky mouthfeel with grip, and tonnes of fruit that makes this very appealing now, though it’s built to last, showing lots of leather and pepper, plenty of tomato and well-integrated oak’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS noted ‘hints of smoke on a ripe, juicy palate, with great texture, balance, length and power’, while fellow team leader Sam Caporn MW appreciated its ‘green and leafy notes, with deep cedar and capsicum, and a silky palate’.

£51.50 Eurowines

Frescobaldi, Brunello di Montalcino 2012, Tuscany, Italy

Gold medal winner

A ‘beautifully perfumed style, with violets and blackberries, meaty and fleshy on the palate,’ began team leader Andrea Briccarello as this took the Gold, with an equally impressed Carolina Seibel of Portland Restaurant finding it ‘plush yet angular, showing dark berries and good oak structure with lightly floral and orange characters on the finish and fine, grippy tannins’. ‘Spicy and toasty, with tar and violet notes, as well as plums, with ripe, mature tannins and good concentration,’ concluded Diana Rollan of More than Wines Academy.

£38.91 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Campaperi, Rosso di Montalcino 2014, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

Carolina Seibel of Portland Restaurant found ‘overripe strawberries with herbaceous and slightly medicinal notes on the nose, great structure on the palate with dark chocolate and great integration, leafy with freshening acidity’. ‘Cherry stone, fleshy fruit with lots of juicy character, soft and easy to drink,’ added team leader Andrea Briccarello.

£12.15 Top Selection Ltd

Podere Albiano, Citto, Rosso di Toscana, Val d'Orcia 2012, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

This ‘evolved wine with an orange rim’ was a hit with team leader Laurent Richet MS, with its ‘aromas of prune in eau-de-vie, incredible spice, cedar, leather and dried mushroom notes, turned earth, cigar box and cassis, then a lightly fragrant palate with fairly powerful tannic structure’. ‘Lovely,’ agreed Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, also noting ‘rustic, crunchy red fruits, Christmas spices, tomato leaf and worn oak, leather and earth’.

£12.50 Gentle Wine Merchant, 3Venice Wine Merchants, Natural Bay Limited

Rocca di Frassinello, Maremma Toscana 2014, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A food wine for stewed meals,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS, finding ‘baked tomato and cedar aromas, very Sangiovese, lovely structure with moderate acidity’, while for Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte it was ‘very elegant, fresh and medium-bodied with great balance, peppercorns, cinnamon and clove notes with a long red-fruit finish’.

£27.00 Bibendum

Carpineto, Poggio Sant’Enrico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2009, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

For Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro there was plenty of ‘dark fruit, blackcurrant and blackberry with cigar box spicy aromas, full body with sweet blackberry and nice freshness’, while team leader Martin Lam highlighted a ‘rich, ripe, savoury nose, lifted, then a rich palate, quite high-toned with deep black cherry fruit and a long finish’.

£33.48 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Castello Vicchiomaggio, Ripa delle More 2015, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘A good restaurant wine,’ declared Frédéric Billet of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, enjoying its ‘pleasant nose of blackberries, chocolate and spices, good balance of tannin and acidity with notes of black pepper and leather’.

£21.86 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Terenzi, Madrechiesa, Morellino di Scansano Riserva 2014, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn liked its ‘inky, brooding and dark’ appearance, finding a palate of ‘lively fruit and prominent acidity that could mature’, and Vinoteca’s Charlie Young praised its ‘great mix of fruit and spice on the nose, dark fruit with loads of tannins but lovely balance’, declaring it ‘young but very good’.

£25.28 Top Selection Ltd

La Togata, Brunello di Montalcino 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

Mattia Scarpazza of Petersham Nurseries found plenty to like in this wine’s ‘peppery, bright red cherry and cedar spice aromas, black plums and damsons on the palate’, and thought it was ‘rounded and long on the finish’, while team leader Andrea Briccarello picked up ‘good wild berry, gamey, very intense aromas, and a great, complex, juicy mid-palate with a spicy finish’.

£25.00 TryWines Expertise Limited - edoardo amadi

Capezzana, Villa di Capezzana, Carmignano 2014, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Interesting roasted tomato and thyme on the nose, and on the palate there’s leather and a tannic structure just asking for food,’ said Street XO’s Raphael Thierry, with team leader Laurent Richet MS liking its ‘sour cherries, cedar, leather and earth notes’, adding: ‘A little austere on the palate but lovely dark fruit and youthful tannin structure.’

£18.04 Liberty Wines

Capezzana, Ghiaie della Furba 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

Street XO’s Raphael Thierry was very taken with this wine’s ‘lovely dried herbs, redcurrant and roasted tomato on the nose, good concentration and juiciness on the palate showing sandalwood complexity on the finish’, while for team leader Laurent Richet MS it was ‘more on the prune and dates side, a complex wine, well-mannered, with cassis fruit and good acidity to last well’.

£22.55 Liberty Wines

Petrolo, Bòggina C, Val d'Arno di Sopra 2015, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

Vinoteca’s Charlie Young was struck by this wine’s ‘mint and mineral freshness on the nose, lovely freshness and purity, beautifully defined red fruit with elegance and fine tannins on the palate’, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn enjoyed a ‘perfumed nose with redcurrants and bramble bushes, soft and silky on the palate with a long finish’.

£33.88 Liberty Wines

Castellare, I Sodi di San Niccolò 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Silver medal winner

Team leader Jade Koch highlighted ‘aromas of tea, raisins and tobacco, an interesting baked character on the palate with lots of straw and thick fruit, hot and lean, drying yet long’, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn found it ‘subtle yet complex, with smooth and well-integrated tannin and good acid balance’.

£39.69 Bibendum

Col d'Orcia, Organic, Brunello di Montalcino 2013, Tuscany, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Very juicy, cherry and plum fruit with a smoky and wild character and soft tannins, spices and chocolate,’ said team leader Andrea Briccarello, with Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel highlighting ‘red fruit and orange zest notes, mushroomy and grippy character with a hint of tannin tartness’.

£23.30 Alivini

Ruffino, Greppone Mazzi, Brunello di Montalcino 2012, Tuscany, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Rich fruit, sour cherry aromas with some nutty hints,’ began Mattia Scarpazza of Petersham Nurseries, continuing: ‘Full body and rich, baked damson fruit, elegant and bright with notes of fresh black fruits, and very easy to drink.’

£37.54 Matthew Clark

Rocca di Frassinello, Le Sughere di Frassinello, Maremma Toscana 2014, Tuscany, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine noted ‘ripe fruits on a youthful and bright nose with menthol hints, ripe plums and prunes on the palate’, and for Vinoteca’s Charlie Young it had ‘understated, savoury aromas, scented herbal character with a great balance of tannins and acidity’.

£17.51 Bibendum

Camigliano, Brunello di Montalcino 2013, Tuscany, Italy