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

‘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

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

‘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

‘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

‘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

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

‘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

‘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

‘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

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

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

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

‘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

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

‘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

‘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

‘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

£7.93 Carlsberg UK

£5.85 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£17.20 Liberty Wines

£7.49 Majestic Commercial

£6.25 Molson Coors

£10.16 Top Selection Ltd

£14.77 Top Selection Ltd

£8.08 Enotria&Coe

£10.85 De Burgh

£16.70 De Burgh

£10.61 Bibendum

£7.66 Bibendum