‘Elegant and balanced’ were just some of the characteristics that elevated this to Gold, according to Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, who described ‘a classic champagne nose, with baking bread and baked apples’. Team leader Tom Forrest enjoyed its ‘toasty brioche, apples and pears, and some floral notes, too’, going on to describe ‘a creamy mousse, with strawberry, raspberry and red apple, and a lemon finish’.

£19.00 New Generation Wines

This Gold winner was impressive both for its ‘delicate nose and more complex palate’, according to Savoy Grill’s Matteo Cali, who also described its ‘nutty character, some toast, and well-integrated acidity’, while team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW considered it to be ‘lifted and floral’ and ‘a zesty, mouthwatering wine – and ideal by the glass’. ‘Fresh citrus and minerality’ made this, for Paola Giraldo of Wiltons, ‘great as an aperitif, or with oysters’.

£31.00 Gusbourne Estate

‘Elegant on the nose and perfumed, rich and intense on the palate’ was how Paola Giraldo of Wiltons described this Gold winner, while Street XO’s Raphael Thierry liked its ‘toasted almonds on the nose, and a creamy palate with melon, peach, ripe citrus and some autolytic complexity’. Roberto Sanchez of Sexy Fish, meanwhile, thought that ‘pear and apple on the nose, leading to a really well-balanced palate that’s intense, fresh and vibrant’ made this ‘a good match for either salads or sushi’.

£19.50 All Angels Vineyard

As this was elevated to Gold, Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club spoke glowingly of its ‘nectarine aromas, with some gentle rosemary, too, leading to some elegant freshness and some peppery notes, and all culminating in a charming, complex finish’, while Savoy Grill’s Matteo Cali found it ‘rich and fragrant, with hints of toast and spice, and some red apple on the creamy palate’. ‘A true expression of English sparkling,’ added Heddon Street Kitchen’s Timothy Connor.

£27.65 Amathus Drinks Plc

‘The perfect way to start a meal,’ began an impressed Timothy Connor of Heddon Street Kitchen as this took its place on the Gold podium, while Matteo Cali of Savoy Grill praised its ‘pronounced citrus and apple notes on the nose, with acidity well balanced by the creaminess of the mousse’. For team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW it was ‘appealing and balanced, with a fresh, herbal and floral nose’.

£19.20 Enotria&Coe

For Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club this opened with ‘fresh green apple on the nose, along with some gentle rosemary notes, leading to a very elegant mousse with some white spices, and a refreshing finish’.

£15.00 The English Wine Centre, The Haslemere Cellar, Corkage

This opened with ‘a bright and inviting nose’, according to team leader Angela Reddin, who thought that it ‘presents beautifully across the palate, with crème anglaise, raspberry, stone fruit and pastry notes – lots going on here’.

£20.79 Matthew Clark, Camel Valley, St Austell Brewery

This blanc de blancs had ‘a lovely brioche and biscuit nose’, according to Raphael Thierry of Street XO, who went on to describe ‘a refreshing mousse with ripe fruit, some honeysuckle and autolytic complexity, topped by a long, fresh finish’.

£31.00 Gusbourne Estate

‘A big hitter, with style and pizzazz,’ began team leader Angela Reddin, going on to describe ‘a powerful palate of red fruit, red apple, lemon verbena and meadowsweet’. ‘A very appealing, spring day wine that’s very nicely balanced,’ added The London Cookhouse’s Michael Moore.

£21.54 Jascots Wine Merchants

Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn found this to be ‘a fruit salad, with lemon and pear notes – a fresh, vibrant and clean wine, with some baked bread, too. Fantastic value.’ Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants, meanwhile, noted its ‘clean, steely nose, with a crisp and mineral palate’.

£10.74 Jascots Wine Merchants, Three Choirs Vineyards Ltd

‘A lovely biscuit nose, with some blossom honey, leading to a fleshy, warm, toasty palate, with marmalade and violet, too,’ said team leader Jade Koch, while Alan Bednarski of Texture remarked on its ‘delicate floral character, with iris, cherry blossom and a mix of ripe stone fruits’.

£19.74 Lyme Bay Winery

‘A well-balanced and easy-drinking wine’, according Roberto Sanchez of Sexy Fish, who went on to describe ‘lots of apple and pear notes, with some good acidity and freshness coming through on the palate’.

£16.50 Uncharted Wines

For Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston, this was ‘tropical, with lemon notes too, leading to a light palate with green apple notes on the fresh finish’. Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn noted some ‘biscuit on the nose and Granny Smith apple on the palate, with a slight greenness that brings complexity’.

£17.00 Matthew Clark, Greyfriars Vineyard

For Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, this had ‘candied lemon peel, brioche and some cinnamon notes on the nose, leading to a fine mousse, with ripe apple, and good acidity that is well integrated into the structure’. ‘Fruity and charming, with green apple, and a sweet red-apple skin finish,’ added Texture’s Alan Bednarski.

£14.00 Top Selection

‘Pears and English garden on the nose, with some hints of bakery,’ began Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine, going on to describe the palate as ‘extremely balanced, with subtle fruit and good mouthfeel’. Team leader Jade Koch found it to have ‘lots of flavour, with honey-toasted autolytic character, and a slight coconut note, too’.

£15.00 Sheridan Coopers / The Winehouse, South Downs Cellars

Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group found this to be ‘elegant, with some brioche notes alongside lovely apple and pear notes, with fine bubbles on the palate, and a persistent, buttery finish’. The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi also noted ‘baked pastry notes, with elegant perlage and a soft finish, with complexity developing on the aftertaste – highly food friendly'.

£25.63 Bibendum

£25.00 Gusbourne Estate

£20.50 Laithwaite's Wine

£30.00 High Clandon Estate Vineyard

£14.00 Danebury Vineyards, Wine Utopia, Wineservice Ltd

£14.00 Matthew Clark, Greyfriars Vineyard

£17.00 Matthew Clark, Greyfriars Vineyard

£21.00 Greyfriars Vineyard

£21.00 Greyfriars Vineyard

£16.72 Bibendum , Sheridan Coopers / The Winehouse

£20.00 Southern England Wines (UK) Ltd

£18.50 Christopher Piper Wines, Theatre of Wine , Langham Wine Estate, Lea & Sandeman

£19.97 Bluestone Vineyards

£22.75 Boutinot

£18.46 Sheridan Coopers / The Winehouse, South Downs Cellars

£18.96 Grange Estate Wines