Judges were unanimous in their praise of this Gold-worthy wine. Michael Fiducia of The Royal Automobile Club spoke of ‘cassis and bramble bush, with a crisp freshness on the palate’, while Tomasz Kuszneruk of Pavilion Wine appreciated notes of ‘blackcurrant leaf, mint and Provençal herbs’. Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, inspired by its ‘savoury character, with Chinese five spice and rich baked plums’, thought it would be an excellent match for ‘venison and Indian spices’.

£9.85 Survalles

This deserving Gold winner was ‘intense and interesting’, according to an impressed Sean Arthur of Cliveden House, who went on to describe ‘cassis, red cherry, blackcurrant and rich chocolate notes, along with some eucalyptus and toasted vanilla, too’. For team leader Lionel Periner it was ‘young, with great potential’ and had notes of ‘toasted bread, dark fruit and vanilla, with good acidity and an elegant finish’, while Le Gavroche’s Rémi Cousin appreciated additional ‘crushed black pepper and leather notes’ and its ‘good structure and refreshing palate’.

£13.72 Survalles

This couldn’t have been anything but Gold, with its ‘juicy and easy-drinking style’, as 67 Pall Mall’s Terry Kandylis described it, before going on to find ‘a touch of spice, with savoury undertones, and complex minty-chocolate notes, too’. Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group thought it was ‘elegant on the nose, evoking blackberry fruit, and leading to more dark fruit on the palate, with a herbaceous finish’, while Le Gavroche’s Rémi Cousin had particular praise for its ‘lovely, fruity, velvet mouthfeel’.

£7.27 Matthew Clark

Little surprise that this Chilean red took home a Gold medal, with Manor House Hotel’s Anita Vighova calling it ‘a powerhouse, with lots of green bell pepper and cedar notes on the nose and palate’, while team leader Charlie Young spoke of ‘excellent judgement of fruit and balance of oak’. For Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group it had ‘balsamic and mint notes, as well as some bold tannins balanced by crunchy red cherry fruit’.

£21.18 Viña San Rafael S.A

This Chilean Cabernet earned its Gold List spot with appealing aromas of ‘eucalyptus, menthol and plums, with a hint of tar’, according to The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia, who was taken with its ‘crunchy cherry palate’, too. Team leader Charlie Young had praise for its ‘fresh red berry aromas’ and found it ‘plummy on the palate’, while 67 Pall Mall’s Beatrice Bessi described ‘sweet, ripe fruits like blueberries and strawberries, and a good body’.

£7.70 Viña San Rafael S.A

‘Ripe red and black fruits and well-integrated oak’ characterised this impressive Gold Lister’s aromas for Mattia Mazzi of The River Cafe, who described it as ‘a beauty, with fruit shining through on the palate, with ripe tannins and acidity that are harmonious with the weight of the wine’. ‘Refreshing, complex and well balanced,’ praised 67 Pall Mall’s Beatrice Bessi, who described ‘lovely, fresh red and blue fruit, as well as some peppermint and vanilla notes’.

£13.00 Boutinot

Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants found this ‘fresh to start, leading towards a palate driven by some big, concentrated fruit, as well as some wood spice’, while team leader Lionel Periner thought that ‘good acidity, with some black pepper and olive notes, make this a good food wine’.

£17.93 Viña Chocalán

‘Floral aromas, with ripe berry fruit too, leading to a good palate, with smooth tannins and a refreshing finish,’ thought team leader Lionel Periner, while Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair described it as ‘easy drinking, with good balance between acidity, tannins and alcohol’.

£6.85 Frederic Robinson

This opened with ‘deep cherry notes on the nose’, according to Rockliffe Hall’s Daniel Jonberger, who found it overall to be ‘a smooth and light red, with good balance of fruit and tannins’. Michael Fiducia of The Royal Automobile Club further commented on its ‘lifted red fruit aromas, silky mouthfeel and slight crunchiness’.

£12.10 Matthew Clark

‘Black plums and black cherries, and a hint of cassis, with soft tannins on the dry palate,’ thought Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia, while Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants found ‘chocolate and coffee notes, and subtly integrated oak’.

£14.43 Survalles

Team leader Lionel Periner described aromas of ‘cooked dark fruit, oak, vanilla, black pepper and pencil’, which led to ‘a full-bodied palate that’s spicy too’. Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants, meanwhile, called it ‘a level up, and classic in style, with eucalyptus and cassis notes’.

£8.08 Survalles

‘Smoke and plum notes, with an oaky palate of cherries and tobacco,’ described Daniel Jonberger of Rockliffe Hall. ‘A deep, dark, layered wine,’ added The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia, who went on to describe ‘herb and spice notes, with some good length too’.

£9.50 Survalles

Team leader Charlie Young appreciated this Cabernet Sauvignon’s ‘black and red fruit, as well as leafy aromas’, going on to find ‘a palate that is full, balanced, expressive and long’. ‘This is impressive winemaking,’ he concluded.

£10.11 Liberty Wines

‘A beauty, with a lifted and appealing nose of sweet cassis,’ began The River Cafe’s Mattia Mazzi, going on to find a palate with a ‘plump fruit core wrapped in firm but approachable tannins, and packed with freshness’.

£30.97 Bibendum

A combination of ‘tea tree oil and menthol, with some bramble fruit’, according to Michael Fiducia of The Royal Automobile Club, led to what Daniel Jonberger of Rockliffe Hall described as ‘a complex palate with an abundance of dark fruit, and hints of chocolate, leading to a long, pleasant finish’.

£20.16 Bibendum

‘A full-bodied wine, with good bramble and dark fruit,’ began team leader Lionel Periner, while Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair appreciated its ‘rich tannins and low acidity’. Beatrice Bessi of 67 Pall Mall also spoke of its ‘lovely texture’, as well as identifying ‘layers of red and blue fruit, as well as jalapeños in jelly’.

£10.53 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

For 67 Pall Mall’s Terry Kandylis, this was ‘an unpretentious wine, and fruit driven, with blueberry and yoghurt notes, as well as some peach skin’.

£8.48 7 Colores

‘An enticing nose of cassis, leading to a juicy palate with a good tannic backbone, and a dry, peppery finish,’ thought Mattia Mazzi of The River Cafe.

£10.95 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Fruit forward, with appealing sweet cassis notes and a spiciness, with good concentration of fruit, fresh acidity and some smooth tannins,’ said The River Cafe’s Mattia Mazzi.

£6.70 Boutinot

‘Leafy blackcurrant aromas, leading to a dry palate with decent tannins that work nicely with the fruit here,’ said team leader Charlie Young.

£6.57 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£6.16 Matthew Clark

£7.09 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£7.09 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£16.66 Anthony Byrne Fine Wines

£12.08 Anthony Byrne Fine Wines

£8.61 Matthew Clark

£9.85 Survalles

£14.43 Survalles

£9.50 Survalles

£9.50 Survalles

£13.80 Carson Wines

£10.53 Matthew Clark

£32.55 Davy's Wine Merchants, Soho Wine Supply

£7.70 Viña San Rafael S.A

£8.08 Viña San Rafael S.A

£8.08 Viña San Rafael S.A

£6.70 Boutinot

£10.82 Liberty Wines

£8.55 Matthew Clark

£20.08 Bibendum