‘A beautiful expression of Stellenbosch,’ praised Ieva Markaityte of Portuguese Concepts as this was awarded a well-deserved Gold, further describing ‘black fruit and blueberries, with some floral notes of lilies, and some good balance’. Team leader Tom Forrest spoke of ‘an earthiness, with soft tannins and cedar spice’, while Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin found it ‘big and concentrated, with a leafy, spicy aroma and a juicy palate, with tight, grippy tannins’.

£20.12 Hatch Mansfield

This ‘fruity and easy-to-drink’ Gold winner had, according to team leader Charlie Young, ‘leafy, spicy, black fruit aromas, with soft and sweet fruit on the palate’. ‘Classic crunchy red berries, with a hint of smokiness, leading to a light, juicy palate,’ added an impressed Tanguy Martin of New Street Warehouse, while team leader Tom Forrest concluded that it was ‘warm and perfumed, and with some good freshness, too’.

£7.20 Enotria&Coe

This opened with ‘a lovely botanical, herbal note’, according to Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant, who went on to describe ‘dried rose petal, both fresh and dried cherries, plums and strawberries, along with a peppery note’.

£14.03 Bibendum

‘Good fruit combined with a touch of toast and vanilla’ characterised the nose here for Flat Three Restaurant’s Heesoo Kang, who described a palate with ‘generous, fresh dark cherries and plums, along with some liquorice spice, and overall good balance’.

£14.02 Bibendum

For Cliveden House’s Sean Arthur this was ‘a really gamey, smoky and leathery wine that’s very ripe on the palate, but exceptionally well balanced’, while 67 Pall Mall’s Terry Kandylis described ‘good length, with soft tannins and a touch of sous-bois’.

£12.80 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘A typical South African nose,’ thought Terry Kandylis of 67 Pall Mall, who described ‘loads of black fruit and spice, together with notes of leather and smoke, and crunchy fruit on the palate’, before concluding that it ‘delivers for the price’.

£7.45 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Flat Three Restaurant’s Heesoo Kang liked the combination of ‘fresh and dried fruit, as well as herbs and spice’ on the nose, which led to a palate that was ‘full bodied, with chocolate, prune and date notes’.

£27.50 Enotria&Coe

‘Elegant and juicy, with some bell pepper and tomato leaf,’ began Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin, further describing this as ‘crunchy, with grippy tannins and a savoury element’.

£10.46 Bibendum

‘A slightly oxidative style,’ thought Cliveden House’s Sean Arthur, who found ‘raisins and cooked fruits, very well integrated, with a long, pleasant finish’.

£18.00 Wine Source UK

‘Fresh blueberries, plums and cherries, with a full-bodied structure and silky texture, and some menthol notes too,’ thought Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant.

£41.80 Bibendum

£19.10 Bibendum

£13.13 Asara Wine Estate & Hotel

£10.04 Hatch Mansfield

£7.90 Hatch Mansfield

£22.65 DGB Europe Ltd

£14.08 Bibendum

£16.60 Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies

£14.85 Enotria&Coe

£11.87 Enotria&Coe

£20.61 Bibendum