‘Classy stuff,’ began Sommelier Wine Awards competition director Chris Losh, as this took home a well-deserved Gold, going on to praise its ‘perfumed, elegant red fruit with an attractive savoury core’, and adding that ‘the tannins are still present, but you can drink this now – or any time over the next 20 years’. ‘I loved the complexity here,’ added Gymkhana Restaurant’s Valentin Radosav, who thought that ‘food-wise it’s very flexible, but it would be at its best with something gamey like partridge’.

£82.12 VIVANT INC

One of a pair of well-deserved medals for Bouchard Aîné & Fils in this year’s competition, this Gold Lister was ‘ripe and smoky, with some herbal complexity, and leather notes, too’, according to Sonal Clare of Purnell’s Restaurant. Team leader Laurent Richet MS, meanwhile, had praise for its ‘intensity on the nose, with flowers and bright cherry notes, leading to an incredibly punchy palate that’s long, structured and balanced’, before adding that it would ‘definitely age well’.

£19.70 Matthew Clark

Team leader Laurent Richet MS was among the judges who elevated this to Gold amid praise for its ‘deep, concentrated aromas of ripe black cherries and red plums, leading to a beautiful texture with savoury tannins and hints of spice and cedar’. Consultant Anja Breit was similarly impressed, describing ‘velvety, dark berry fruit and well-integrated oak, with a minty, herbal element and a juicy palate’ that meant it could ‘match strong meat dishes like beef bourguignon’.

£26.57 Enotria&Coe

Showing all the hallmarks of a Gold winner, this had ‘crunchy red fruits with high acids, as well as some scorched earth and minerality’, thought team leader Andres Ituarte, who added that it was ‘showing some development’. Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club spoke highly of its ‘fresh raspberry notes and floral aromas, as well as ripe fruit with firm tannins, all leading to a gentle, spiced finish’.

£27.71 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

A Gold medal was inevitable for this ‘mineral, well-balanced and extremely elegant’ wine, thought House of Sake’s Honami Matsumoto, who went on to describe ‘red berries and a savoury element’. Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair agreed, finding ‘ripe fruit notes of cherry and strawberry, along with a woody note and some plum jam’, while team leader Andres Ituarte appreciated its ‘soft, warm humidor notes’. Describing ‘fresh mint and raspberry’, Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club praised its ‘complex body and very fine, elegant finish’.

£80.57 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

On encountering this Gold winner, team leader Andrés Ituarte was impressed by its 'tart red fruits that are feminine and fresh, leading to violets and earthy notes and with a warm, Spanish cedar finish, while Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair found it to be a 'dry, very balanced wine, with rich tannins, cherries and black plum’. She also appreciated the complex and woody notes from the barrel, describing them as ‘a bit farmyard’.

£35.50 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Bright, briary fruit, with real concentration,’ began team leader Andres Ituarte, who thought that this was ‘a lovely wine, but it’s just not ready to drink yet’. ‘A very smart wine for a few years’ time,’ agreed fellow team leader Martin Lam.

£85.37 VIVANT INC

‘The vibrant, cherry aromas mingle with gentle fresh cassis fruit with notes of clove, leading to a long elegant finish,’ said Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club. ‘Nice, toasty notes on the finish – this is very good,’ added team leader Andres Ituarte.

£33.48 Enotria&Coe

Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group liked the ‘tobacco aromas on the nose mixed with herbal nuances’, and went on to describe a palate with ‘black cherry and pepper spice with a smoky note of leather and good structure’.

£35.35 Enotria&Coe

This had, according to Gymkhana Restaurant’s Valentin Radosav, ‘an attractive perfumed nose with a taut palate’.

£22.88 VIVANT INC

Team leader Andres Ituarte found ‘dry pot-pourri floral notes mixed with red fruit flavours; there is a slight green note but also a nice earthy, long finish; unquestionably well made.’

£45.09 Enotria&Coe

‘This is pretty and feminine,’ thought team leader Andres Ituarte, ‘the bright red fruits though are balanced with some stalky tannin, which helps to showcase the terroir’.

£18.75 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Team leader Laurent Richet MS was impressed: ‘Perfumed with ripe black cherry, cedar and vanilla aromas, this leads you to a voluptuous palate. Delectable and delicious there are notes of cherry, vanilla, cedar, tobacco and spice.The finish is long.’

£36.33 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£40.38 ADVINI

£27.33 ADVINI

£17.91 Enotria&Coe

£31.16 Enotria&Coe

£17.41 Top Selection

£11.00 Hallgarten & Novum Wines