Judges were impressed by this great-value Gold’s ‘maraschino cherries and baked plum notes, with a grippy, chalky texture and smooth tannins’, began The Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki, while Immacolata Cannavo of Hakkasan Mayfair spoke highly of its ‘bright red fruit flavours of cherry and strawberry’, before describing it as ‘quite earthy, but with light, supple tannins’. ‘A very fresh wine, with black pepper spice and herbal, rosemary notes,’ added Flat Three Restaurant’s Heesoo Kang.

£7.40 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Chalking up another Gold for Colterenzio, this Pinot Nero drew praise from judges for its ‘delicate nose of wild strawberry and raspberry, with sweet cinnamon spice, some woody herbs and generous fruit’, said Flat Three Restaurant’s Heesoo Kang, who found that its ‘silky texture and delicate tannins support good concentration, fruit intensity and length’. A similarly impressed Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental found it ‘fruit driven, with hints of violet and rose, with a well-defined, elegant palate’.

£11.47 Enotria&Coe

Filip Viorel of Benares Restaurant & Bar noted: ‘Black fruits with minerals on the nose, followed by dark, plummy soft fruit flavours. A sweet balsamic note comes through on the finish, along with a touch of cinnamon.’ ‘Tar, violet and rose, really quite perfumed,’ added Hakkasan Mayfair’s Immacolata Cannavo.

£19.93 Matthew Clark

‘Very pale colour,’ remarked Julien Sahut of Sexy Fish, ‘with bright, floral and red cherry aromatics. There is a hint of a green note but the finish is long, with lots of red berry fruit and a pleasing, spiced twist.’

£9.05 Boutinot

‘A nose of floral red fruit; medium bodied with nice texture. Easy drinking. Sour cherry notes are balanced with a good acidity and gentle tannins,’ said 67 Pall Mall’s Antonio Federico Moccia.

£7.69 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Cliveden House’s Sean Arthur was impressed: ‘A smooth and velvety wine showing dense blackcurrant, chocolate and an aromatic spiced note. Excellent value for money.’ ‘Wild berries and violets,’ added 28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen’s Melania Battiston, ‘with a lovely herbal note.’

£9.22 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Filip Viorel of Benares Restaurant & Bar noted: ‘A light and fruity nose, with a palate dominated by black fruits; complex notes of smoke and leather with lots to think of… the more time you spend with this one, the more you start to love it!’

£23.63 Bibendum

Melania Battiston of 28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen noted: ‘The wine has a herbaceous character with notes of bay leaf and sage, as well as a green bell pepper note. The fruit, however, is all tart strawberries and raspberries, giving great acidity, soft tannins and a long finish.’

£12.92 Matthew Clark

‘Expressive and decadent,’ said Alonso Abed of Hide Above, adding: ‘Powdered chocolate and cacao reach out to the nose. Rich notes of plum and red cherry jam fill the palate.’ ‘Bitter chocolate and soy,’ mused Sonal Clare of Purnell’s Restaurant.

£36.75 Eurowines

With its ‘smoky, blackcurrant nose with hints of eucalyptus and lick of oak’, team leader Jade Koch certainly thought this wine had its place: ‘Perhaps a bit brash but could be good in a pub by the glass.’

£8.16 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£20.84 Matthew Clark

£22.15 Eurowines

£23.30 Eurowines

£31.46 Bibendum