Team leader Hamish Anderson found this worthy Gold winner to have a ‘delicate, floral, very pretty nose’ and enjoyed its ‘clean, crisp, bright acidity’. For Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurant it was a ‘classic, crisp, lean style with a focus on acidity and freshness’, and he described a ‘touch of savoury yeast, plenty of grapefruit zest and a long, mineral finish’. ‘Overall, the wine is very well balanced with juicy fruit and lovely minerality,’ concluded team leader Carlos Ferreira.

£10.21 González Byass

Team leader Carlos Ferreira found an appealing tropical note to this Gold medal winner that would ‘match very well with summer salads’. Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club added that the wine had a ‘lemon zest and herbal character’, describing it as ‘very peppery with green apple and gentle mineral notes’. Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains was very impressed: ‘This ticks all the boxes and it’s great value’, while Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan summed it up succinctly: ‘Pure, focused and flinty.’

£8.90 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Wow,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS as this took its place on the Gold podium, going on to remark on its ‘maturity of aroma and flavours’, and describing it as ‘complex, elegant, polished and powerful’. Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin appreciated ‘gamey, leathery notes, as well as cooked fruit and a mix of spices’, and found it ‘earthy and savoury, with some bitter chocolate notes’. One for ‘lamb loin with red wine jus and truffled potatoes’ thought Cliveden House’s Francisco Macedo.

£26.23 Top Selection

‘Fresh, bright red fruit, combined with a lovely floral, rose note,’ began Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant, who went on to describe ‘cranberry and strawberry notes, with a really bright tone of red fruit on the smooth and juicy palate – and easy to drink‘.

£11.35 EWGA, Alexander Wines

Team leader Carlos Ferreira liked the ‘nose of citrus tarts and asparagus’ and described the palate as ‘very green’, going on to say that the wine ‘showcases stone fruits with a decent acidity on the finish’.

£13.62 González Byass

Valentin Radosav of Gymkhana Restaurant described ‘lemon, yellow flowers and delicate herbaceous notes on the nose, with a creamy texture, a flinty minerality and a nice zesty finish’.

£20.36 González Byass

‘Zesty, lemony and dried fruit, yet sharp, stoney and pure, with its intensity and zingy-ness,’ said Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan.

£14.90 Bibendum

Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan enjoyed this wine’s ‘superb yet very intense nose of pepper and floral notes’, and found it ‘balanced, with its leafy, smoky, intensely bitter stoniness’.

£9.00 Gruber Röschitz

‘Spicy and leafy, with bell pepper notes, and a juicy, supple palate with fine fruit,’ said Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan, while consultant Emanuel Pesqueira described ‘earthy and mineral notes, with a floral note of red roses, too – a balanced wine that’s good value for money’.

£11.00 Bibendum

‘Friendly and approachable,’ began Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan, who liked its ‘peppery, spicy nose, with broad cherry fruit on a juicy, ripe palate’. ‘Crunchy, with a good level of fruit ripeness and smooth tannins,’ added Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant.

£10.99 Bibendum

Valentin Radosav from Gymkhana Restaurant was impressed by this wine’s ‘aromas of lime, green apple and its intense aromas on the mid-palate’, before the wine becomes ‘herbaceous and long’.

£15.32 Top Selection

Bianca Potenza of the Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam described this wine as ‘subtle, fresh and light; with a nutty and buttery texture… and not really what you would expect from an Austrian GV’.

£14.80 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Team leader Carlos Ferreira found ‘stone fruits, floral and lemon’ on the nose, and described the wine as ‘grassy and easy drinking’.

£15.32 Top Selection

£17.70 Bibendum

£14.95 Flint Wines

£14.00 Amathus Drinks

£8.90 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£8.65 Boutinot

£13.01 Bibendum

£14.86 Top Selection

For Savoy Grill’s Matteo Cali this impressive Gold winner was ‘delicate on the nose, with white fruits on the palate, which has richness, and a creamy mousse’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club appreciated its ‘gentle pear aromas, rosemary notes and refreshing apple on the palate, with a gentle finish’. Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group thought it was ‘a great price’, considering its ‘yeasty notes of bread integrated with honey and ripe fruit, as well as some apricot’.

£11.83 Hatch Mansfield

This bright and approachable Gold winner opened with ‘an intense nose of pear and apple, together with a round and creamy palate, making this a great value wine’, according to Matteo Cali of Savoy Grill, while Harry Ballmann of Wiltons found it ‘extremely refreshing, with blackcurrant leaf and apple notes’. Team leader Jade Koch added praise for its ‘really good acidity, with some grip too, leading to some good citrus weight to the finish’.

£8.25 Bodegas Carchelo

‘Complex, and showing some development,’ began team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, who went on to describe ‘roasted almond notes on the nose, which lead to honey and caramel on the toasty yet fresh palate’.

£20.73 Top Selection

‘Perfumed elderflower and lime zest aromas lead to tropical, pineapple notes on the palate, leading to a refreshing finish,’ said Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club.

£8.54 The Wine Rascals

‘Peach and nectarine on the nose, with good sweetness, and a ripe fleshy palate’ was how Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam described this Gold Lister, while team leader Tom Forrest found ‘fresh grapefruit and peel’ and a ‘mineral stoniness on the finish’. For Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants the wine impressed with its ‘citrussy zest and excellent minerality’ and he thought it ‘would make an excellent fish wine’. ‘Absolutely,’ agreed team leader Jade Koch, ‘perfect for fish and chips’.

£7.51 Boutinot

‘Fresh and mineral, with green notes reminiscent of olives and sea salt,’ began Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam, describing this Gold Lister as a ‘savoury wine that is perfect to be enjoyed at the beach’, while Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche detected ‘stone fruit character, like vine peach’, and thought it had ‘great structure and texture’ and a ‘long-lasting finish’. For team leader Carlos Ferreira it had a ‘nose of stone fruits, yellow apple and pear’, a palate that was ‘salted, crispy and with a touch of white spice’ and a ‘fresh and long finish’.

£6.98 Biddenden Vineyards

‘Great Chardonnay, toasty, yeasty, structured and complex,’ began a clearly impressed Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche, adding that this worthy Gold Lister ‘needs decanting’. Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam described it as ‘fresh and oaky, woody and smoky’, adding that it was ‘ripe and elegant’ with ‘nice texture’. She thought it ‘would pair well with creamy dishes’. Elegant was also the key word for team leader Carlos Ferreira, who noted: ‘Nose is elegant and complex with spice and stone fruit. Very elegant on the palate, with white spices and pineapple. Very elegant finish and food-friendly.’

£14.25 Gusbourne Estate

‘A really good representation of English wine,’ began team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW as this took its place on the Gold List, finding it to be ‘well balanced and structured, with some lively acidity and a fine rasp of tannin’, while Harry Ballmann of Wiltons spoke of a ‘lovely, well-rounded nose, leading to a balance of oak, spice and fruit’. Maze by Gordon Ramsay’s Gabriele Bertotti, meanwhile, thought its ‘savoury, juicy notes’ made it one to ‘pair with charcuterie’.

£16.50 Gusbourne Estate

Team leader Tom Forrest picked up ‘grassy mineral aromas’, and described a ‘light spritz’, a ‘grassy, pear and pea palate’ and a ‘touch of pineapple cube on the finish’, while fellow team leader Carlos Ferreira thought it had a ‘tropical nose, and asparagus on the palate’, and was a ‘good wine for the price’. For Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche it was a ‘lovely wine’, showing ‘ripe fruit, tangerine and lemon peel’ and with a ‘dry, citrussy and juicy clean palate.’ It gave Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam a ‘springtime feeling’, with its ‘aromatic notes of jasmine and white flowers’. She further described it as a ‘soft and supple, feminine wine’, with a ‘slightly citrussy palate with white peach; on the edge of off-dry’. ‘Great value by-the-glass option,’ said team leader Nigel Lister, adding ‘give it to a Sauvignon drinker’.

£6.50 Lavenham Brook

‘The nose is very elegant and complex. It shows a delicate spiciness that leads to some tropical fruit on the palate, with pineapple and grapefruit. The finish is delicate and classy,’ said team leader Carlos Ferreira.

£14.25 Gusbourne Estate

‘On the nose there’s a soft, peachy, fruity character. On the palate I find it nicely balanced, with smoke, toast, flavours of pear and apple and a zingy mineral note,’ said team leader Tom Forrest.

£8.45 Trotton Estate Vineyards

£9.75 Billings and Briggs

£10.79 Matthew Clark, Camel Valley, St Austell Brewery

£8.00 Toppesfield Vineyard

£14.78 Christopher Piper Wines, First Class Products, Lyme Bay Winery

‘Very pretty,’ began impressed team leader Andres Ituarte on encountering this Gold-worthy Alsatian Gewürz, going on to describe ‘rose water with a touch of saline, and lots of lychee and mandarin, not to mention lots of zippy acidity’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club appreciated its ‘gentle peach aromas and tropical notes – an elegantly balanced, refreshing wine’. ‘This is very gastronomic,’ concluded team leader Martin Lam.

£19.50 Wine Source UK

‘Classic nose of rose and lychees with a pleasing hint of honey,’ said team leader Martin Lam. ‘The palate is quite sweet but not vendange tardive; this is spicy, characterful and well done.’

£16.62 Matthew Clark

£17.97 Davy's Wine Merchants

£11.66 Matthew Clark

£15.54 Top Selection

Amid praise for its value for money, judges elevated this to Gold, with its ‘pretty nose with plenty of ripe red fruits and bramble, leading to a softly structured palate’, according to The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia, while Anita Vighova of Manor House Hotel enjoyed its ‘strawberries, redcurrants and hints of sweetness with nice acidity’. Scarlet Hotel’s Jim Bass found it ‘slightly spicy and earthy, with expressive cherry and tobacco notes, and some subtle tannins’, adding that ‘this would be great with a rich stew’.

£9.35 Matthew Clark

As Domaine du Vissoux added a Gold medal to its pair of Silvers, Pasquale Moschettieri of Benares Restaurant & Bar described this Brouilly as having ‘a good aroma of black fruits, with judicious use of oak’, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston praised it for its ‘good structure with lovely complexity on a palate that’s fruity and earthy, and with a finish that is long and sweet’.

£15.58 Enotria&Coe

‘Good aroma of red cranberry and raspberry fruits, sweet oak and a nice floral note. The tannins and acid are well balanced in this well-structured wine that leads to a long finish,’ said Pasquale Moschettieri of Benares Restaurant & Bar.

£13.44 Matthew Clark

‘Wow!’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS, ‘this is so expressive on the nose, brightly aromatic and floral – Fleurie perhaps? There are lovely red cherries that frame a good structure and lead to a lovely clean, fresh finish.’

£14.95 Enotria&Coe

‘More of wine then a Beaujolais,’ was the intriguing opening remark of team leader Laurent Richet MS. ‘It has intensity and concentration alongside the floral aromas. There is a slight oxidative hint to the flavours and a nice touch of manure. This is ready for food,’ he concluded.

£11.58 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

‘This is very fruity with dark cherry and sweet kirsch; the oak is well handled and it’s a great example; feels like it has the weight of a cru Morgan,’ noted Alan Bednarski of Texture.

£13.74 Matthew Clark

‘This would be great slightly chilled; this has good typicity with a light cherry nose and strawberry on the palate. Would work well in a pub,’ said Anita Vighova of Manor House Hotel.

£7.44 Majestic Commercial

£9.98 VINS DESCOMBE

£8.88 VINS DESCOMBE

£10.32 VINS DESCOMBE

£13.24 Matthew Clark

£11.58 Enotria&Coe

With judges like team leader Angela Reddin praising this as ‘pitch perfect and really engaging’, it’s no surprise that it was elevated to Gold. Reddin further described ‘a serious wine with bags of rich, elegant red and black fruits, some sweet and smoky oak and a clean, long finish’, while The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia appreciated ‘a complex nose of bramble, cassis and plum, with cloves and sandalwood spice’. ‘Elegant and refined,’ concluded Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn.

£36.47 ADVINI

This ‘bright and breezy’ white Bordeaux, according to Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, was elevated to Gold by an impressed panel of judges. Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair praised its ‘grassy and herbaceous notes, with a hint of vanilla oak’, while Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles appreciated its ‘great, vibrant acidity, balancing the apricot and peach fruit’, adding that it was ‘great value’.

£6.67 Direct Wines Production

As this took its rightful place on the Gold List, an appreciative team leader Martin Lam described it as ‘generous, with plums and spice’, while Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant found it ‘very smoky, savoury and earthy’. Team leader Angela Reddin spoke highly of its ‘vibrant, ripe, rich red berries, with some balanced vanilla oak in evidence, and a mineral finish’, while The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia praised its ‘very opulent palate, with great length’.

£25.57 Matthew Clark

Judges had no shortage of praise for this Gold winner, with Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains describing ‘huge complexity, with cedar, cigar and cinnamon, as well as plum and raspberry, with a fantastic mouthfeel – round and velvety’. Consultant Ian Howard thought that it was ‘nicely structured, with good balance, and cassis and forest floor notes, and a nicely spiced finish’. Team leader Jan Konetzki added praise for its ‘polished fruit and grippy tannins, but with good elegance, too’.

£21.14 Matthew Clark

‘Classic!’ began team leader Jan Konetzki of this Left Bank Bordeaux as it took Gold, further describing ‘notes of vanilla and cedar wood, leading to a dry, dark-fruit palate that’s fresh and attractive, with some roasted peppers and autumn forest notes’.Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains thought that ‘plum, musk and noble mushrooms, as well as cigar box and lots of umami’ made this the ideal partner for ‘Bayonne ham braised with kimchi cabbage’.

£11.26 Matthew Clark

‘Intense yet elegant,’ began Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles in praise of this Gold Lister, while Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains spoke highly of its ‘fresh chalk and Granny Smith apple, with a refreshing lime cordial note, too’. Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair agreed, describing ‘fresh green apple and freshly cut grass’, while team leader Andres Ituarte found ‘ginger and lemongrass – a delicate wine with some nice mineral notes, too’.

£9.36 Enotria&Coe

Singled out not only for a Gold, but for a By The Glass award too, this Bordeaux was a ‘refreshingly grown-up wine’, according to Dave Cushley of Prestonfield House, who appreciated its ‘black fruit nose with a touch of savoury, too’. Team leader Nigel Lister praised its ‘easy-drinking style’, while Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin found it ‘ferrous, dark and chunky, and a touch leafy – a precise and well-made wine’.

£7.72 Les Grands Chais de France

Undoubtedly Gold worthy, this white Bordeaux was praised for its ‘smoky oak and cream, with some toast flavours’ by Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair, who also found it to be ‘grassy and herbaceous, with green apples and honey, as well as some lime peel and gooseberry’, while team leader Jan Konetzki additionally noted ‘butterscotch and sesame notes’. Fellow team leader Andres Ituarte found it ‘silky in the mouth, with ripe tropical fruits and a creaminess, leading to a stony finish’.

£31.35 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Team leader Jan Konetzki noted a nose of ‘oranges and apricots with fresh herbs’ with ‘notes of honey and toast’, describing the palate as ‘dry, rich and medium bodied, with a nice toasty finish’.

£20.47 Liberty Wines

‘Elegant red and black fruits with good cedar wood complexity on the nose, while the palate is juicy, with balanced tannins in check and a long finish,’ said Street XO’s Raphael Thierry.

£15.83 CHARLES TAYLOR WINES LTD

Team leader Jan Konetzki noted: ‘Fresh notes of red and black currants are followed by hints of toast on the nose; the palate is dry with a medium length and grippy tannins.’ Meanwhile Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair thought it had ‘cherry and plum with good, spicy balance between tannin and acidity’.

£12.14 Davy's Wine Merchants

Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair noted: ‘A dry wine with apricot and peach fruit as well as crisp green apple, lime and lemon. There is a touch of honey too in this nicely textured wine.’

£8.22 Direct Wines Production

‘A very pretty nose,’ said Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, adding: ‘It’s intense and fresh with a hint of minerality. Very full of life on the palate with apricot, mango and a hint of vanilla.’

£9.31 R D Wines

‘Some nice complexity for the money here,’ said Melania Bellesini of The Fat Duck. ‘This would be good by the glass in a pub; it has ripe fruit and some nice sweet spice; the new oak is well handled for easy drinking.’

£10.08 R D Wines

Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles was happy with this wine: ‘This has a great, intense nose that feels very elegant. There’s mature fruits balanced with great acidity. Very elegant tannins with a nice twist of spice. A great wine for the dinner table but I’d happily drink it alone: a meditation wine.’

£58.22 Enotria&Coe

‘Lovely clean and direct dark fruits here,’ said team leader Angela Reddin, adding: ‘Floral scents of peony and foxglove mingle with the dark fruit that bathes the mouth in flavour, with pinpoint balance.’ ‘Age-worthy wine that would be perfect with lamb or steak,’ added Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant.

£21.50 Bibendum

‘This would be a great charcuterie platter wine,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS, ‘the nose is full of dry sausage, chorizo, dry salami; while the fairly savoury plate gives up rich plum and cassis with a final touch of bacon on the finish.’

£16.99 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘A bit shy but smartly dressed,’ mused Street XO’s Raphael Thierry, ‘this is sophisticated but approachable.’

£27.00 Liberty Wines

Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group noted: ‘With a toasty, morello cherry palate this is quite mouthwatering. There are hints of graphite and tobacco leaf on the nose and well-balanced tannins to finish.’

£10.70 Matthew Clark

Pasquale Moschettieri of Benares Restaurant & Bar noted: ‘There are nice aromas of black fruits with sweet spice and a hint of rose petal. The palate follows with good cassis and plum fruit with a well-balanced finish.’

£13.89 Alliance Wine, Amathus, Christopher Piper Wines

‘Leafy aromas mingle with the cassis and green plum; a more structured style, typical of the movement towards more Cabernet Franc,’ said Michael Fiducia of The Royal Automobile Club. ‘Good clean wine,’ added team leader Angel Reddin.

£15.35 Bibendum

Team leader Nigel Lister described ‘a nose of charcoal and chocolate’, and went on to say ‘this has elegant, crushed forest fruits across a juicy palate and good typicity in a modern style’.

£11.24 Bibendum

‘Very intense red fruits with a touch of grass and spices on the nose,’ said Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, adding: ‘There’s lovely acidity and good length.’

£24.92 Top Selection

£19.67 Liberty Wines

£17.43 ADVINI

£15.08 ADVINI

£21.65 Bibendum

£8.34 Matthew Clark

£8.42 Matthew Clark

£18.78 Matthew Clark

£18.95 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£32.40 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£9.81 Enotria&Coe

£15.00 Majestic Commercial

£16.50 Majestic Commercial

£21.86 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£22.64 Top Selection

£14.66 Top Selection

£12.00 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£11.17 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£14.99 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

As this took its place on the Gold List, team leader Nigel Lister praised its ‘typicity, as well as good acidity’, while fellow team leader Jade Koch appreciated its ‘smoky, gunflint nose, leading to some good grip and texture, with some citrus, too’, further describing it as ‘chewy and lean’. Sylwester Piasecki of Zuma was impressed by its ‘concentrated lemon and lime notes, with some mineral oyster shell and grapefruit, too’, and liked its ‘long finish’.

£15.62 Bancroft Wines

This standout Petit Chablis took home a Gold medal for its ‘lovely fresh and food-friendly style’, according to team leader Nigel Lister, who found ‘classic Chablis character’. For fellow team leader Laurent Richet MS this meant ‘a honeyed, slightly waxy texture and flavour, along with crushed-stone minerality, with some lovely depth of flavour of honeysuckle and lemon’, while Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group appreciated additional notes of ‘delicate tomato leaf and bell pepper, as well as some graphite’.

£16.11 Matthew Clark, Inverarity Morton

For team leader Carlos Ferreira this Gold Lister was ‘elegant, with lots of stone fruit and oak on the nose, as well as some asparagus and almond notes, leading to a palate that’s both smooth and super spicy, with great balance, too’. Adam Michocki of The Glasshouse, meanwhile, described notes of ‘lemon zest, pomelo and yellow grapefruit, as well as some honeysuckle, honey and vanilla, along with a chalky, crushed-rock note with saline minerality’.

£28.79 Matthew Clark

'Complex, with great texture and balance,' thought an impressed Adam Michocki of The Glasshouse on encountering this Gold winner, describing notes of 'ripe lemon, melon and pomelo, as well as mineral notes of chalk, crushed rock and seashell', before identifying it as 'perfect both as an aperitif or to drink with seafood'. Team leader Carlos Ferreira added more praise for its 'elegant nose, with red and green apples, some stone fruit and butter, leading to a palate that's floral, with nice acidity, that finishes long and balanced.'

£19.66 Enotria&Coe

‘A superb wine,’ commented an approving Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche as judges awarded this Gold, while team leader Lionel Periner described notes of ‘green tea, lemongrass, coriander and lemon, and a palate that is fresh and elegant, finishing dry, flinty and long’. Francisco Macedo of Cliveden House added praise for its ‘amazing acidity, with stone fruit and peach, as well as some herbaceous notes – all leading to a lush finish’.

£23.49 Enotria&Coe

‘Wow!’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS as this was elevated to Gold, going on to describe it as ‘flinty, vibrant and intense, with a lovely, ripe mid-palate’. Adam Michocki of The Glasshouse enjoyed its ‘lovely fruit profile of lemon, lime, green apple and melon, with a very expressive palate that’s smooth, mineral and very food friendly’, while team leader Carlos Ferreira identified ‘almonds, stone fruit and yellow apple, as well as some oak’, and described a ‘classic palate with salted asparagus and crisp acidity’.

£41.13 Enotria&Coe

On encountering this accomplished Gold winner, team leader Lionel Periner described it as ‘elegant, with fresh peach and lemon aromas, and a palate that’s complex, with good acidity on the finish’, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 further noted some ‘citrus pith on the nose, leading to a smoky, saline palate, with peach flesh and apricot skin, too’. ‘Savoury, juicy, crisp and precise,’ summarised Mattia Mazzi of The River Cafe.

£21.88 Enotria&Coe

On encountering this complex Gold Lister, Sylwester Piasecki of Zuma painted a picture of an ‘elegant wine, with fresh lime and lemon, but spicy and floral, with some oyster shell, too’, while team leader Jade Koch thought it ‘complex, rich and balanced, with a lovely salty, chalky weight’, following an ‘intense, inviting nose that’s honeyed and oily’. Raphael Thierry of Street XO, meanwhile, enjoyed its ‘grapefruit bitterness with smoky minerality’.

£19.34 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Team leader Lionel Periner found 'fresh lime with some elegant, herbaceous character, as well as flinty notes,’ going on to admire a ‘light palate with good, intense acidity and a finish that’s tart with minerals'. Le Gavroche’s Remi Cousin, meanwhile, summed up this Gold Lister’s characteristics as 'nutty'. James Fryer of Woodhead 17 noted a ‘gunmetal, almost rocky, nose, with baked lemon, matchstick and taut, unripe apricot’, before concluding that it ‘needs time’.

£19.71 Bibendum

‘An amazing palate,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS, ‘it’s balanced and clean but this delivers itself slowly across the palate and doesn’t stop giving. There’s a slight touch of new oak and a flinty, smoky taste; it’s very moreish.’

£16.43 Matthew Clark

Noelia Calleja of Hakkasan Hanway Place noted a nose of ‘green apple and intense citrus with intense flavours of lemon and lime’ and described ‘a nice flinty character and salty crackers over the long finish’.

£20.31 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘This is bright, sharp, young and punchy,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS, ‘it has a crustaceous feel; it’s clean with citrus notes but there’s a nice mineral, salty edge – great with shellfish.’

£16.20 Enotria&Coe

‘The nose here is very complex,’ said team leader Carlos Ferreira, ‘aromatic citrus and stone fruits; the palate is very round and elegant with a clean finish. This is a lot of wine for the price.’

£25.80 Enotria&Coe

Raphael Thierry of Street XO enjoyed the wine’s ‘elegant minerality’, going on to say: ‘There’s fresh lemon-lime and apple fruit, it’s medium bodied, textural and has a long refreshing finish.’

£16.40 Enotria&Coe

‘There’s smoky notes of vanilla here,’ said Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, ‘and a rich palate of some depth, a lovely nuttiness too. There’s also great balance, this is excellent.’

£15.62 Bancroft Wines

‘The wine has pure aromas and taste,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS, ‘it’s clean, vibrant and mineral with notes of clay and oyster; quite long and brilliant.’

£14.28 VINS DESCOMBE

‘Wow! There’s a hint of truffle and blue cheese,’ enthused team leader Laurent Richet MS. ‘Nice minerality and an oily texture, all wrapped around Granny Smith apples with a lemon sherbet and crushed stone finish,’ he added.

£19.80 Liberty Wines

Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche was impressed: ‘This is classic, great typicity, you absolutely know where you are; it’s dry and flinty with beautiful appley fruit, excellent.’

£28.69 Matthew Clark, Carlsberg UK

Sylwester Piasecki of Zuma noted: ‘A bright nose with orange peel and lemon and a mineral scent; this is fleshy, with pronounced fruit and brisk acidity.’

£14.02 R D Wines

Team leader Lionel Periner noted: ‘There is a medium intense colour, the nose is open with ripe lemon and fresh straw; the palate is waxy, with a dry freshness and clean finish. Feels like a warm vintage.’

£19.55 Matthew Clark

£22.28 Matthew Clark

£18.37 Matthew Clark, Inverarity Morton, Carlsberg UK

£30.33 Matthew Clark

£12.59 Matthew Clark

£15.03 Matthew Clark

£15.91 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£14.79 Enotria&Coe

£16.97 Enotria&Coe

£15.81 Enotria&Coe

£51.06 Enotria&Coe

£23.42 Enotria&Coe

£15.91 Enotria&Coe

£21.18 Top Selection

£17.41 Top Selection

£15.74 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Judges recognised the value for money offered by this Gold Lister, as well as its ‘very fresh and fruity character, with elderflower and passion fruit, and a typical mineral backbone’, according to Romain de Courcey of Gazelle Mayfair, who added that it was ‘intense, with good length’. Team leader Laura Rhys MS enjoyed its ‘lime, tropical fruit, green pea and grapefruit notes’, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston liked its ‘fresh-cut grass and citrus nose, with a sweet and aromatic palate, and balanced finish’.

£7.25 Majestic Commercial

With its ‘plush, exotic aromas and fleshy passion fruit flavour profile, with a grippy finish’, according to team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, a Gold medal was inevitable. Charlie Carter of Ten Green Bottles added praise for its ‘delicate apricot fruit aromas and refined palate that’s crisp but rounded, with more apricot and other candied fruits mingling pleasantly on the finish’, while Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks thought it ‘well weighted and viscous, with some fresh thyme, and a fresh finish’.

£21.93 Enotria&Coe

Taking home not only a Gold medal, but a Food Match award too, this Loire red was ‘earthy and floral, with a touch of cacao’, according to Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, while team leader Nigel Lister appreciated its ‘earthy, farmyard nose and juicy, fleshy black and red fruits’. Beatrice Bessi of 67 Pall Mall thought its ‘complex layers of red berries, leather and liquorice root’ would make this ‘very enjoyable with a puttanesca pasta with burrata’.

£11.08 Enotria&Coe

This Gold winner had, for Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, ‘a lot of character, and a very interesting nose, with pink grapefruit and savoury spice, as well as a slight walnut or almond nuttiness’, while team leader Martin Lam described it as ‘complex and evolving well, with elderflower on the nose, and a hint of passion fruit and green herbs on the palate’. Fellow team leader Laura Rhys MS, meanwhile, spoke highly of its ‘lovely weight and acidity, with white pepper, lemon and herbal notes’.

£20.62 Enotria&Coe

With generous praise from judges including team leader Charlie Young, who found this ‘endlessly complex, unconventional and delicious’, it’s no surprise that a Critics’ Choice award followed its elevation to Gold. Young described ‘sweet spice and fennel, with ground nuts and sherry notes, as well as cloves and citrus’, while Hakkasan Hanway Place’s Oliver Nagy enjoyed its ‘oxidative style, with crisp apple and citrus, and quite a rich palate, with good acidity and length’.

£13.34 Enotria&Coe

‘Just delicious,’ said 67 Pall Mall’s Terry Kandylis as this took its place on the Gold List with its ‘honeyed notes on the nose, as well as some bruised apple, leading to a wonderfully dry palate with precision and length’, while consultant Emanuel Pesqueira pronounced it ‘harmonious’, and ‘expressing typicity’. ‘Perfect acidity,’ added Daniel Loughlin of 20 Stories, who thought its ‘marmalade, tangerine rind, nutty almond and smoky notes’ made this perfect for ‘fatty meats like pork belly’.

£27.05 Enotria&Coe

This ‘beautifully put together’ wine, according to team leader Charlie Young, earned its Gold medal for its ‘black fruit purity on the nose, and tight tannins that let some seamless red berry character through’. Impressed fellow team leader Nigel Lister found it ‘richly aromatic and very fleshy, with bright acidity’, while Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group appreciated its ‘nose of graphite and truffle’ and Melania Bellesini of The Fat Duck enjoyed its ‘very intense dark spice, red fruits and a long finish’.

£13.99 Enotria&Coe

As judges found this deserving of not only a Gold medal but a Food Match award too, team leader Charlie Young thought it ‘subtle yet memorable’, as well as ‘lean, focused and long, with minerality and complexity’, while Hakkasan Hanway Place’s Oliver Nagy appreciated its ‘ripe fruit, like elderberry, grapefruit and fresh green apple, and a mineral finish’. ‘Typical Loire,’ summarised consultant Emanuel Pesqueira, finding it ‘honest, complex and well aged – and great value too’.

£11.03 Les Grands Chais de France

‘Complex, rounded and highly aromatic,’ was team leader Martin Lam’s summary as this was awarded Gold, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn elaborated with notes of ‘grapefruit and a slight kerosene note, leading to creamy roundness on the palate, with some flint, too’. ‘An elegant style,’ added The Gilbert Scott’s Juan Manuel Marcos Perez, who found ‘lemon and green gooseberry notes’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS identified ‘orange zest, wet stone and notes of green pepper’.

£14.01 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Team leader Nigel Lister found this ‘very aromatic, it feels New World almost, with juicy succulent, passion fruit notes’. ‘It’s certainly herbaceous, with fresh citrus and a touch of sweetness and brisk acidity,’ added Savvas Symeonidis of Gymkhana Restaurant.

£7.95 Boutinot

‘This makes me salivate!’ said team leader Jan Konetzki, ‘there’s nice fresh notes of lemon and apple and a touch of pickle – dill and cucumber. This is dry, crisp and good!’

£9.57 Enotria&Coe

‘This feels quite bashful but there is some oyster shell showing,’ began Moio Restaurant’s Carolina W Seibel, adding: ‘The palate shows more ripeness of fruit and a captivating acidity that embraces the richness with astringency on the finish.’

£8.57 Enotria&Coe

‘There’s white flowers on the nose, stone fruit on the palate with peach and apricot; good length and crisp acidity,’ said consultant Leonie Loudon. ‘Good concentration and a honeyed note to finish,’ added Savvas Symeonidis of Gymkhana Restaurant.

£16.92 Enotria&Coe

Romain de Courcey of Gazelle Mayfair was impressed: ‘This is a delicate and elegant wine; it’s very nicely balanced with a great leesy mouthfeel that’s full with lemon and yellow plum, plus there’s a lovely chalky minerality.’

£16.41 Enotria&Coe

'With light apple aromas this wine feels fresh and crisp and the palate has notes of lemon peel to augment the green apple fruit; the finish is fresh with a mineral edge.' said team leader Tom Forrest.

£12.15 Enotria&Coe

‘Intensely aromatic,’ said team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW; ‘delicate and tropical’ thought Charlie Carter of Ten Green Bottles, adding: ‘There’s a grassy, herbaceous edge but a lovely concentration of soft peach and passion fruit on the finish.’

£16.20 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

‘Very good Sauvignon,’ said Dario Barbato of Individual Restaurants, ‘there’s bright acidity and good flavour intensity; the wine is persistent and structured.’ ‘Lovely freshness to the green apple and peachy fruit,’ added team leader Laura Rhys MS.

£12.88 Hatch Mansfield

‘Bright, supple and pure fruit aromas; this has a nice ferrous palate with lovely juice and good potential,’ said Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan.

£19.14 Top Selection

‘The nose has intense, mature, juicy aromas of berries with a savoury, earthy note. The palate is also juicy with nice, ripe tannins and nicely integrated alcohol,’ said Melania Bellesini of The Fat Duck.

£9.25 Borough Wines

‘The nose shows citrus fruit, grapefruit and lime with hints of floral blossom; there’s a nice peachy palate and decent length,’ said Dario Barbato of Individual Restaurants.

£11.82 Liberty Wines

‘A light style, with lemon and stoney mineral aromatics; dry and fresh with golden fruit and a nice mineral finish,’ said Moio Restaurant’s Carolina W Seibel.

£7.46 Enotria&Coe

‘Aromatics of white stone fruit and citrus with minerals,’ noted team leader Tom Forrest, adding: ‘The palate has some nicely rounded stone fruit and a creamy suggestion of lees stirring and there’s a nice yeasty prickle on the finish.’

£8.33 Enotria&Coe

‘Bright cherry and rose hip aromas with a touch of mushroom,’ noted team leader Nigel Lister, adding: ‘The palate is fresh with fairly elegant fruit and decent concentration.’

£9.57 Enotria&Coe

Beatrice Bessi of 67 Pall Mall loved the ‘very vibrant palate, so refreshing!’ and found that ‘the nose is quite herbal with nice fresh cut grass and asparagus and there’s a nice flinty note, too’. ‘Good value in Sancerre terms,’ added team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW.

£15.53 Enotria&Coe

£13.14 Majestic Commercial

£8.33 Enotria&Coe

£8.52 Enotria&Coe

£13.83 Enotria&Coe

£10.44 Enotria&Coe

£23.08 Enotria&Coe

£23.31 Enotria&Coe

£14.04 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

£11.38 Hatch Mansfield

£22.33 Top Selection

‘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

As this was elevated to Gold, Woodhead 17’s James Fryer described an intriguing mix of ‘chocolate and iodine, with some leafy notes in the background, leading to a leathery palate with some dried cranberries and redcurrants’. An impressed Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant further described it as ‘supple and juicy, full bodied and generous – very fresh and drinkable now but will also age’, appreciating its ‘well-integrated palate with lovely harmony and some toasty oak, not to mention mint and forest floor’.

£16.37 Bibendum

Taking home not only Gold but a Critics’ Choice award, this drew praise from judges for its ‘cheerful blueberry fruit and a drying lick of spice’, began team leader Jade Koch, who thought it ‘generous without being over the top, with a balanced, considered and thoughtful palate, great minerality and inky length’. Hide Above’s Alonso Abed found it ‘herbal, savoury and full bodied, with some star anise’, while New Street Warehouse’s Tanguy Martin described ‘an explosion of fruit and spices, mixed with the right amount of tannins – great value!’.

£12.49 Enotria&Coe

‘Explosive’, was Tanguy Martin of New Street Warehouse’s first impression of this Gold winner, going on to describe ‘intense, ripe, leathery notes on the nose’, which led to ‘a very generous palate’. Francesca Turra of Mondrian London thought it ‘very spicy with nuts and tobacco notes’, adding that there was ‘fairly high acidity and well-managed tannins’, while Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn found notes of ‘spicy cooked berry fruit – Black Forest gateaux?’.

£13.17 Liberty Wines

This substantial, savoury Côtes de Bergerac earned itself a Gold medal for its ‘balsamic, meaty notes and big structure, yet gentle tannins’, according to Melania Bellesini of The Fat Duck, while Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan spoke highly of its ‘animal leather notes and juicy, cooked plums’, further describing it as ‘austere yet moreish’. ‘Very rich,’ added team leader Nigel Lister, who thought a decanter would further ‘unfurl the dense blackcurrant fruit and coffee notes’.

£17.32 Matthew Clark

Judges invariably commented on the great value for money offered by this Gold Lister, which Tanguy Martin of New Street Warehouse described as ‘gamey and savoury’, while team leader Christopher Cooper thought it ‘easy drinking, with creamy red berries and plum fruit, and a lift of violet’, identifying this as a ‘superior house wine or by-the-glass option’. This all led team leader Laurent Richet MS to picture it alongside ‘liver, mash, onion gravy and roasted broccoli’.

£6.45 Boutinot

This Gold Lister was ‘big, balanced and very well made’, according to team leader Carlos Ferreira, while Matteo Cali of Savoy Grill was taken with its ‘pronounced sweet spice notes on the nose with vanilla and liquorice’, which led to a palate ‘coated with chocolate and blueberry fruit in this chunky red wine’. Team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, described ‘earthy notes, along with coconut and cedar, some dried fruit, and tobacco leaf, too’.

£14.08 Enotria&Coe

This Gold-worthy Grenache impressed judges for its value for money, not to mention a ‘spicy, strawberry nose and light, pretty style’, according to team leader Nigel Lister, while Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin described it as ‘fruit driven, with a supple finish’. 67 Pall Mall’s Beatrice Bessi praised its ‘lovely, fresh layers of red fruit, like cherries, raspberries and plums’, while The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones recommended either ‘caramelised pork or steak tartare’.

£6.08 Les Grands Chais de France

‘Outstanding,’ was Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant’s succinct summary of this impressive addition to the Gold List – one of two for Château Lagrézette this year. Meanwhile Filip Viorel of Benares Restaurant & Bar had praise for its ‘beautiful, elegant nose followed by a rich palate dominated with blackcurrant and almonds, as well as a herbaceous note, with refreshing acidity, too’. ‘A real thinking wine,’ concluded Sean Arthur of Cliveden House.

£25.67 Top Selection

Château Lagrézette’s second Gold in this category was ‘rich and intense, with vanilla and cedar wood, as well as some deep red-fruit flavours and a long, lingering finish’, thought Sean Arthur of Cliveden House, while Filip Viorel of Benares Restaurant & Bar added praise for a ‘great chocolate note with some sour, ripe cherry and cassis – a very complex wine’. ‘This has everything,’ continued an impressed Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant, describing ‘vibrant, small-clustered dark fruits, and a full-bodied palate that’s well balanced’.

£31.73 Top Selection

Charlie Carter of Ten Green Bottles liked the ‘lifted, herbaceous aromas mixed with smoke black pepper’. He also thought the wine ‘has nice body and flavour concentration and although the tannins are quite stark there is a sense of balance and a very nice finish’.

£17.05 Enotria&Coe

Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan found a ‘big, concentrated, chunky nose with mint, dense bramble and new oak; the palate is meaty and juicy with tight, precise tannins and a fine texture’. ‘A steak and a decanter would be a good match,’ added CuVée VIII’s Michael Harrison.

£10.79 Direct Wines Production

‘This is good value for money,’ said Immacolata Cannavo of Hakkasan Mayfair. ‘It’s medium bodied, with a good red fruit character of supple plums; there’s a nice integration between acidity, tannin and alcohol; it’s well made.’

£6.11 Majestic Commercial

‘Serious stuff,’ said team leader Charlie Young, ‘it needs food and the air from a decanter but that should help bring out the dark, herbaceous aromas, soften the good tannic structure and open the lovely spiced fruit.’

£11.63 Bibendum

Sean Arthur of Cliveden House found ‘pronounced, interesting vegetal “greenhouse” notes on the nose, with floral rose petal and cigar box hints too; the palate is quite meaty and leathery, complementing the vibrant and supple red fruit flavour.’

£12.73 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Rockliffe Hall’s Daniel Jonberger was impressed: ‘With cherries and a touch of raisin on the nose, this opens to a hugely complex palate that offers spice, tobacco, loganberry and cedar wood; lovely!’

£22.66 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant found the nose ‘a bit funky, farmyardy, but there’s some good cherry and plum fruit behind it’, adding that ‘the palate has some fairly grippy tannin to keep things fresh’.

£10.18 Bibendum

Team leader Tom Forrest noted: ‘A medium ruby colour with some juicy and jammy red fruit notes and a sprinkle of cinnamon. There’s a creamy vanilla feel with the black fruit palate.’

£8.66 Matthew Clark

'This is earthy and gamey with good, dense, dark fruit structure.' said Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn

£9.07 Enotria&Coe

‘The nose is quite earthy,’ said D&D’s Diana Rollan, ‘with liquorice, garrigue herbs as well as a floral note. A lighter style, more agreeable perhaps, with a final twist of garrigue herbs on the finish.’

£9.11 Bibendum

‘Richly aromatic and luscious,’ said Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, adding: ‘Very perfumed, with good length of dark fruits, garrigue and olive.’

£48.38 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£6.25 Molson Coors

£5.69 Molson Coors

£12.77 Enotria&Coe

£29.94 Liberty Wines

£8.82 ADVINI

£14.18 Enotria&Coe

£6.22 Davy's Wine Merchants

£11.67 New Generation Wines, New Generation McKinley

£17.12 Liberty Wines

£15.60 LA CROIX DE SAINT JEAN - DOMAINE CHABBERT

£23.57 Domaine of the Bee

£7.35 Mentzendorff & Co

£6.11 Majestic Commercial

£8.66 Enotria&Coe

£9.12 Bibendum

£16.37 Bibendum

£8.49 Bibendum

£8.30 Les Grands Chais de France

£15.47 Les Grands Chais de France

Adding a Gold to Badet Clément’s collection of medals this year, and amid praise for its value for money, this Viognier was ‘elegant and mineral, with juicy pear and apricot’, according to team leader Laurent Richet MS, while Giorgio Scarsella of The Stafford found it ‘quite grassy, with lemon, apricot and lychee notes too, and well-balanced minerality’. The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia particularly enjoyed its ‘structured, mouthwatering palate, with subtle pear and rose water notes’.

£6.25 Molson Coors

As this was elevated to Gold, Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin described it as ‘oaky and juicy, in a modern style, with roasted almond notes’, while team leader Nigel Lister praised its ‘lovely, rich and tropical fruit, with vanilla oak and pineapple on the nose’. Paola Giraldo of Wiltons, meanwhile, found it ‘warm and ripe on the nose, with a touch of honey, leading to a full-bodied, rich and intense palate’, making it ‘great for glazed pork’.

£8.19 Direct Wines Production

‘Excellent,’ proclaimed team leader Nigel Lister on encountering this Gold winner, describing it as ‘floral and honeyed – off-dry with a lovely freshness’, while an impressed Melania Bellesini of The Fat Duck thought it ‘aromatic, fruity and mineral, with a long, fresh finish’. Bottles Group’s Chiara Sieni spoke highly of its ‘tropical nose and palate’, finding it ‘very rich, but balanced with acidity’, while CuVée VIII’s Michael Harrison added that it was ‘lovely and textural, with rich lemon notes’.

£5.95 Les Grands Chais de France

‘Bright and floral,’ said Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan, ‘very ripe and generous with soft, fleshy peach and apricot notes and quite grapey, too. It’s quite a full palate and nicely textured with a tingle of acidity to finish.’

£9.55 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

Jim Bass of Scarlet Hotel found ‘a very floral, herbaceous nose with great freshness’. ‘It’s a lovely clean wine with notes of angelica and sweet pastry; excellent length and great value, too,’ added team leader Angela Reddin.

£6.22 Davy's Wine Merchants

‘Bright and clear, with a lemon and lime, sweet and sour note,’ thought The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones. ‘Nice, creamy texture and a lovely finish,’ added team leader Lionel Periner.

£11.55 Enotria&Coe

‘Buttered toast and lemon meringue pie with a powerful texture on the palate. There’s a lot of tropical fruit with mango, pineapple and banana, and it’s all well rounded and balanced. There is a bright, freshness, I could match it with turbot,’ said Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant.

£15.61 Enotria&Coe

‘Lovely aromatic, floral wine,’ said Mondrian London’s Francesca Turra, adding: ‘The palate balances tropical fruit notes with a mineral acidity that helps with the elegance.’

£8.49 Bibendum

‘This is a stunning and complex wine,’ said Annamaria Juhasz of The Fat Duck, adding: ‘The nose shows very floral apple blossom notes, with ripe nectarine, mango, pineapple and grapefruit. The palate is rich and complex with spicy new oak and a waxy, mouthcoating finish.’

£20.59 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘This would be good by the glass,’ said team leader Nigel Lister, with its ‘intriguing nose of slate, minerals and gunpowder – quite a lot going on for the money. I like the peppery spiced pear palate.’

£6.90 Eurowines

‘With its fresh grapefruit and passion fruit aromatics this feels very well made. It’s juicy, fresh and lively,’ said team leader Nigel Lister.

£8.30 Les Grands Chais de France

‘Bright and bouncy,’ mused team leader Nigel Lister, adding: ‘Nicely perfumed with yellow plum and pear; this is fairly rich and full bodied; it’s very good value.’

£6.86 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Aromatic notes of apricot and peach with acacia and jasmine notes. Nicely balanced, elegant food wine,’ said Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston.

£10.91 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£7.35 Mentzendorff & Co

£6.81 Majestic Commercial

£8.71 Enotria&Coe

£8.58 Enotria&Coe

£9.20 Bibendum

£8.48 Bibendum

£8.41 Bibendum

‘Ripe, creamy and bold – a lot for the price,’ praised team leader Hamish Anderson as this earned itself a Gold medal, with ‘a savoury, bright nose, and warm bread and apple notes’. Fellow team leader Angela Reddin agreed, finding it ‘very well balanced and nicely put together’, with ‘pears on the nose, and rock melon and peach on the palate’, while Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection appreciated ‘floral notes of acacia and elderflower, as well as peas, yellow apple, creamy vanilla and white pepper’.

£7.76 Majestic Commercial

For Marco Marcuzzo of Aster Restaurant, this Gold winner was showing ‘classic Burgundian spice and autolytic character, like lees yeast and bread’, as well as being ‘full-bodied, with very fine and precise acidity, and integrated oak’. Team leader Angela Reddin appreciated its ‘talcum powder nose, with oak notes over tropical fruit’, describing it as ‘a clever, subtle wine, and very classy’, while Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection noted ‘melon, grapefruit, honey blossom and white pepper notes’.

£24.22 Enotria&Coe

‘Pure and restrained,’ praised team leader Hamish Anderson as this took home Gold, describing ‘a delicate floral nose, leading to a very driven, citrus-led palate with citrus pith and a long, intense finish’. Fellow leader Laura Rhys MS was equally complimentary, finding it to be ‘elegant and complex, with bold, juicy citrus and stone fruit’, while Daniel Nuttall of Adam’s Restaurant appreciated its ‘bright acidity and easy-drinking savoury palate with saline notes’.

£38.00 Bibendum

This ‘exceptionally generous wine for the price’, according to Joshua Castle of Noble Rot, naturally took home Gold, with its ‘lovely array of smoky aromas and ripe orchard fruits, and a palate that’s tense and mineral, with a bright mineral finish’. Team leader Martin Lam particularly enjoyed its ‘leesy, barrel-ferment character’, while fellow team leader Hamish Anderson described ‘a powerful nose of smoke, spice and flowers, with cream, lemon pith and vanilla on the palate’.

£16.90 Top Selection

As this took its rightful place on the Gold List, New Street Warehouse’s Tanguy Martin praised its ‘very classy Burgundian notes, and a palate that’s vibrant and refreshing’, while team leader Martin Lam remarked on its ‘good concentration and typicity’, finding it ‘ripe and rounded, with a zesty acidity’. Ross Antonelli of Hawksmoor Borough, meanwhile, found it ‘smoky, with toasted seeds, pronounced fennel and popcorn, as well as some lemon, grapefruit and pineapple’.

£29.51 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

The first of a pair of Gold medals for Domaine Pierre Naigeon in this year’s competition, this Côtes de Nuits-Villages was ‘complex, rich and savoury’, according to Gazelle Mayfair’s Romain de Courcy, who described notes of ‘fresh apple, ripe lemon and custard, as well as some minerality’. Team leader Hamish Anderson found it to be ‘a delicious, bold wine, in an opulent, toasty style that’s starting to develop’, describing ‘cream, toasty depth and some warm spice’.

£24.91 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Judges were generous in their praise as this was elevated to Gold, with team leader Laura Rhys MS finding it ‘delicious, with elegant fruit character, such as ripe citrus, apple and peach, and well-integrated oak’. Daniel Nuttall of Adam’s Restaurant described it as ‘steely, flinty and mineral’, while Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia appreciated its ‘lemon and lime peel, with green apples, gooseberries and elderflower, too, as well as some vanilla and honeycomb, with oak and white pepper on the finish’.

£63.23 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Marco Marcuzzo of Aster Restaurant appreciated this Gold winner’s ‘typical Burgundian ripe stone fruit with spice and good oak integration, and a long, creamy palate with autolytic character of bread and lees’, while team leader Angela Reddin thought it ‘intense and intricate’, identifying additional ‘seashell and sea breeze notes, as well as lemon and stone fruits’. Kahani London’s Ennio Pucciarelli added praise for its ‘round yet crisp structure, with white peach and apple notes, as well as hints of honey, vanilla and toasted nuts’.

£30.04 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

According to Gymkhana Restaurant’s Valentin Radosav, there was ‘good, ripe fruit here, with some melon and pineapple, along with a nice honeyed richness on the mid-palate’, adding that this was ‘drinking now’.

£22.88 VIVANT INC

Dario Barbato of Individual Restaurants found ‘a floral nose of apple blossom that leads to nicely ripe fruit and well-integrated, judicious use of oak, probably using large barrels; the wine has a nicely balanced acidity and good length.’

£20.40 Matthew Clark

Christopher Delalonde MS of The Dorchester noted: ‘A floral nose of spring flowers with some oaked notes of baked brioche and toast; there’s a creamy texture to the ripe, primary fruit that’s both elegant and pure, with great lift and composure; the finish is long.’

£14.84 Bibendum

‘White stone fruit with nectarine and apples on the nose, and there’s a nice leesy, nutty character, too,’ said Ross Antonelli of Hawksmoor Borough. ‘The mid-palate is creamy with good fruit support and a nice mineral finish,’ he added.

£11.95 Enotria&Coe

‘This has a subtle nose of petals and lime skin,’ said The Dorchester’s Christopher Delalonde MS, ‘there’s a complex delivery of ripe fruit here – this is a very stylish expression where everything is in balance. The layers of fruit are delivered with focus and lead to a ripe, spiced, long finish; top!’

£35.07 Enotria&Coe

‘There’s a touch of gunflint reduction on the nose,’ said team leader Laura Rhys MS, ‘the palate is really lovely with lots of elegant citrus, spice and toast; there’s good weight and intensity to the fruit and the finish is long.’

£18.75 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Team leader Angela Reddin noted: ‘Hawthorn flowers, and camomile with a touch of crème anglais; there’s bright acidity that enjoys a kiss of oak and a lovely layering of flavours. Drink or keep.’

£18.75 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£11.31 Davy's Wine Merchants

£20.81 Bibendum

£13.35 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£39.56 Enotria&Coe

£43.67 Enotria&Coe

£18.63 Enotria&Coe

£23.72 Enotria&Coe

£19.49 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

£9.96 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

£22.44 Top Selection

£31.04 Top Selection

£26.03 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£24.85 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£18.67 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£48.95 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Team leader Tom Forrest picked up a ‘honey, mineral and petrol nose’ leading on to a ‘mineral palate’ with ‘green apples’ in this Gold-Listed Riesling. Meanwhile Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam described it as ‘dry feeling from the first sip’ and found it ‘slightly oaky yet with nice acidity’. For her it was ‘not an easy-drinking sipper’, but ‘definitely a food wine’, and she thought it ‘would work really well with seafood that had some aromatic ingredients’ and ‘would age well’.

£8.83 Mentzendorff & Co

Deserving of a place on the Gold List for, according to team leader Nigel Lister, ‘a pretty nose, elegant and floral, with gentle, silky tannins – a wine for a summer’s day’. Julien Sahut of Sexy Fish praised its ‘complexity on the palate, with cherry, black fruit and hints of spice, as well as good acidity’, while The River Cafe’s Mattia Mazzi thought it ‘vibrant, elegant and charming’, and an ideal match for ‘terrine or a cheese board’.

£16.00 Boutinot

Team leader Tom Forrest described ‘soft petrol on the palate mixed with apple and honey’ and thought it had ‘lovely balance’ and was ‘nicely mineral’ with ‘subtle acidity’. Fellow team leader Carlos Ferreira was equally impressed with its ‘very complex nose; stone fruits, oak and white, spicy grape juice, with a touch of petrol’, and thought the palate was ‘very elegant, with notes of red apple and asparagus’ and the finish ‘beautiful’. According to Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche, ‘this could age for years’.

£40.02 Liberty Wines

This fine addition to the Gold List opened with ‘a lovely floral and savoury nose’, according to team leader Hamish Anderson, who went on to praise its ‘textured, spicy palate with some wild edges, and some grippy tannins to keep it all well framed’. ‘This is made for food,’ added Maze by Gordon Ramsay’s Gabriele Bertotti, who thought its ‘delicate, chewy red fruit notes and good balance’ made it ideal to accompany lamb chops.

£18.45 Bibendum

For Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam this was a ‘bit tight but opens up, expressing it’s potential’. She described it as ‘slightly off-dry’ and found it ‘aromatic with elderflower and ripe fruit and a crisp finish’. Team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, found ‘peachy mineral notes – floral, with lychee and rose and ‘a touch of honey and spice’ and thought it had a ‘soft round, peachy palate with a stony minerality’.

£13.07 Bibendum

‘Honeyed apple and blossom and elderflower,’ said impressed team leader Tom Forrest, while Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche was more than happy to see this take Gold, noting: ‘Fresh and sexy aromas of Williams pear and kiwi; stony minerality, juicy, mouth-watering’, and adding: ‘I can drink this bottle all on my own…’. ‘No, I can drink this bottle all by myself,’ said team leader Carlos Ferreira (maybe they’ll share it), adding: ‘Melon, passion fruit and mango nose; palate of pineapple and pear with white spices; long vibrant finish.’

£31.98 Top Selection

Team leader Andres Ituarte loved the ‘balanced, bright mineral notes’ of this Silver medal-winning wine, and found ‘apricot and lemon verbena’ on the palate. ‘Delicate and delicious,’ he concluded.

£14.70 Boutinot

Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn described ‘vegetal and tropical notes’ on this wine, and enjoyed its ‘weight and balance, yet with green, underripe, grassy notes’.

£13.15 Bibendum

‘A brooding, dark, ripe bramble nose’ led to ‘a rich, ripe style on the palate, but well balanced in its freshness, with plum, spice and excellent length’, thought team leader Hamish Anderson.

£16.98 Bibendum

£13.10 Boutinot

£9.76 Bibendum

£15.01 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

With its ‘great intensity and poise’, a Gold medal was inevitable here, with Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan enjoying its ‘pepper and bright floral character, with juicy, ripe, fresh fruit and a zesty, floral finish’. Describing it as ‘a really serious wine’, Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains spoke of ‘salty seaweed, kombu and iodine, with a fresh, light, umami finish’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club found ‘herbal and stone fruit aromas, with zest and ginger complexity on the palate’.

£14.00 Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Maltby & Greek

From its ‘lovely fresh floral nose, with candied pear and apple’ to its ‘delicious refreshing palate, with flowers, a bit of tropical acidity, and a long chalky finish’, according to team leader Hamish Anderson, this had all the characteristics of a Gold winner. 67 Pall Mall’s Beatrice Bessi praised its ‘layers of salty and smoky character’, while team leader Charlie Young enjoyed ‘a tropical palate that remains fairly rich on the finish, with some flaky almonds’.

£8.50 Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Maltby & Greek

As judges awarded this a well-deserved Gold, Clément Loubeyre of The Cross Kenilworth described ‘red fruit and spicy, peppery aromas, with lovely cherry, kirsch notes on the palate’, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 found it ‘Pinot-esque, with strawberry jam, dry morello cherries and dusty spice, along with some mint and eucalyptus’. ‘Crisp, with a savoury element and a refreshing backbone – a great game-bird option when the grouse season starts,’ thought Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants.

£10.25 Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Maltby & Greek

This ‘big, powerful wine’, according to James Fryer of Woodhead 17, earned its place on the Gold List with ‘earthy purple fruit and oak spice, with some intense acidity and well-integrated oak, as well as some velvet tannins, and some mint on the finish’. Team leader Jade Koch identified it as ‘international in style, versatile and very well integrated, with purple plum and violet notes’, while fellow team leader Nigel Lister described it as ‘tight, concentrated and elegant’.

£19.00 Southern Wine Roads

Team leader Charlie Young loved the ‘sweetly aromatic nose’ and was charmed by this Silver medal-winning wine’s ‘dry aromas on the palate’. He summed it up as ‘clean, decent and pure’.

£7.86 Matthew Clark

This had ‘a ripe nose of concentrated apple and a bit of ginger’, according to Jose Luis Hernandez of Hakkasan, who went on to describe the wine’s ‘fresh acidity, full mineral flavours yet mellow and light on the finish’.

£9.30 Boutinot

Jose Luis Hernandez of Hakkasan particularly liked this wine for it's ‘hint of brioche, stone fruits and floral notes’, and was captivated by its ‘mineral intensity, high acidity and fresh floral/herb length’.

£10.75 Boutinot

For team leader Carlos Ferreira this had ‘leather, black pepper, mushroom and pine notes, with good balance’, while Scarlet Hotel’s Jim Bass found it ‘fruit-forward and approachable, with notes of red cherry, black pepper and smoke, with some soft, silky tannins’, making it ‘a great-value pub wine’.

£8.50 Enotria&Coe

‘Morello cherries with some leather, and the slightest hint of green pepper, leading to dried cherry fruits and some chewy tannins on the palate,’ described James Fryer of Woodhead 17, while team leader Carlos Ferreira thought the combination ‘a good option for red meat dishes’.

£12.00 Enotria&Coe

‘A grassy, and intense nose’ presented itself to team leader Charlie Young, who thought it was ‘fairly pleasant on the palate, until the end when the acidity really comes into its own’.

£14.36 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Beatrice Bessi of 67 Pall Mall described this as ‘an aromatic wine with a lot of yellow flowers, punctuated with essences of orange peel and saffron’.

£15.35 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Team leader Charlie Young waxed lyrical about this Silver medal-winning wine’s ‘clean and simple fruit aromas, spiky intensity and lots of mineral flavours’, summing it up as ‘young but full of energy’.

£15.92 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

This opened with ‘toasted oak, leather and some spicy aromas’, according to team leader Carlos Ferreira, and was followed by ‘a beautiful, long and fresh palate, with more smoky leather, lots of cherry fruit, and very good balance’.

£13.98 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘A ferrous nose, with some green capsicum notes too, leading to velvet tannins and some oak spice on the palate, as well as some black and purple fruits, leading to a minty finish,’ said Woodhead 17’s James Fryer.

£15.16 Amathus

Beatrice Bessi of 67 Pall Mall described ‘orchard fruits’ and ‘peachy characters with a distinctive fresh salty aftertaste’ in this Bronze medal-winning wine.

£8.50 Enotria&Coe

£13.15 Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Maltby & Greek

£7.86 Matthew Clark

£10.40 Boutinot

£12.89 Amathus

£9.20 Southern Wine Roads

£12.29 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Bramble and hedgerow in a glass,’ summarised Claire Love of Loves Consultancy as this Chilean Merlot joined the Gold list. Team Leader Nigel Lister found ‘an earthy, smoky green capsicum nose with a dense, ripe black fruit core’, while Dave Cushley of Prestonfield House noted a ‘smoky and savoury underbelly with good lilac and plum character’, before describing it as ‘a rather grown-up wine with more than a little grip and rich fruit’.

£5.50 CyT UK

‘With its lovely dark berry character and notes of cedar, some red bush tea and leather, along with fairly high tannins, this seems too serious a wine for such a low price!’ remarked team leader Laurent Richet MS, among plenty of other generous praise for this well-deserved Gold winner. Equally impressed, Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia described ‘well-managed alcohol, leather and earthy notes, with a hint of peppermint on the finish’.

£5.50 C&D Wines

Taking home a Gold medal for its ‘easy-drinking, ripe fruit style’, according to Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche, this had ‘cherry, liquorice and plums with a bit of vanilla oak’, for team leader Carlos Ferreira, who went on to describe it as ‘quite floral on the fresh palate, with good balance and a long finish’. ‘A great all-rounder, with structure in the background to hold it all together,’ added team leader Hamish Anderson.

£5.83 Unity Wines & Spirits

This had all the makings of a Gold medal House Red, with Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan describing it as ‘a spicy, meaty, dark currant wine with a fine texture, elegant tannins and an easy, juicy finish’. Its ‘damson, black cherry, cassis and smoky, graphite notes’ led The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones to recommend it as ‘a match for barbecued meats’, while Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains declared it ‘generous, silky and impressive’.

£5.85 Direct Wines

Christopher Delalonde MS of The Dorchester found ‘dark fruit and plum with notes of olives, smoke and spice’. He went on to describe a ‘juicy, lifted mid-palate with fruity berry flavours, good texture of ripe fruit and a balanced, spicy finish’.

£5.70 Molson Coors

Team leader Nigel Lister noted ‘soft red fruit berries with a touch of pencil lead’ and ‘easy blackcurrant and raspberry coulis with a hint of liquorice; very quaffable’. Woodhead 17’s James Fryer picked out ‘an aniseed and herbal note with a juicy black fruit mid-palate’.

£4.90 Broadland Wineries

‘Easy drinking style but well done, great body with pleasant tannin. A great value everyday drinker,’ said Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, while team leader Andres Ituarte found a ‘super floral nose with a candied palate’, adding: ‘A touch of residual sugar but a good, easy-drinking house red.’

£5.75 Inverarity Morton

‘Good quality and nice complexity; the red fruit flavours also have a nice farmyard character,’ said Corina Stanila of La Dame de Pic at Ten Trinity Square, with Michael Fiducia of The Royal Automobile Club noting ‘ripe cherry aromas with herbaceous notes and an elegantly soft palate’.

£5.95 Ellis of Richmond

‘Lovely texture’, commented Valentin Radosav of Gymkhana Restaurant, adding that it had ‘ripe red and black fruit, finely grained tannin and a juicy finish’. The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia, meanwhile, noted ‘lifted pretty aromas of cherry and cranberries with a structured, smooth palate’.

£5.90 Boutinot

Team leader Lionel Periner picked up ‘red fruit with a hint of cacao’. He commented that the ‘dry, balanced palate suggests raspberries and a touch of rhubarb, while the well-integrated tannins lead to a decent finish with attractive freshness’, and described it as ‘versatile’.

£5.03 Majestic Commercial

Joshua Castle of Noble Rot found this to have ‘a nose of ripe blue fruits and violets and a lush texture’, and noted that its ‘nuanced, elegant tannins provide a persistent finish’. Team leader Lionel Periner, meanwhile, remarked on the ‘crunchy berries, fairly high acidity and meaty, fleshy, body’.

£5.75 Bibendum

Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche enjoyed a ‘slightly gamey, vegetal nose with a simple juicy, fruity palate, good balance and a nicely bitter finish’.

£5.66 Matthew Clark

Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club described this as having ‘ripe cassis and sweet spices, black pepper over jammy notes and a long finish’.

£5.35 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants remarked on ‘an easy-drinking, juicy, red fruit style at an excellent price’.

£3.60 Broadland Wineries

This had ‘an attractive nose of spice and bramble’ with ‘a touch of green pepper’ for team leader Hamish Anderson.

£5.85 Grand Mayne

Team leader Carlos Ferreira found a ‘very smoky nose with lots of rosemary, pine nuts and pepper’ and ‘a fresh, floral palate of soft stewed fruit’.

£5.50 CyT UK

Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam noted a ‘smoky, liquorice nose with a lick of oaky vanilla and a perhaps slightly under ripe, herbaceous note’.

£4.50 Molson Coors, Treasury Wine Estates

‘Good black, jammy fruits with a plum-driven mid-palate warmed by the alcohol on the finish,’ said Aster Restaurant’s Marco Marcuzzo, describing it as ‘good with food’.

£6.00 Molson Coors, Treasury Wine Estates

‘Fruity and juicy wine with notes of plum, cherry and a touch of leather. Very good balance between tannins and acidity,’ commented Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair.

£4.85 Majestic Commercial

£4.95 Adnams

£5.93 Matthew Clark

£6.00 Matthew Clark

£5.55 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£5.09 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£5.09 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£5.99 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£5.35 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£5.95 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£3.40 Broadland Wineries

£3.90 Broadland Wineries

£4.00 Raymond Reynolds

£5.97 R D Wines

£5.95 Portugalia Wines UK

£5.65 Boutinot

£5.90 Boutinot

£6.38 C&D Wines

£5.23 Majestic Commercial

£5.92 Majestic Commercial

£4.98 Majestic Commercial

£4.72 Majestic Commercial

£5.56 Majestic Commercial

£5.60 Unity Wines & Spirits

£5.50 Unity Wines & Spirits

£5.81 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£5.95 Bibendum

£5.55 Bibendum

‘Juicy and floral – a plush, ripe style,’ began impressed team leader Andres Ituarte as this picked up a well-deserved Gold, adding that it was ‘pretty and refreshing’, while fellow team leader Angela Reddin appreciated its ‘lasting strawberry fruit flavour’. Marco Marcuzzo of Aster Restaurant went on to praise its ‘light and fresh fruit, making this an easy by-the-glass choice that would also work with a range of light bites’.

£5.45 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

James Fryer of Woodhead 17 found this to have an ‘almond paste and rose petal nose; with touches of glycerol banana lending a sweetly fruited and textural palate’. He described the finish, like the nose, as ‘redolent of almonds and fresh strawberries’.

£5.93 Matthew Clark

James Fryer of Woodhead 17 noted this wine’s ‘elegant strawberry nose with pretty white flowers and hints of orange blossom on the palate’, describing it as ‘fairly classic’. Meanwhile team leader Lionel Periner approved of the ‘nice, light pink colour and good freshness’.

£5.10 Boutinot

Team leader Lionel Periner noted the ‘light pink colour, a light, ripe berry palate and balanced acidity’, while Woodhead 17’s James Fryer described a ‘floral, blackcurrant leaf nose with blackcurrant fruit followed on to the palate’.

£5.50 Boutinot

Team leader Jan Konetzki noted ‘grapefruit, lemon and red fruits with a touch of reduction’, and found this wine to be ‘dry and crisp with medium length’.

£5.22 Matthew Clark

Team leader Angela Reddin found a nose of ‘carnations and strawberries with a touch of pineapple chunks (the sweets!)’ and described the wine as ‘easy drinking, fun and juicy’.

£4.98 Majestic Commercial

£5.65 Adnams

£5.25 Matthew Clark

£5.70 Molson Coors

£3.90 Broadland Wineries

£6.00 Boutinot

£5.55 Boutinot

£5.45 Boutinot

£5.94 Majestic Commercial

£4.98 Majestic Commercial

£3.40 Kingsland

This Gold winner stood out for its ‘dry, aromatic, lemon and lime peel character’, according to Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair, while team leader Andres Ituarte enjoyed its ‘fresh, grapey palate and long finish that shows some femininity’. Cavalry & Guards Club’s Andre Luis Martins found it to be ‘aromatic, with a fresh citrus character’, while team leader Carlos Ferreira praised its ‘well-balanced palate and long, crisp finish’, before adding that the ‘price is fantastic’.

£5.40 Frederic Robinson

For Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group this impressive Gold medal winner opened with ‘a ripe apple and smoky character, as well as creamy and buttery notes, all very well balanced by a lively acidity, and with a delicate hazelnut hint on the finish’. Sonal Clare of Purnell’s Restaurant noted ‘honeydew melon and a lovely texture’, adding praise for its ‘balanced, honeyed notes on the palate, combined with an exotic sweetness’.

£6.00 Atlantico UK

This Gold-worthy Portuguese white was praised by Charlie Carter of Ten Green Bottles, who found a nose that was ‘grapey, with lychee and spice’ leading to ‘a soft palate with the addition of some pithy grapefruit character’, while 67 Pall Mall’s Beatrice Bessi picked up hints of ‘fresh rose petals counterbalanced with a lovely refreshing palate, and a hint of salinity, too’. Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks spoke highly of ‘warm oranges, pineapple and banana on the palate’, before suggesting it as ‘a great by-the-glass choice’.

£5.81 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Team leader Tom Forrest found ‘delicate notes of white peach and citrus on the nose, with a palate reminiscent of tinned peaches and pears and a long citrus finish’.

£4.95 Adnams

Raphael Thierry of Street XO noted ‘banana skin and melon on the nose, with candied fruit on the palate’, while team leader Jade Koch found the nose to be ‘heady and intense with pear drops to the fore yet the palate was soft and easy with apple and pears’.

£5.93 Matthew Clark

James Fryer of Woodhead 17 noted: ‘Green peppers and fresh herbs on the nose. Hints of elderflower, white pepper spice and a subtle note of white flowers and citrus wax. Finishes well.’

£5.69 Molson Coors

For team leader Nigel Lister this had a ‘very floral, gewürtzy nose with lychee and rose; a slight salinity on the finish and a lifted freshness that makes for a very user-friendly wine’.

£5.49 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group thought the wine showed notes of ‘baked pastries and butter with a creamy palate’, while team leader Laurent Richet MS admired the ‘very aromatic peach and lychee nose, lovely, elegant palate and texture, and generous length. A beautiful wine by the glass.’

£5.49 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection noted: ‘A floral nose with hints of green apple and pear, melon, peach and citrus. The palate shows good balanced acidity with asparagus, white pepper over melon and decent length.’

£5.25 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

Moio Restaurant’s Carolina W Seibel found ‘warm, yellow stone fruit and rubbery notes as well as some dark chocolate’, and continued: ‘The palate is nuanced with minerality, ripe stone fruits, a touch of nutty bitterness. The wine finishes with notes of ripe yellow peach.’

£5.35 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

Dave Cushley of Prestonfield House enjoyed this wine’s ‘fragrant lime and elderflower notes that follow up on the palate, good acidity, good intensity of flavour and a little petillance on the finish’.

£3.40 Broadland Wineries

Street XO’s Raphael Thierry enjoyed the wine’s ‘clean stone fruit and lime freshness’ and noted that ‘it has good texture and a touch of sweetness that is lifted by the fresh finish’.

£5.37 Lanchester Wine Cellars

The Dorchester’s Christopher Delalonde MS noted: ‘A floral nose of white flowers with hints of spice and minerals. Well structured with a dense mid-palate, the alcohol brings this power that would make this a good food wine. There is great balance throughout and a long finish of primary fruit.’

£5.98 Moreno Wines, Inverarity Morton

Dave Cushley of Prestonfield House described a ‘punchy, fragrant, rich, inviting nose; a nicely intense palate with fruit in abundance’, while team leader Jade Koch found ‘a lime and passion fruit nose with a freshly squeezed lemon palate that would be great with sautéed scallops or fish and chips’.

£6.00 Three Choirs Vineyards Ltd

Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club noted ‘zesty pink grapefruit aromas with a refreshing green apple palate and an elegant, peppery finish’, while team leader Andres Ituarte found the wine to be ‘fat and textural with notes of honeydew and currant leaf’.

£5.00 Molson Coors, Treasury Wine Estates

Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche found ‘candied aromas of orange and rhubarb followed by a velvety, juicy mouthfeel and a refreshing finish’, while Woodhead 17’s James Fryer, commented on the ‘delicate, floral, pear flesh palate. So elegant!’

£5.95 Portugalia Wines UK

Aster Restaurant’s Marco Marcuzzo noted: ‘A nose of citrus and tropical fruit with melon, pineapple and grapefruit. A hint of gooseberry on the palate lends a vibrant acidity and an uplifting finish.’

£5.65 Boutinot

Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group thought the wine had an aromatic nose of ‘fresh white flowers and elderflower, with a ripe lemon and lime palate and a balancing, vibrant acidity’, while team leader Laurent Richet MS noted ‘a herbal character with lemon, gooseberry and fresh mint’.

£4.79 Majestic Commercial

Sylwester Piasecki of Zuma picked up this wine’s ‘pronounced tropical fruit aromatics of lime and pineapple, and a palate of fresh citrus and pineapple with a zesty grapefruit finish’.

£5.09 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

Christopher Delalonde MS of The Dorchester described this as having ‘ripe pears, apples and a touch of marshmallow with brisk acidity’.

£3.85 Broadland Wineries

For Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club this had ‘a perfumed nose of elderberries with a lemon zest palate and a ripe finish’.

£3.90 Broadland Wineries

Sonal Clare of Purnell’s Restaurant noted a ‘spicy, capsicum nose with sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Clean and crisp the wine finishes with a savoury acidity.’

£5.53 Lanchester Wine Cellars

Beatrice Bessi of 67 Pall Mall found a ‘vibrant, juicy, citrusy, herbal profile on the nose: sage, basil and cress… followed with a very refreshing, balanced long finish’.

£5.50 Eurowines

Le Gavroche’s Rémi Cousin noted the ‘heady aromas of ripe stone fruit – white peach – and the nicely bitter spice finish’.

£6.00 Boutinot

Oliver Nagy of Hakkasan Hanway Place found ‘aromatic notes of apricot, peaches and cream that carried on through to the palate; medium body and acidity and a ripe fruit finish’.

£5.70 Boutinot

Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair found this wine to be ‘dry citrusy and fresh, with green fruit notes’.

£4.65 C&D Wines

Team leader Nigel Lister enjoyed the ‘fresh, floral nose, a juicy peach and pear palate and the slight petillance to help bring freshness’. His suggestion? ‘Try with ceviche.’

£4.00 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£5.67 Matthew Clark

£5.25 Matthew Clark

£6.00 Matthew Clark

£5.55 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£5.55 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£5.09 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

£4.98 Broadland Wineries

£3.60 Broadland Wineries

£4.00 Raymond Reynolds

£5.75 Inverarity Morton

£5.11 Marta Vine

£5.50 CyT UK

£6.00 R D Wines

£5.40 Boutinot

£5.10 Boutinot

£5.90 Boutinot

£4.85 Majestic Commercial

£5.03 Majestic Commercial

£5.94 Majestic Commercial

£3.40 Kingsland

£5.89 Unity Wines & Spirits

£5.40 Unity Wines & Spirits

£5.62 Enotria&Coe

£4.98 Molson Coors

As this was elevated to Gold, Claire Love of Loves Consultancy praised its ‘smoky, mineral and lemon aromatics, with fresh, vibrant pear and fig, as well as Braeburn apple, and a concentrated, elegant finish’, while team leader Nigel Lister described ‘banana, guava, peach and apricot notes leading to a creamy mid-palate’. Le Gavroche’s Rémi Cousin picked up ‘ripe stone fruit and an orange blossom note’, before concluding that it was ‘zingy, fresh and appealing’.

£20.78 The Wine Rascals

‘An excellent all-rounder,’ began impressed team leader Charlie Young as this was awarded a well-deserved Gold, going on to describe ‘a full, dark, spicy nose, leading to a puff of small berry fruit, light tannins and great length, with a cracking finish’. Woodhead 17’s James Fryer highlighted some ‘peppery tones and chalky tannins’, while Daniel Loughlin of 20 Stories thought the combination would be ‘great with a rack of lamb’.

£12.45 Top Selection

Team leader Lionel Periner enjoyed the ‘lemon and floral aromas’ of this Silver medal-winning wine, and described the palate as ‘simple, dry and easy on the acidity’.

£10.15 González Byass

Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group found ‘heavy bread crust notes on the nose’ and was impressed by its ‘smoky yeastiness on the palate, with vanilla notes, honey and a rather long finish’.

£13.33 Boutinot

Anita Vighova of Manor House Hotel described ‘layer upon layer of savoury notes and red fruit, with additional tobacco, cedar, blackcurrant leaf and cherry brandy, with big, bold acidity and big tannins, too’, adding that it ‘would be great with a rich stew’.

£20.00 Malux Hungarian Wine & Spirits

‘An incredibly pronounced nose, and very developed,’ began Sean Arthur of Cliveden House, who found ‘violet petals and dark fruit, with ripe but integrated tannins, and a toasted, persistent finish – a good food wine’.

£17.01 Top Selection Ltd

Team leader Charlie Young described ‘an impressive wine that’s gentle but deep, with savoury aromas, good fruit definition, and some fine tannins’.

£12.20 Malux Hungarian Wine & Spirits

‘A great wine,’ thought Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche, with its ‘lovely phenolics and texture’. He went on to suggest that ‘with stone fruits and length’, this is a ‘wine for food’.

£22.76 Top Selection

£11.27 Bibendum

£17.01 Top Selection

£10.95 Top Selection

‘Initially showing some balsamic development on the nose, this has great complexity and balance on the palate,’ began Street XO’s Raphael Thierry on encountering this clear Gold winner, before describing ‘red and dark fruit, some chocolate, and dark spice from the oak, along with good tannic structure and a long finish’. For team leader Andres Ituarte there were also some ‘oregano, pepper and vanilla notes, and big, balanced tannins’.

£22.67 Kedem Europe

For team leader Tom Forrest this approachable Gold Lister had ‘light bubblegum and cherry on the nose, as well as some spice aromas, followed by more soft cherry fruits on the spicy palate, as well as some vanilla’. Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants added praise for its ‘vibrant nose, with fresh fruits and some nice spice’, going on to describe ‘blackcurrant and anise on the palate, with smooth tannins’.

£7.00 Kedem Europe

Tasters were intrigued by this Gold Lister’s exotic, tropical notes, with team leader Lionel Periner finding ‘banana and candied lemon, leading to some apple on the dry palate, and a light, elegant finish’, while Jordan Moore of Trullo enjoyed notes of ‘elderflower, acacia and lychee’. ‘Fine, elegant and refreshing,’ praised Le Gavroche’s Rémi Cousin, who found ‘lovely fruit and crisp acidity’, not to mention some great value for money.

£7.00 Kedem Europe

This undisputed Gold medallist had ‘blueberries on the nose, joined by red cherries and strawberries, and all leading to a beautiful, silky texture on the palate, that’s well balanced between acidity, length and complexity,’ began Roberto Sanchez of Sexy Fish. Team leader Andres Ituarte, meanwhile, found it to have ‘a fresh style, with lots of pepper and violets, and a long finish of red fruit’ and added that ‘it will age, but needs big meat dishes now’.

£33.00 Kedem Europe

This was a hit with Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, who described it as ‘smoky, with vanilla and ripe fruit on the nose’. She found the palate ‘rich with a refreshing finish’, which she attributed to ‘the presence of the oak’.

£25.00 Kedem Europe

‘A lovely nose of cherries and sugar plums, as well as some cinnamon spice, leading to a complex palate with acidity and structure well balanced, and all overlaid with delicious fruit – a great wine,’ said team leader Angela Reddin.

£22.00 Kedem Europe

Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn admired this wine’s ‘great integration, balance of fruit, elegance and weight, with notes of plum, damson and loganberry’. Additional notes, according to team leader Tom Forrest, included ‘ripe red and black aromas, as well as some liquorice spice and vanilla, leading to cherries and berries on the palate, with some currants, too’.

£38.00 Kedem Europe

‘This is fresh, lively and balanced, with ripe tannins and integrated oak, leading to a lingering finish,’ said Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants, describing ‘floral aromas, as well as cedar and spice’. Gymkhana Restaurant’s Savvas Symeonidis further described ‘violets and roses on a perfumed nose, with black fruit, sweet spices, leather and forest floor on the palate’.

£26.66 Kedem Europe

Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group described this Silver medal-winning wine as ‘crisp and lemony, with essences of melon and ripe fruit. Herbs and grassiness dominate the length, partnered by lively acidity’.

£11.58 Kedem Europe

‘There’s overall harmony here,’ began Savvas Symeonidis of Gymkhana Restaurant, who described ‘some interesting spices, as well as some bruised black fruit notes’. The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones thought this showed ‘good winemaking, with good balance of fresh berry fruit, some spiciness and length, and a menthol finish’.

£16.66 Kedem Europe

Team leader Jade Koch found ‘an intense nose, with liquorice and blackcurrant’. ‘A fruity and peppery nose, with some spices too, and a hint of clove,’ added The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi, going on to describe ‘a mature yet jammy palate, with good tannins’.

£22.67 Kedem Europe

Team leader Jade Koch found this to be ‘bright and energetic, with a hint of strawberry, ripe acidity and some fine, dusty tannins’. Texture’s Alan Bednarski, meanwhile, noted its ‘good tannic structure, with complexity, and not over-extracted, with the alcohol well integrated’.

£30.83 Kedem Europe

‘Lovely aromas of fresh fruit, with floral notes such as jasmine, lilies and a little acacia,’ said Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche.

£7.00 Kedem Europe

‘Aromas of violets, roses, liquorice and kirsch lead to some great structure on the palate – a great wine by any standard,’ thought team leader Angela Reddin.

£37.33 Kedem Europe

‘This has good depth, with cooked black-fruit coulis and both dried and fresh berry fruit,’ said team leader Angela Reddin, who further thought that it was ‘long and succulent, and will age’.

£40.00 Kedem Europe

‘Sour cherries and blackcurrant on the nose, with a hint of violets,’ began Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, going on to describe ‘a palate that shows a lot of attention to hedgerow fruits, with oak used to add a lovely bit of spice’. Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group identified ‘cedar, cocoa and a lovely bouquet of wild berries, leading to velvety tannins’ and described it as ‘a well-structured wine’.

£30.00 Kedem Europe

‘Savoury notes of herbs and blueberries on the nose, leading to good tannins on the palate, with some cherry and wild berry notes, too,’ said Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, while Alan Bednarski of Texture remarked on its ‘elegance and good acidity, with crème de cassis notes too’.

£26.66 Kedem Europe

£16.65 Kedem Europe

£18.67 Kedem Europe

£35.00 Kedem Europe

£9.32 Liberty Wines

£13.33 Kedem Europe

£13.60 Kedem Europe

£26.66 Kedem Europe

£20.00 Kedem Europe

£22.00 Kedem Europe

£19.16 Kedem Europe

£30.66 Kedem Europe

£23.33 Kedem Europe

£37.33 Kedem Europe

With its ‘wow factor’, according to team leader Charlie Young, a Gold medal was certain here. Young went on to speak of ‘elegance, depth and very well-defined fruit, with citrus, apple and almond notes’, while impressed team leader Laura Rhys MS described it as a ‘polished, classy wine, with herbaceous notes, lovely acidity and minerality, too’. House of Sake’s Honami Matsumoto decided that its ‘grapefruit and yellow citrus, with a hint of saltiness and smokiness’ made it perfect for ‘veal with tuna mayonnaise’.

£22.50 Delitalia

Earning a spot on the Gold podium with its ‘aromatic style’, this Pinot Grigio had, for team leader Lionel Periner, impressive ‘floral and lemon aromas, leading to white pear on the palate, with well-balanced acidity’. It was ‘super-crisp and bright, with some peach and banana peel, and a pétillance’, according to Woodhead 17’s James Fryer, while Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia noted ‘lemon and lime peel, and green apple, too, with good freshness’.

£7.87 AZIENDA VINICOLA TALAMONTI SRL

With its ‘concentration and elegance’, according to Gymkhana Restaurant’s Savvas Symeonidis, this couldn’t be anything but Gold. Symeonidis went on to describe ‘sweet spices and a creaminess, alongside citrus and stone fruit’, while Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia thought it ‘rich and smoky, with almond and brioche, with real complexity on the rounded palate’. ‘A sweet almond, marzipan nose and a generous, warm and balanced palate, with some juicy, intense acidity and a lingering honeyed almond finish,’ concluded team leader Lionel Periner.

£20.30 Eurowines

A unanimous Gold for our judges, with House of Sake’s Honami Matsumoto finding it ‘mineral and salty, with citrus and white stone fruit, and some good concentration’, before recommending it be paired with seafood. Consultant Anja Breit described ‘lemon peel and apple, as well as a herbal note’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS concluded: ‘Fresh, elegant and fruit-driven, with some herbal notes – a super glass of wine as an aperitif, and great value too!’

£6.35 Boutinot

‘Pure, crystalline and very incisive’ were the Gold-worthy characteristics that impressed Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan here, who found notes of ‘saffron, leading to a mineral, salty finish, with a lovely texture’. Consultant Anja Breit added praise for this ‘classy wine, with ripe apple and stone fruit, good spice and green herbs’ and a palate that featured ‘yellow apple and lemon pith, and an oiliness on the finish’, which made it ideal for ‘richer fish dishes such as smoked salmon with horseradish cream’.

£17.35 Matthew Clark

‘Lime zest, peach, rubber and petrol’ summed up this Gold Lister’s complex nose, according to team leader Lionel Periner, who went on to describe ‘a dry, well-structured palate with walnuts and ripe yellow fruit’. Fellow team leader Carlos Ferreira declared it ‘a beautiful wine’, which had ‘very complex notes of stone fruit and pear, with excellent acidity’, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 praised ‘oxidative bruised apple notes and oily caramel and nutty notes, with some bright fruit and coconut on the finish’.

£25.99 Top Selection

‘Green asparagus, gooseberry and lime leaf, with flinty flavours, too,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS, while Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastropub spoke of ‘sun and sea breezes, with floral notes and exotic fruit, leading to grapefruit and orange blossom on the finish’.

£20.92 Casata Mergè

‘Beautiful tropical fruits on the nose,’ began Cliveden House’s Sean Arthur, who described this wine as ‘very well balanced, with great drinkability’, while Manor House Hotel’s Anita Vighova described ‘floral notes, and a savouriness that carries through to the palate, joined by orange and lemon’.

£10.50 Liberty Wines

‘Earthy and mineral, with some good floral notes,’ was consultant Emanuel Pesqueira’s first impression, while Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan went on to identify ‘saffron and white pepper notes, alongside bright stone fruit – fresh, zesty, ripe and bittersweet’.

£11.78 AZIENDA VINICOLA TALAMONTI SRL

Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant appreciated this wine’s ‘ripe stone fruit character, with peach and a hint of melon’, while Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan described it as ‘bright and vivacious, with zesty, peppery aromas, and some elegance on the palate, leading to a fresh, crisp finish’.

£10.48 VinumTerra

‘A fun wine, with richness and complexity shining through,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS, who went on to describe ‘honeysuckle, some waxy, bruised apple, and cinnamon bun’, while Adam Michocki of The Glasshouse summarised it as ‘a fruit-forward wine for a summer picnic’.

£8.95 Eurowines

For Adam Michocki of The Glasshouse, this was ‘rounded and concentrated, with good orchard fruit and floral notes’, while Elena Serban of Hakkasan found it ‘refreshing, with some spiciness, and oak present but not overpowering’.

£12.00 Armit

‘A great example of a classic, foodie Verdicchio,’ decided team leader Charlie Young, on the basis that this wine had ‘marzipan and almond aromas, which lead to quite a rich palate, with some decent complexity, too’.

£8.65 Eurowines

This opened with ‘freshly baked pastry, cream, apricots and acacia honey on the nose’, according to Manor House Hotel’s Anita Vighova, who found ‘quite a rich palate, and herbaceous, with a dry finish, making this a great food wine’.

£13.75 Eurowines

‘A lovely floral aroma, with some fresh apple, too,’ began Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant, who went on to describe this as ‘lively, fresh and fruity – an easy-drinking wine that’s good value for money’.

£6.72 Bibendum

‘An elegant wine that’s peppery on the nose, with some wet stone notes,’ began Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan, further describing ‘silky texture, with some bitter lemon notes’, while Flat Three Restaurant’s Heesoo Kang thought it ‘a food-friendly wine, with good weight and body’.

£7.45 Boutinot

Manor House Hotel’s Anita Vighova found ‘floral notes and white grapes, as well as some lemon juice, with zingy acidity and some almond notes on the finish’.

£12.50 Liberty Wines

‘Candied lemon peel, almost oily in its nature’ was joined by ‘a resinous character on the palate, with hints of pine and bergamot’, thought 67 Pall Mall’s Terry Kandylis.

£8.74 Alivini

‘Citrus and salinity on the nose, followed by a very juicy and appealing palate, with well-integrated acidity and minerality, and an elegant, dry finish,’ said Mattia Mazzi of The River Cafe.

£13.25 Eurowines

‘A great value, straightforward, crisp white wine,’ said The River Cafe’s Mattia Mazzi, while team leader Lionel Periner highlighted its ‘refreshing, fruity style, with good acidity’.

£6.14 Vinexus Ltd

‘A flinty, mineral nose, leading to a juicy palate with more minerality, and all balanced by some crisp acidity – a great wine for food matching,’ thought Mattia Mazzi of The River Cafe.

£9.22 Wine Traders

‘Grassy, floral and perfumed, with an exotic smoky note, leading to a fruity palate with well-balanced acidity and good weight,’ said Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant.

£14.56 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£15.00 Liberty Wines

£10.39 Alivini

£20.00 Delitalia

£8.52 AZIENDA VINICOLA TALAMONTI SRL

£10.48 VinumTerra

£14.05 Eurowines

£11.15 Eurowines

£7.80 Eurowines

£7.50 Eurowines

£7.70 Eurowines

£16.87 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£12.35 Boutinot

£7.25 Boutinot

£6.90 Boutinot

£15.03 Cantina Orsogna

£9.15 Bibendum

£12.81 Top Selection

£13.66 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

For team leader Carlos Ferreira, this Syrah was ‘a big wine, but very well balanced, with notes of blackcurrant and vanilla’, while fellow team leader Tom Forrest described it as ‘lightly spiced and juicy, with soft cherry fruit’. ‘Velvety and toasty,’ added Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam.

£20.92 Casata Mergè

This worthy Gold winner was ‘bursting with flavour’, according to team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, who spoke of ‘vivid sour cherry notes’, while Ennio Pucciarelli of Kahani London described it as ‘quite intense, with violet and a touch of smoke, leading to a juicy and refreshing palate, with velvety tannins’. Victoria Sharples of St John Wines, meanwhile, enjoyed notes of ‘rich, round plums and bright acidity’. ‘Great value and an excellent choice by the glass,’ concluded team leader Laura Rhys MS.

£7.69 VinumTerra

Impressed by this lighter, fresher style of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, judges handed over a well-deserved Gold, while team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW described a ‘silky palate full of juice, like plums and damson’. Consultant Cinthia Lozano appreciated its ‘round tannins, and smooth and dry palate, with oaky notes of chocolate and coffee’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS spoke highly of its ‘dark cherries and blackcurrants, along with some liquorice spice’.

£11.18 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Team leader Hamish Anderson was impressed by this Gold winner’s ‘great nose and classical palate’, going on to describe ‘lavender and pepper aromas, with red fruit, spice and minerals, as well as good grip and structure on the finish’. Joshua Castle of Noble Rot described ‘tannins suave and captivating, along with tomato leaf, ripe red fruit and cardamom spice’, while team leader Lionel Periner thought the palate ‘mature, full bodied, complex, with an elegant finish’.

£24.87 Berkmann Wine Cellars

As an impressed panel of judges elevated this to Gold, consultant Cinthia Lozano praised it as ‘complex and round, with smooth blackberry fruit and a velvety texture, with stunning aromas of mocha and coffee’. Finding it ‘toasty and smoky, with leather, prune, thyme and rosemary’, and going on to describe a ‘well-structured palate with firm, powdery tannins’, The Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki thought this would be ‘great with venison in a prune sauce with red cabbage’.

£23.52 Cantina Orsogna

‘This is rich, powerful and dense,’ said team leader Hamish Anderson, ‘with notes of grilled meat, stewed plum and earth; yet there is a real feeling of poise in the power. It’s iron and grippy to the finish – an intriguing and complex wine.’

£18.95 Casata Mergè

‘An intensely complex nose with bitter cherries and chocolate, are followed by a ripe fruit palate and uncompromising but ripe tannins,’ said team leader Hamish Anderson, ‘and there’s a warm, earthy finish that would make this great with hearty braised meats.’

£11.50 Armit Wines

With its ‘deep brambly nose with wild herbs, spice and earth there’s a lot going on for the price’, said team leader Hamish Anderson, adding: ‘The palate has red cherry, herbs and meat. It’s lovely characterful stuff.’

£7.00 Boutinot

‘This has farmyardy aromas, with notes of the forest floor,’ said Adam Michocki of The Glasshouse, while team leader Laura Rhys MS noted: ‘With its ripe and jammy, rich dark fruits it’s certainly bold and intense.’

£11.13 Cantina Orsogna

‘This has high intensity and is very concentrated with pronounced notes of cedar with supple tannins,’ said Lucie Kalertova of Sexy Fish, adding: ‘Black cherry and liquorice coat the palate, with raisiny notes leading to a long finish.’

£11.13 Cantina Orsogna

‘A deep and powerful brooding nose,’ noted team leader Hamish Anderson, ‘this feels very modern and polished – almost New World in style; but it certainly has an appeal.’

£7.50 Continental Wine and Food

With its ‘dense, black fruit and balsamic notes’, Ennio Pucciarelli of Kahani London noted that this brooding wine was ‘fresh, though tannic and long’.

£51.50 Delitalia

‘This feels very savoury,’ said Lucie Kalertova of Sexy Fish, ‘'it’s aromatic with meaty, smoky and herbaceous bell pepper aromas; the black cherry palate finishes long.’

£21.53 Matthew Clark

£10.39 Alivini

£8.52 AZIENDA VINICOLA TALAMONTI SRL

£10.48 VinumTerra

£27.35 Eurowines

£31.90 Eurowines

£28.95 Eurowines

£21.30 Eurowines

£7.80 Eurowines

£16.45 Eurowines

£11.50 Eurowines

£9.22 Wine Traders

£21.02 Liberty Wines

£12.65 Bibendum

As this took its place on the Gold podium, The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia expressed appreciation of its ‘very concentrated morello cherries and subtle spices, with a smooth, yet softly structured palate that will age well’, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 enjoyed notes of ‘sap and varnish, with black fruits and milk chocolate, too’. Finding it ‘rich and balanced’, Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse thought it would be ideal to serve alongside ‘liver and bacon with sautéed apples’.

£25.06 Bibendum

This ‘rich and intense’ Chianti Classico Riserva, according to Paola Giraldo of Wiltons, was clearly a candidate for Gold, with team leader Laura Rhys MS describing it as ‘perfumed and floral’, with ‘black cherries and cherry stone notes, and good tannic structure’, while Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group found it ‘very elegant, with some liquorice and woody notes’. An ‘amazingly silky texture, with elegant tannins and dark fruit flavours’ made this a good accompaniment for ‘winter dishes’, thought team leader Lionel Periner.

£17.00 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Amid generous praise from our judges, this was awarded not only a Gold medal but a Food Match award, too, with team leader Martin Lam approving of its ‘proper Chianti profile, with pencil shavings and a cherry-fruit nose, more sour cherry on the palate, and a savoury finish’. Raphael Thierry of Street XO, meanwhile, was impressed by its ‘tannic structure balanced by good freshness, and some redcurrant, mocha and tobacco notes’.

£9.22 Vinexus Ltd

As this earned itself a well-deserved Gold, Paola Giraldo of Wiltons had praise for its ‘elegant nose and delicate aromas, leading to intense spices and ripe fruits on the palate, with great length’, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 appreciated notes of ‘coffee, red earth and leather, along with dried black fruits and grippy tannins’. Further noting ‘dense dark berry fruits, as well as chocolate and liquorice’, team leader Nigel Lister added: ‘Pappardelle with wild boar ragu, anyone?’

£13.10 Boutinot

For Valentin Radosav of Gymkhana Restaurant, this Gold-worthy Gran Selezione was ‘ripe and expressive, with grippy tannins, cherries, sweet cardamom spice and vanilla’. Team leader Andres Ituarte thought it ‘bright, pretty and elegant, as well as mineral and earthy, with oaky, spicy notes’, while Raphael Thierry of Street XO appreciated its ‘good fruit concentration, with redcurrants and strawberries, as well as well-integrated oak, with tobacco, mocha and cinnamon, and a long, fresh finish’.

£29.15 Boutinot

This aromatic wine brought notes of ‘clove, cinnamon, vanilla and honeycomb’ to the nose of team leader Jan Konetzki, while for Claire Love of Loves Consultancy there was ‘concentrated cherry note’ and ‘a morello cherry palate with a thyme and sage finish’.

£13.73 Fattoria Villa Saletta Società Agricola srl

‘This has a lifted, perfumed nose of cherry pie and a nicely mineral, crunchy palate,’ said Michael Fiducia of The Royal Automobile Club. ‘It’s rich, with a lot character,’ added Paola Giraldo of Wiltons.

£21.18 Bibendum

For Raphael Thierry of Street XO this wine brought ‘an aromatic umami note of stewed tomato peel; there are juicy tannins and a long refreshing finish, where the fruit is peppered with complex notes of cinnamon and mocha’.

£15.84 Bibendum

‘This is a great example of the 2015 vintage,’ said Alan Bednarski of Texture, adding: ‘Along with the good, ripe, stewed red cherry and strawberry fruit, there are notes of cherry in chocolate and ripe red currants with tarry balsamic notes; plus great aromatics with orange zest, violet and rose.’

£33.15 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Nice forest fruits, with dark chocolate, black pepper and tobacco,’ said Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection, adding: ‘It’s juicy, with sweet tannins and fine use of oak, plus there’s good balance and length.’

£15.70 Castello Vicchiomaggio

‘Very ripe dark and red cherry fruit with violet, clove and mocha aromatics,’ said team leader Jan Konetzki, while Claire Love of Loves Consultancy thought it had ‘great concentration of sour cherry with herbal notes and good texture’.

£25.65 Eurowines

This Chianti had much to commend it, with team leader Jan Konetzki finding ‘barnyard notes with game and leather’ among the ‘red and black cherry fruit’. He described the palate as ‘dry and grippy with good length’ and thought ‘osso bucco would be a good match’.

£8.15 Boutinot

‘Nice, elegant nose,’ said Paola Giraldo of Wiltons, adding: ‘It’s spiced, with red plum flavours; there’s fairly high tannins, but it’s elegant, with nice, long length. This would be really good with steak.’

£9.50 Boutinot

Nicely aromatic, this Chianti brought ‘notes of violets, cinnamon, clove and dark chocolate’ to team leader Jan Konetzki, with a ‘good dry finish’.

£9.99 Vinexus Ltd

For Texture’s Alan Bednarski ‘this medium-bodied wine has good black cherry fruit with fresh floral notes and good concentration’.

£9.16 Matthew Clark

Team leader Jan Konetzki found this wine to have ‘fresh and very ripe dark cherry fruit with a dry, oak-spiced, herbaceous finish and good acidity’.

£15.44 Matthew Clark

‘This is well balanced and earthy, cooked red fruits, plum, chocolate and spice and leather; plus, there’s smooth tannins and a decent finish.’

£15.70 Matthew Clark

‘This could work well served by the glass,’ thought Paola Giraldo of Wiltons, adding: ‘It’s aromatic, with ripe red fruit and sour cherry, rich tannins and notes of liquorice.’

£8.45 Molson Coors, Treasury Wine Estates

‘A lovely nose,’ said Paola Giraldo of Wiltons, ‘there’s rich plums, spice with dried herbs and lots of character.’

£8.85 Boutinot

For Claire Love of Loves Consultancy this brought hints of ‘cherries and tea leaves to the nose’, and had a ‘fresh, creamy, juicy character with gentle fruit’.

£6.30 Majestic Commercial

‘Very animal aromatics,’ thought The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia, ‘and the smell of old leather armchairs’. ‘It’s certainly rich, with lots of character,’ added Paola Giraldo of Wiltons.

£24.58 Enotria&Coe

£26.78 La Sala

£14.58 Vinexus Ltd

£12.00 Matthew Clark

£25.26 Matthew Clark

£6.95 Boutinot

£31.27 Liberty Wines

£17.09 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Judges had praise for this Gold winner’s great value, as well as ‘purity of fruit and bright acidity’, according to team leader Andres Ituarte, who found it ‘concentrated and toasty’. Nut Tree Inn’s Sarah McKenzie appreciated its ‘ripe red fruits on the palate, as well as some bell pepper, and well-integrated tannins’, while team leader Carlos Ferreira found it ‘complex and peppery, with blackcurrant, blackberry and leather, as well as cigar and coffee notes’.

£7.82 Matthew Clark

Displaying all of the qualities needed for Gold, this Valpolicella was praised by Woodhead 17’s James Fryer for its ‘dark, dense purple fruit and freshly ground coffee, with sappy, plush black fruit on the palate, as well as some black pepper, finishing with chocolate and leather’. ‘Concentrated, big and bold with lovely liquorice and sweet spice along with the cherry and plum fruit, and a nice texture, too,’ said Diana Rollan of D&D, adding that its acidity made it ideal ‘to pair with oily fish’.

£13.40 Mondial Wine

With team leader Laura Rhys MS describing this Amarone as ‘rich, bold, meaty and complex, with black fruit and tar’, and declaring that ‘this wine has everything’, it’s unsurprising that it was awarded not only a Gold medal but a Critics’ Choice award, too. An impressed Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant found it ‘fresh and vibrant, with liquorice, chocolate, prune and tobacco’, while consultant Anja Breit described ‘smoke, raisins and dried fruit, with some marzipan and cherries, too’.

£35.15 Eurowines

‘Super-complex and very powerful,’ praised team leader Laurent Richet MS as this was elevated to Gold status, while Giorgio Scarsella of The Stafford was impressed by its ‘great purity of fruit’, describing it as ‘elegant and velvety, with baked cherry, cinnamon and star anise’. ‘A really exciting wine,’ added impressed team leader Laura Rhys MS, who found it to be ‘dark, rich and inky, with some minerality and polished tannins’, which all made it ideal for ‘rich, meaty stews’.

£70.25 Eurowines

As judges handed over the Gold, Gymkhana Restaurant’s Savvas Symeonidis spoke highly of this Valpolicella’s ‘perfumed nose with black fruit, leading to some tart acidity’, while La Trompette’s Virginia Fontò thought ‘its persistent tannins and sour cherry and strawberry flavours make it feel versatile’. ‘Spiciness and some mint on the nose, leading to a complex palate with good, fresh acidity’ made this ‘a great wine for a Sunday roast’, concluded team leader Carlos Ferreira.

£11.09 Bibendum

This great-value Amarone was easily worthy of a Gold medal for its ‘good fruit intensity’, according to Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant, who went on to describe a wine that was ‘earthy, spicy and woody, with rich cherry notes and generous tannins’. ‘For the price point it’s hard to beat,’ added consultant Anja Breit, who described ‘wood, smoke and dark berry fruit’, and suggested this was served with ‘braised meat or ox cheek’.

£15.12 Direct Wines

With judge Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn describing this as ‘gamey and built to last, with really great balance and richness, with a long lasting finish’, it’s no surprise this went home with Gold. Team leader Carlos Ferreira appreciated its ‘smoky nose of oak, vanilla, tobacco leaves and leather, with a palate that’s elegant, smooth and aromatic, with lots of complexity’, while Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia described notes of ‘red cherries and plums, orange marmalade and a herbaceous note, too’.

£19.90 Boutinot

This was clearly destined for no less than Gold, with ‘a savoury nose with black tea and prunes’, according to team leader Laurent Richet MS, and notes of ‘clove, prune and chocolate, and a sweet palate that has an oxidative note but is very fruit forward’, according to Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston. ‘Elegant and silky,’ added team leader Laura Rhys MS, who enjoyed its ‘juicy, sweet red and black fruits’.

£36.70 Top Selection

‘Rather opulent’ was Diana Rollan of D&D’s first impression of this great-value Gold winner, going on to praise its ‘savoury notes of tapenade as well as dense cherry and kirsch’, while Virginia Fontò of La Trompette appreciated its ‘notes of tobacco leaf and cigar box’. Woodhead 17’s James Fryer, meanwhile, pointed out ‘an almost lacquer character on the nose’, which led to ‘vanilla and nutty chocolate notes on the palate’.

£14.10 Top Selection

‘Great spicy, very “Mediterranean” flavours,’ thought team leader Lionel Periner, adding: ‘There’s good aromas of fresh-picked red berries and a nice floral note. The palate is balanced with refreshing acidity and a long finish.’ ‘Spicy and earthy,’ added The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones.

£10.48 Casa Vinicola Sartori S.p.A.

While Sarah McKenzie of Nut Tree Inn found a nose of ‘farmyard, black pepper and plenty of spice’, Michael Fiducia of The Royal Automobile Club enjoyed the ‘savoury, baked fruits, fine structure and good length’.

£29.05 Eurowines

‘There’s a nice, smoky nose with an earthy rustic finish,’ noted Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks. ‘It offers good complexity at this price point,’ added team leader Andres Ituarte, agreeing that it had an ‘earthy style with crunchy red fruit’.

£6.17 Moreno Wines, Inverarity Morton

‘Juicy and balanced, this is very approachable and easy to drink,’ said D&D’s Diana Rollan, adding: ‘With its fruity notes of blueberry and cherry this has great by-the-glass potential.’ ‘Elegant and pure, light and fresh,’ thought La Trompette’s Virginia Fontò.

£10.55 Boutinot

Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks picked out the aromatics, finding ‘piquant notes of resin, violets and a leather’. For team leader Andres Ituarte, meanwhile, it had ‘big, woody notes, lots of oak grip and jammy fruit with a touch of vanilla’ and he thought it would be ‘a style that lots of people will like’.

£13.55 New Generation Wines, New Generation McKinley

‘Perhaps it lacks a bit of acidity but everything else is outstanding,’ said Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant, pointing to the ‘ripe, jammy, almost baked fruits, like cherry pie or cooked strawberry’ and the ‘subtle notes of raspberries and strawberry sorbet’.‘It may have grippy tannins,’ he added, ‘but it’s very drinkable.’

£46.29 Liberty Wines

‘Classic style, going back to its roots; very enjoyable wine,’ said Benares Restaurant & Bar’s Filip Viorel, adding: ‘Lots of black olive tapenade, excellent balsamic notes and a slightly oxidative style. Absolutely beautiful.’

£26.30 Top Selection

Diana Rollan of D&D liked the ‘lifted notes of blackberries, blackcurrant, tea leaf, tobacco and dark chocolate’ and found it ‘well balanced and concentrated, yet with refreshing acidity’. She thought it was ‘craving for roast lamb’. Virginia Fontò of La Trompette summed it up as ‘outstanding and great value for money’.

£18.66 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

For Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks, this was another aromatic wine, with a ‘medicinal nose, dense black fruit, notes of tar and crunchy a red fruit finish’.

£20.39 Lanchester Wine Cellars

Sean Arthur of Cliveden House found this a typical example of the style: ‘With its touch of salinity, raisins and prune notes, and intense, dark red fruit, this well-balanced wine tastes like a definitive recipe for Amarone.’

£29.00 Mondial Wine

Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks described this as an aromatic wine with notes of ‘pine and eucalyptus’ that led to a palate of ‘raspberry fruit and tar’.

£7.50 New Generation Wines, New Generation McKinley

Team leader Carlos Ferreira noted ‘plums and black pepper with dried cherry and vanilla’ and described the palate as ‘fresh with good balance’ and the finish as ‘long and clean’.

£29.75 Eurowines

‘Richly aromatic with dried dates and prune, chocolate, coffee, tobacco and herbs,’ said Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant, adding: ‘Good intensity of fruit concentration is balanced by fairly high acidity through a long finish.’

£40.70 Matthew Clark

‘This would work with raw meat,’ said Virginia Fontò of La Trompette, describing ‘clean and pure strawberry and plum flavours with balanced acidity and tannins’ and summing it up as ‘rather elegant’.

£10.22 Berkmann Wine Cellars

For Francesca Turra of Mondrian London this had a ‘powerful and intense nose’ with ‘red fruit, chocolate and leather’. She described ‘a very good palate’ and found it ‘pleasant to drink’ and ‘full bodied with well-handled oaky tannins’.

£9.05 cantina valpolicella negrar

£9.24 Matthew Clark

£24.35 Mondial Wine

£27.43 Casa Vinicola Sartori S.p.A.

£11.78 Casa Vinicola Sartori S.p.A.

£16.20 Eurowines

£8.65 Eurowines

£8.05 Eurowines

£30.39 Bibendum

£42.00 Bibendum

£29.33 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£5.92 Direct Wines

£39.90 Boutinot

£38.44 Top Selection

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

This ‘rich and developed’ Gold winner, for Moio Restaurant’s Carolina W Seibel, had some appealing notes of ‘yellow stone fruit and baked pastry, and a yeasty note’, while team leader Carlos Ferreira spoke highly of ‘lemon pie and peach, with a complex palate and big finish, with some white spices and good acidity – a very well-made wine’. Fellow team leader Martin Lam added praise for its ‘very creamy palate, with a toasted, vanilla character’.

£22.30 Eurowines

Unsurprisingly taking home a handful of awards, including a Gold medal, this Chardonnay drew praise from judges for its complex notes of ‘apricot and lemon verbena’, according to team leader Jan Konetzki, who enjoyed its ‘grip, and a touch of elegant bitterness’. For Roberto Sanchez of Sexy Fish it was ‘light and easy drinking, but with good balance, and some grassy, green notes – all at a remarkable price. A good by-the-glass option.’

£7.38 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Delicious’, was team leader Hamish Anderson’s summary of this Gold winner, which he described as ‘very aromatic and perfumed, with some Asian spice and ginger, leading to a more restrained palate with chalk and lime zest’, while Prestonfield House’s Dave Cushley pointed out that it was ‘voluptuous and refreshing at the same time’. ‘Rosewater, pear and lychee aromas, with a ripe, floral palate’ made this an ideal match for ‘seabass curry and coconut’, according to team leader Jan Konetzki.

£13.48 Enotria&Coe

A hit with our judges, and a clear candidate for Gold, this showed ‘oak and minerality on the nose, leading to more well-integrated oak on the palate, with some toasted sesame and good fruit, too’, according to Street XO’s Raphael Thierry, while team leader Angela Reddin found ‘white peach, crème anglaise and lemon posset, leading to a crunchy palate of cashews and lime’. ‘Lovely, delicate and light on the nose, yet very deep and complex on the palate,’ concluded Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains.

£26.81 Enotria&Coe

This worthy Gold medallist was ‘a big mouthful of crunchy, dry fruit with concentration and aromatic complexity’ for team leader Martin Lam, while Daniel Jonberger of Rockliffe Hall added praise for its ‘melon, honey and soft brioche notes, with a palate that’s zesty, with an oily touch of red apple and grapefruit, and a long finish’. ‘An oily texture, with some chalkiness and good acidity’ stood out for Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn.

£17.38 Enotria&Coe

Judges were generous in their praise of this worthy Gold winner, from team leader Laurent Richet MS’s description of it as ‘charming, and packed with minerality, blossoms, peach and apricot notes’ to fellow team leader Tom Forrest’s appreciation of its ‘typical floral, aromatic, perfumed Gewürztraminer nose’. ‘Buttery vanilla and some lemon and lime, with a fresh finish’ led The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi to recommend this be served with ‘monkfish or risotto’.

£20.37 Bibendum

As this clinched a well-deserved Gold, Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn admired ‘summer flowers and orange on the nose’, before going on to describe ‘Seville orange marmalade on the palate, alongside some good minerality and acidity, and a long, orange blossom finish’. The Cross Kenilworth’s Clément Loubeyre described ‘savoury, artichoke aromas, and some evidence of skin contact’, which led to a palate that was ‘quite rich, but with lovely acidity and good citrus flavours, leading to a long finish’.

£16.88 Bibendum

‘Delicate and elegant,’ began Raphael Thierry of Street XO in his praise of this worthy Gold medal recipient, further finding ‘smoky minerality on the nose, followed by some good fruit and white flowers, too’. With its ‘orange peel, with floral notes too, and a delicate balance’, Prestonfield House’s Dave Cushley thought this was ‘one to get to know’, while The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi thought its ‘stone fruit and honeysuckle, with creaminess on the palate balanced by freshness’ made it the right choice for ‘spiced lentil daal’.

£12.98 Bibendum

‘A toasty nose, with hints of oak, touches of brioche, and a nice dose of melon and mature pear,’ described Rockliffe Hall’s Daniel Jonberger, while Michael Fiducia of The Royal Automobile Club found it to be ‘a richer, more opulent and serious style, with stone fruit, and real depth and length’.

£13.60 Matthew Clark

‘Expressive and aromatic, with good balance, and some white peach and pear drops on the palate,’ said Pavilion Wine’s Tomasz Kuszneruk, while Rockliffe Hall’s Daniel Jonberger found it ‘light at first, with light pear fruit, before a nice oily palate, with more pear on the finish’.

£7.90 Boutinot

According to Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection, this opened with ‘citrus, herbal and white blossom aromas, as well as some white pepper’, while Julien Sahut of Sexy Fish found ‘balanced acidity and an oily texture’.

£7.15 Boutinot

‘A super-elegant wine,’ began James Fryer of Woodhead 17, who went on to describe ‘lemon pith on the nose, leading to an oily, structural palate with lemon balm notes’, while Jim Bass of Scarlet Hotel appreciatd its ‘fresh aromatics, and a clean, mineral palate’.

£12.50 Boutinot

‘A very intense, complex nose, with some spice, followed by lots of stone fruit, and an oily texture on the palate, all leading to a spicy finish,’ thought Sexy Fish’s Julien Sahut, while team leader Hamish Anderson described ‘some oak and vanilla, and a rich, generous palate’.

£22.35 Eurowines

James Fryer of Woodhead 17 found ‘apricot skin and flesh on the nose, and even a bit of smokiness, leading to more apricot, and a slight melon note, too, with a more textural mid-palate, along with some grassiness’.

£7.98 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Pretty, with gooseberry and floral aromas, like honeysuckle, leading to a palate that’s crisp, precise and dry, with some peachy stone fruit,’ said Jim Bass of Scarlet Hotel, concluding that it was ‘well made, in a popular style, and with a great price’.

£6.43 Berkmann Wine Cellars

For team leader Angela Reddin this had ‘wet stone and herbal notes like thyme’, while Roberto Sanchez of Sexy Fish thought its ‘smooth, easy-drinking character, with a long finish, would make you want to drink another glass’.

£10.71 Enotria&Coe

‘Sultanas, lychees and cardamom and ginger spice on the nose, leading to lovely balance on the palate, with nice acidity and bags of complex flavours,’ said team leader Angela Reddin, while The London Cookhouse’s Michael Moore further identified ‘rose petal and lavender, with an orange finish’.

£21.69 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Crushed apple and chalk aromas’ led, according to team leader Angela Reddin, to ‘a saline note on the palate that’s definitely moreish – shellfish anyone?’

£13.35 Boutinot

‘An attractive, elegant nose, followed by good acidity on the citrus palate, along with some stone fruit and a delicate finish,’ said Pavilion Wine’s Tomasz Kuszneruk.

£9.39 Matthew Clark

‘A good value, well-made wine,’ according to team leader Nigel Lister, who described ‘a warm, spicy nose leading to a fresh, floral palate, with some apple notes’.

£8.08 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Aromas of ‘yellow stone fruit like white peach, as well as a floral note’ led, according to Dilger Sommelier Selection’s Markus Dilger, to a palate with ‘fresh acidity, and some minerality too’.

£19.47 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£12.13 Matthew Clark

£6.60 Boutinot

£8.50 Eurowines

£22.30 Eurowines

£23.50 Eurowines

£6.43 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£6.43 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£11.19 Enotria&Coe

£18.14 Bibendum

£12.54 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

As this took its rightful place on the Gold podium, impressed team leader Hamish Anderson called it ‘toasty and young, leading to a warm, savoury and complex palate, with nuts, lemon and beeswax’. Fellow team leader Andres Ituarte, meanwhile, spoke highly of its ‘rich style, nutty and ripe, with some well-integrated fruit and balanced acids, not to mention a long, toasty finish – making it perfect with salted cod or Dungeness crab’.

£20.02 Liberty Wines

‘This has a lovely aromatic profile,’ began Raphael Thierry of Street XO on encountering this clear Gold winner, going on to describe ‘melon, apple and white flowers, leading to a nice, fresh texture and a long finish’. Sexy Fish’s Roberto Sanchez praised its ‘apricot, peach and lime notes’, finding it to be ‘really beautifully balanced and well structured’. ‘Perfect for cheese and English charcuterie – think a ploughman’s lunch on a sunny day in the country,’ concluded Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn.

£8.87 Liberty Wines

This ‘rich and textured’ Soave took home a Gold medal for ‘bright acidity with some pineapple and melon notes’, according to team leader Andres Ituarte, while Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks described it as ‘fresh and mineral, with some oily, smoked characteristics’. Julien Sahut of Sexy Fish added praise for its ‘spicy nose, leading to a richer style on the palate’, and described ‘honeycomb, tangerine, and some spiciness, with a nutty finish’.

£11.75 Top Selection

‘The nutty, buttery nose is laced with both ripe and candied lemon,’ began The River Cafe’s Mattia Mazzi, who went on to describe a palate that was ‘fresh, but with a mouth-coating texture, well-integrated oak flavours and a long, pleasant, saline finish’.

£9.90 Eurowines

‘Fresh, light and easy drinking, with nice texture and a long finish,’ described Roberto Sanchez of Sexy Fish, adding: ‘You’d want to keep drinking this until the end of the meal.’ ‘A very nice food wine,’ concluded team leader Angela Reddin.

£6.25 Frederic Robinson

‘Refreshing and pleasant, with some melon flavour, and a bit of creaminess,’ began Raphael Thierry of Street XO, while team leader Angela Reddin described ‘great typicity of pear fruit, with some spice characters too’.

£6.12 Forth Wines, Moreno Wines, Inverarity Morton

‘Delicious, balanced and food friendly,’ summarised team leader Nigel Lister, who described ‘elegant peach fruit aromas with hints of honey, leading to some floral, honeysuckle notes on the palate’. ‘Great texture, with a hint of spice,’ added Julien Sahut of Sexy Fish.

£15.27 Liberty Wines

‘Almonds, spice and fresh flowers on a very lifted and pure nose,’ began team leader Hamish Anderson, who went on to describe a palate that was ‘supple and nutty, with lemon and lime’.

£15.49 Bibendum

‘A fresh nose with lemon and a nuttiness leads to a pure and refreshing palate, with fresh lemon juice, lime leaf and some savoury nuance,’ said team leader Hamish Anderson.

£14.60 Boutinot

‘A complex, aromatic wine, and creamy, too, with toasted notes of almonds, vanilla and a hint of honey too,’ thought Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair.

£17.23 Enotria&Coe

‘A very expressive wine, with sweet papaya and mango notes, and great for Thai or spicy Indian food,’ thought Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants.

£11.37 Enotria&Coe

For Raphael Thierry of Street XO, this was ‘creamy, with bright, ripe fruit, showing melon, apple and a hint of lime, leading to a long, clean finish’.

£9.43 C&C SRL

Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection described aromas of ‘melon, apricot and almond, as well as a floral element’, going on to find ‘fresh acidity on the palate, with some green apple notes’.

£11.42 Bibendum

£7.55 Eurowines

£15.24 Enotria&Coe

£10.40 Armit

£10.15 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£7.26 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

This ‘taut and beautiful’ Gold winner had a ‘gorgeous floral, tarry nose’, according to team leader Nigel Lister, while fellow team leader Laurent Richet MS spoke highly of its ‘perfumed notes, bright tobacco and sour cherries, as well as some pencil shavings’, and further praised its ‘vibrant acidity well balanced with firm acidity’. Cliveden House’s Francisco Macedo, meanwhile, thought its ‘tertiary notes of dried fruit and liquorice’ would pair perfectly with ‘venison served with a berry sauce’.

£35.25 Mondial Wine

This Nebbiolo took home a well-deserved Gold medal for its ‘electric red rose bouquet, with marked red berry aromas’, according to Alonso Abed of Hide Above, who went on to find a palate with ‘piercing cherry and floral notes that invite you to finish the glass’. Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants found it similarly ‘approachable, with a pretty nose of juicy fruits, and good structure – a very bright and vibrant wine’.

£13.14 Davy's Wine Merchants

As this took its place on the Gold List, team leader Jade Koch described ‘tea and purple fruit notes, as well as some chocolate liqueur’, and found it to be ‘elegant and lingering, sweet and taut’, while The Gilbert Scott’s Juan Manuel Marcos Perez noted its ‘intense flavours, with ripe tannins and fruit well integrated with the oak’. ‘A juicy palate of cherries, cedar and tobacco’ all led team leader Laurent Richet MS to picture this alongside a ‘peppered steak with morel mushrooms and green asparagus’.

£15.89 Wine Traders

Judges were generous in their praise of this Gold Lister, with Elena Serban of Hakkasan finding ‘great varietal definition, with cherry and plum, and a nice floral lift’, while for Charlie Carter of Ten Green Bottles there were ‘fresh tomato leaf aromas and hints of coffee’. An impressed Daniel Jonberger of Rockliffe Hall further described it as ‘smooth, with notes of lavender’, before adding that ‘the oak gives a lick of caramel, too’.

£6.95 Boutinot

‘A top Barolo with superb ageing potential’ was Diana Rollan of D&D’s summary, as this unsurprisingly took Gold. She went on to describe it as ‘floral, with classic rose petal notes and dense red berries, with lovely dried herbs, too, as well as sweet spices, cedar wood and vibrant acidity – great balance and concentration. Delicious.’ A similarly impressed Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants found it ‘pretty and perfumed’, with ‘cigar box, prune, cherry and vanilla notes’ making it ideal for ‘pork with mustard mash’.

£48.57 Liberty Wines

This was clearly deserving of a place on the Gold List, with its ‘intense creosote, oaky nose and sweet, tannic, oak-enveloped palate’, according to team leader Martin Lam, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club appreciated its ‘perfumed red cherry and coffee aromas, firm chalky tannins and a fresh long finish’. ‘Nicely balanced,’ said Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants, describing ‘tobacco, leather and underlying red fruit, along with a delicate tannin structure’.

£62.17 Liberty Wines

This Barbaresco snapped up Gold with its ‘red cherry and green peppercorn aromas, leading to firm and chalky tannins, culminating in a long, elegant finish’, according to Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club, while team leader Martin Lam appreciated its ‘fresh, lifted-fruit nose, with lots of spice and lovely liquorice, as well as some sweet and sour fruit’. ‘Intense and highly structured, with leather and tobacco leaf,’ added fellow team leader Laurent Richet MS, who thought that made it ideal for ‘wild boar with smoked peppers’.

£28.26 Enotria&Coe

‘A marvellous wine from start to finish,’ began Daniel Jonberger of Rockliffe Hall, echoing the sentiment of his fellow judges as they elevated this to Gold, and further describing ‘a mixture of soft berries, and a good dose of cedar wood too, with a hint of spice’. Charlie Carter of Ten Green Bottles went on to describe ‘lovely lingering sweet morello cherry fruit character, with mouth-coating tannins that clear nicely to reveal a refreshing, dark fruit flavour’.

£34.12 Bibendum

‘Lovely purity of fruit’ made this a clear Gold winner for team leader Charlie Young, who thought it was ‘beautifully defined, with dark red berry aromas, full tannins and good freshness on the finish’. Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club appreciated ‘wild strawberries and gentle herbal hints, with a spicy, cherry fruit-driven finish’, while team Leader Martin Lam enjoyed ‘dark berry fruit notes mingling with violets on the nose, and a palate that’s high toned but balanced, and savoury, too’.

£17.30 Bibendum

As this took its rightful place on the Gold List, La Trompette’s Virginia Fontò spoke highly of its complex combination of ‘strawberry and sour cherry notes, as well as tobacco, cigar box, black pepper and dark chocolate, as well as truffle and wet autumnal leaves’. D&D’s Diana Rollan found it ‘floral, with notes of dried herbs and tar – an elegant and delicate wine with a beautifully balanced palate and lovely concentration and texture’, adding: ‘This would be a great wine for your perfect steak.’

£81.14 Top Selection

‘Power and elegance’ elevated this to Gold, according to team leader Charlie Young, along with its ‘leafy blackcurrant aromas and a super-fresh palate packed with blackberries and spice’. A similarly impressed Tanguy Martin of New Street Warehouse thought this had ‘a really fresh, punchy nose and crunchy red fruits, leading to a palate that is firm and fresh, showing the classic flavours of Barbera’, before concluding that it was ‘yummy and juicy, with great grip’.

£12.96 Top Selection

‘Cigar box, cedar wood and spice,’ noted D&D’s Diana Rollan, adding: ‘The red berry fruit has good acidity and the tannic structure is in balance. This is really concentrated with good texture and very good potential.’

£41.07 Wine Traders

‘There’s light, fresh and fruity red berries, with a floral and herbal twist of aromatics,’ said Julien Sahut of Sexy Fish, adding: ‘The palate is very well balanced with lots of young, fresh red fruit flavours. The fairly high acidity balances with the elegant tannins.’

£22.95 Eurowines

‘Pronounced red fruit aromas mingle with dried herbs, chocolate, clove and liquorice in this full-bodied wine,’ said Savoy Grill’s Matteo Cali, while D&D’s Diana Rollan described it as a ‘floral, delicate and complex Barolo with a great texture’ and concluded: ‘Classic style to be paired with red meat.’

£34.60 Eurowines

‘Fresh cassis aromas with some green leaf notes,’ said Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club, also noting ‘gentle, raspberry jam fruit with a touch of black pepper and a nice mouthfeel’.

£10.75 Boutinot

Diana Rollan of D&D described this as ‘spicy, earthy and toasty’ and went on to say: ‘Quite floral on the nose but with notes of white pepper. The wine has good acidity with round tannins making it feel agreeable and balanced.’

£15.60 Bibendum

This had ‘clean, pure and fresh blackcurrant aromas’ for team leader Charlie Young, who added: ‘The fruit is very attractive and juicy and the finish is not heavy at all.’ ‘I like the meatiness to it,’ said Tanguy Martin of New Street Warehouse, adding: ‘It’s intense and full but the fruit is sweet with nice touches of mint and liquorice.’

£16.43 Bibendum

Alonso Abed of Hide Above admired the ‘dense, blackberry and blackcurrant aromas, the beautiful structure and lively fruit finish’, while Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche noted that ‘the wine is intense, yet fresh; juicy and persistent’.

£14.73 Bibendum

‘Beautiful nose,’ said team leader Carlos Ferreira: ‘floral with red fruits, really very complex. Very well balanced, fresh and elegant.’ ‘The refreshing acidity makes the wine feel lighter,’ remarked D&D’s Diana Rollan, who found it ‘very round and balanced’.

£35.57 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Gentle wild berry and bramble nose leads to firm, ripe tannins. There are some nice high herbal notes adding complexity to the finish,’ said Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club. ‘Floral, sappy, perfumed and assured,’ thought team leader Martin Lam.

£11.68 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘This has real depth and nuance,’ said team leader Martin Lam, ‘the chewy tannins and nice depth of fruit shows promise.’ ‘Red cherry and fresh plum mingle with meaty aromas and spice, leading to a long finish,’ added Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club

£27.84 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Big on colour, nose and palate! A rich mouthful that explodes in flavour from oak, tobacco, black cherry and supple blueberry fruit. Really rather well balanced though,’ said Daniel Jonberger of Rockliffe Hall.

£22.84 Alliance Wine

‘Essence of hay with cherries, too,’ said Daniel Jonberger of Rockliffe Hall, adding: ‘The mouthfeel is calm, with cedar tree and a long aftertaste.’

£11.64 Davy's Wine Merchants

£26.90 Liberty Wines

£24.95 Eurowines

£9.00 Matthew Clark

£40.00 Boutinot

£13.28 Enotria&Coe

£53.11 Bibendum

£40.76 Bibendum

£18.10 Bibendum

£20.69 Top Selection

£16.34 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£10.46 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£8.00 Carson Wines

£26.00 Carson Wines

£22.00 Carson Wines

One of a pair of Gold medals for Rovellotti Viticoltori in Ghemme in this year’s competition, this was described as a ‘citrus-driven wine’ by Juan Manuel Marcos Perez of The Gilbert Scott, while Francisco Macedo of Cliveden House identified ‘notes of red apple, as well as grapefruit’. ‘A fun wine,’ summarised team leader Laurent Richet MS, who particularly enjoyed ‘a salted caramel note’.

£12.10 Mondial Wine

‘Fresh and elegant’ was team leader Andre Luis Martins’ take on this Gold winner, describing ‘some green apple and light camomile aromas, leading to some ripe mango notes and a long finish’. ‘Sweet pear aromas’ led, for fellow team leader Jade Koch, to ‘a juicy, ripe and very fleshy palate, with more peach on the finish – this would be great with baked fish dishes, or with risotto’.

£17.02 Liberty Wines

‘All you want!’ began an enthusiastic Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn about this worthy Gold winner, calling it ‘proper Gavi, steely and mineral, with wet stone notes’. Gymkhana Restaurant’s Savvas Symeonidis went on to admire its ‘excellent intensity and purity of fruit’, while Adam Michocki of The Glasshouse thought its ‘pronounced intensity and classic style, with peaches, pears, apricot and great minerality’ made it ‘a very approachable wine’.

£9.53 Matthew Clark

‘Youthful and charming,’ began Texture’s Alan Bednarski as judges declared this a Gold, going on to describe ‘fantastic crunchy peach with well-balanced, generous French oak, and complex brioche and melted butter balancing the fresh limestone minerality and beautiful floral finish’. For The Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki it was ‘complex, with a pronounced intensity’ with notes of ‘lemon, lime, yellow grapefruit, melon and pomelo, as well some white rose petals, and a touch oak to it, too’.

£54.00 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Really showing typicity, with a pronounced grassy and herbaceous nose, leading to a refreshing palate with some good acidity,’ said Matteo Cali of Savoy Grill as this was elevated to Gold, while team leader Andre Luis Martins appreciated its ‘gentle, perfumed peach aromas, some spice notes, and a lingering finish’. Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam added further praise for its ‘approachable style, with stone fruit and some herbaceous notes, too’.

£10.45 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn saw Gold here, with its ‘sweet and sour notes, and with some creaminess, too, giving it some interesting weight’, while The Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki found ‘peach, pear and apricot notes, with some steely, limestone minerality’. ‘Super-fresh and really fruity, and yet light and easy drinking, with a round finish,’ added an impressed Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam, imagining it well paired with ‘chicken or light meat dishes’.

£14.17 Top Selection

‘Gunpowder and graphite on the nose, followed by ripe apple and honey on the palate – a well-balanced wine with some great acidity,’ thought Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, while Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine appreciated its ‘interesting fruit, like honeydew melon and cantaloupe, as well as some citrus’.

£15.78 Wine Traders

‘An intense nose of herbs, thyme and lavender,’ began Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group. ‘Elderflower, rose and peach aromas lead to a complex and aromatic palate, with a sweet finish – a good alternative to Alsace or Mosel when pairing with curry,’ added Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston.

£17.00 Armit

‘Refreshing and light, with some interesting peach fruit, as well as some grip, all leading to a bright, silken finish,’ thought team leader Jade Koch. ‘Crisp and fresh,’ agreed Bianca Potenza of Bluespoon Andaz Hotel - Amsterdam, who described ‘green-apple fruit and a smokiness too’.

£11.70 Enotria&Coe

Team leader Jade Koch found this ‘chalky, with a bell pepper and pear drop character, and a little grip on the finish’, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston appreciated its ‘lovely aromatic structure, with apple and pineapple notes, and a palate that’s fresh, with some lemon’.

£17.50 Enotria&Coe

‘Pink grapefruit aromas lead to some baked apple notes, with a palate that’s rich and complex, with a long, lemony finish,’ thought Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, while team leader Jade Koch appreciated its ‘intense orange blossom aromas, and an attractive, silken texture’.

£18.00 Enotria&Coe

‘Complex, long and fascinating,’ began team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, who went on to describe a wine that was ‘plump and fleshy, with notes of greengage, gooseberry and green herbs’, while Savoy Grill’s Matteo Cali enjoyed ‘herbaceous aromas of fresh grass and asparagus, leading to a fresh palate and a long finish’.

£18.90 Enotria&Coe

Team leader Tom Forrest was impressed by the complexity in this wine, with its ‘crisp lemon notes, as well as some white pepper’, going on to describe a palate with ‘some creaminess and almond nuttiness, as well as a drying, mineral finish’.

£11.67 Top Selection

‘Peach, pear and flowers on the nose,’ began Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston, going on to describe a palate that was ‘full, fresh and pétillant, with an intense finish that’s both spicy and aromatic – great with aromatic fish dishes’.

£10.47 Davy's Wine Merchants

‘Peppery and aromatic, with some intense white flower aromas, as well as some pear and apple, leading to a palate that’s backed by good acidity,’ thought Savoy Grill’s Matteo Cali.

£12.50 Armit

‘Vibrant, with a zippy palate, and fresh acidity,’ began Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants, further describing ‘elegant stone fruit with some minerality, leading to a rounded and balanced finish’. ‘Delicious, with some great complexity,’ added Gymkhana Restaurant’s Savvas Symeonidis.

£24.90 Eurowines

‘Pronounced orange flowers on the nose, along with herbal, mint notes on the palate, leading to a lovely finish with persistent acidity,’ said Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, while team leader Jade Koch found it ‘ight, fragrant and floral, with some sweet pear notes’.

£7.85 Boutinot

‘Light and easy, with some camomile flower and honey, leading to good intensity on the palate, with some minerality, too,’ said Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston, while Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine found ‘lemon and peach aromas, with hints of apricot on the soft palate’.

£6.95 Boutinot

£13.15 Alliance Wine

£21.70 Eurowines

£9.95 Boutinot

£8.40 Boutinot

£6.73 Majestic Commercial

£14.86 Bibendum

£16.18 Bibendum

£17.81 Top Selection

£14.39 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£16.11 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Clearly a Gold winner for its ‘intense perfume of dark cherry, vanilla and liquorice, leading to a rich, full-bodied palate with good concentration, and well-integrated alcohol’, thought Matteo Cali of Savoy Grill, while team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW appreciated its ‘dense, ripe fruit balanced by sawdusty oak, and a complex, fleshy finish’. Woodhead 17’s James Fryer went on to describe additional interesting notes such as ‘rhubarb crumble and cola, with some earthiness, too’.

£17.95 Alivini

Team leader Tom Forrest was taken with this Gold winner’s ‘perfumed, violet aromas, as well as cherries and blueberry notes’, which led to a palate with ‘soft red fruit, some cinnamon spice and a nice meatiness’. Fellow team leader Laurent Richet MS found it to be ‘scented with spices and liquorice, as well as some lavender and thyme, leading to prunes and dates on the palate, with elderberry and cassis, in addition to some grippy tannins’.

£11.36 Matthew Clark

This well-deserved Gold winner was showing some ‘black fruit and sweet spices, as well as some black pepper and a savoury, meaty note, with fine-grained tannins and well-integrated alcohol’, according to Savvas Symeonidis of Gymkhana Restaurant. ‘A complex nose of plum and vanilla, with a hint of caramel, leading to raisin fruit with fresh cherries on the palate, bringing some necessary acidity,’ continued Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine, adding that ‘hints of white truffle and crème brûlée make this a great wine’.

£43.78 Alivini

‘Elegance,’ summarised Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn as judges unanimously awarded Gold, further describing it as ‘dry and lean, with good fruit breaking through, and leading to a pleasant finish’. Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants thought it ‘floral and fresh, with some chalky tannins’, while team leader Carlos Ferreira found interesting notes of ‘olives, pine and eucalyptus, as well as some rosemary, all leading to a long, fresh finish with black fruits and good acidity’.

£13.05 Amathus

This Puglian Gold medallist earned praise from team leader Tom Forrest for its ‘leafy tobacco notes and black fruit’, while The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones appreciated its ‘bright, clean flavours, including fruits of the forest, with richness and smoothness’, further describing ‘plenty of vigour and minerality on the finish’. Savvas Symeonidis of Gymkhana Restaurant found it to be ‘savoury on the nose, with leather notes, as well as red and black fruit, and sweet spices, too’.

£10.48 AMASTUOLA SOCIETA' AGRICOLA s.s.

‘Red cherries and berries well balanced by some spicy, peppery notes,’ said Roberto Sanchez of Sexy Fish on encountering this Gold Lister, while Ieva Markaityte of Portuguese Concepts praised its ‘old-school style, with some black olives and black bread crust notes, and some good acidity and freshness, too’. ‘A fillet of beef with Stilton would complement this well, with its dark cherry and rich chocolate notes,’ thought Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse.

£8.70 Boutinot

For team leader Angela Reddin, this worthy Gold winner opened with some serious ‘humidor aromas, as well as some crushed red bramble fruits, leading to a good, spicy palate with some good fruit and some tertiary leathery characteristics, too’. Woodhead 17’s James Fryer added praise for its ‘tart palate, with black plum and kirsch notes, as well as some mouthwatering acidity’, while team leader Carlos Ferreira further identified some ‘red roses, cherries and pine, with a fresh finish’.

£9.21 Enotria&Coe

Alan Bednarski of Texture found ‘a warm nose of red and black cherries with a charming hint of rose marmalade, followed by some herbal notes, like thyme and mint’, while Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group noted ‘leathery tobacco aromas, along with clove, bay leaves and cedar box on the palate – a great wine, with sweet spice coming from the oak’.

£11.95 Eurowines

For Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants, this had ‘juicy black cherries, blackberries, chocolate and tobacco notes’, adding that it had ‘good structure, and a finish that is fresh, long and elegant’. Team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, appreciated its ‘dry, mineral palate, with some spicy, peppery notes too’.

£16.06 Matthew Clark

‘Stylish, with warm black cherry notes, as well as confiture de prunes, and some hints of spices too,’ said Texture’s Alan Bednarski, while Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group appreciated its ‘delicate dried rose and violet, along with lovely, jammy dark fruits emerging – a warm and full-bodied wine’.

£10.51 Enotria&Coe

Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group spoke of ‘cocoa notes, with some violet too, leading to a palate that’s elegant and warm, with blackberry, liquorice, leather and pepper’, while Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn liked its ‘easy-drinking style, with good acidity, a touch of herbaceousness, and redcurrant notes’.

£7.75 Enotria&Coe

This had, for team leader Tom Forrest, ‘warm aromas of ripe cherry and berry fruits, leading to more ripe fruit on the palate, with chalky tannins and fresh acidity’. Gymkhana Restaurant’s Savvas Symeonidis appreciated its ‘nice perfume, with red berry fruit and sweet spices, with good concentration’.

£8.00 Bibendum

‘A characterful glass of wine,’ began team leader Hamish Anderson, going on to describe ‘dark, rich bramble fruit, like blackberry jam, leading to black plum, all with some grip underneath, as well as some earthiness’.

£8.00 Bibendum

‘Plums, kirsch and smoky oak’ characterised the nose here for team leader Angela Reddin, who thought the palate was ‘powerful, with weight of fruit, and edgy tension of acidity on the crunchy finish’. Sexy Fish’s Roberto Sanchez, meanwhile, found it ‘rich, but with soft tannins well balanced by the acidity’.

£11.24 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

This opened with ‘raspberry, tea and petals on the nose, leading to a light, smoky palate with good grip’, according to team leader Jade Koch, who thought it ‘a good option for barbecued lamb chops’. ‘Well-integrated tannins, with red and black fruit and a dry cherry finish,’ added Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston.

£8.95 Laytons

‘Boysenberries and blackberries are joined by some hummus, spice and tobacco leaf, leading to a well-structured palate with balance, poise and precision,’ said team leader Angela Reddin.

£15.47 Bibendum

‘Lots of cassis, some black fruit and a perfumed note too,’ began Julien Sahut of Sexy Fish, who found the palate to be ‘juicy and fresh, with good acidity, plum and black cherry fruit, and a hint of spice on the finish’.

£8.81 Matthew Clark

‘Red and dark fruits, with some ripe plum, along with some sweet spice and chocolate flavours’ led Raphael Thierry of Street XO to describe this as a ‘food wine, with juicy, tannic structure and a long, refreshing finish’.

£12.39 Alivini

‘Summer berries and fleshy stone fruits, as well as vanilla and spicy oak’ led, according to team leader Angela Reddin, to ‘a really muscular grip, but with plenty of backbone and weight of fruit’.

£28.35 Enotria&Coe

‘Sweet fruit and spices, with plum, chocolate and cinnamon, and some juicy tannins,’ described Raphael Thierry of Street XO, which all led Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse to suggest it as a match for ‘pheasant or pigeon’.

£18.63 Enotria&Coe

This had ‘fresh raspberry notes, together with some gentle mint’, according to team leader Andre Luis Martins, who further described ‘an intense palate, with more ripe, sweet raspberry and chalky tannins’.

£14.24 Bibendum

‘A warm and juicy wine, with a good mix of black and red fruits, and a hint of herbs and chocolate on the palate,’ began Texture’s Alan Bednarski, while Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group found ‘an elegant bouquet of flowers and wild berries, with smokiness and tobacco leaves too, and oak and fruit both integrated on the palate’.

£8.00 Bibendum

‘Balanced, with leather and dried fruit notes,’ began team leader Tom Forrest, going on to describe a palate reminiscent of ‘cherry liqueur, with some freshness and minerality, and good balance’. Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants found ‘umami on the palate, like oyster sauce, with baked fruits too, and well-integrated oak’.

£37.15 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£15.70 Vinicola Tombacco Srl

£13.07 Mondial Wine

£9.70 Eurowines

£22.65 Eurowines

£27.30 Amathus

£7.80 Boutinot

£9.29 Enotria&Coe

£8.57 Bibendum

£7.81 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

This fascinating wine, described by Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin as ‘leafy and ferrous, with forest fruit, some spice, and an earthiness too, with rounded, crunchy tannins’, took home a well-deserved Gold. Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains complimented its ‘velvety texture and bright acidity, and baking spices too, like a red-fruit pie’, while team leader Jan Konetzki felt its ‘rich palate of prune and leather’ made it the ideal match for ‘roasted lamb with Mediterranean herbs’.

£7.55 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

As it took its rightful place on the Gold podium, team leader Tom Forrest praised this ‘perfumed wine’, before going on to describe ‘red flowers and fruits, like cherries and berries, along with some leafy mintiness as well as some spice’. More praise came from Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, who found ‘graphite and cedar notes, as well as some chocolate’, which led to ‘a lovely finish, with some crunchy, dark fruits’.

£14.75 Matthew Clark

Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant admired ‘lovely toast and vanilla notes, and spice mingled with dark cherry and plum notes’, on encountering this clear Gold winner, going on to speak of its ‘good balance between body and fruit character’. Team leader Jan Konetzki, meanwhile, was impressed with its ‘complex Mediterranean nose, and savoury, meaty, leather notes’, while The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi appreciated its ‘black cherry and eucalyptus notes, with some good tannins, too’.

£22.15 Eurowines

‘Rich and comforting, like a hug’ was Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains’ first impression of this Gold-worthy Nero d’Avola, finding notes of ‘chocolate and hazelnut paste, with lovely spices and some cherry jam – a ripe and chewy wine’. A similarly impressed Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant found it to be ‘very easy to drink’, adding praise for ‘lots of juicy fruit balanced with refreshing acidity, some mixed herbs and spices, and smooth tannins’.

£6.50 Frederic Robinson

This earned its Gold medal for its ‘interesting and different style’, according to team leader Martin Lam, who described ‘violet notes and some light tannins’. Rockliffe Hall’s Daniel Jonberger appreciated notes of ‘plum and cherry, with a hint of oak’, while team leader Lionel Periner praised its ‘notes of black olive combined with good fruit character’, which led to ‘a full palate, with dark fruit flavours, and a fresh, mineral finish’.

£10.25 Bibendum

Team leader Lionel Periner had only good things to say about this Gold Lister’s savoury nose of ‘Mediterranean herbs and tomato stew, with red fruits, too’, going on to describe ‘a full-bodied palate with some bramble notes and a touch of smokiness’. The Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki enjoyed notes of ‘wild strawberries, cranberries, raspberries and red cherries, with an earthy, leathery character, too, and firm tannins balanced by refreshing acidity’.

£7.21 Enotria&Coe

Judges didn’t hold back in their praise of this Gold medallist, with Pavilion Wine’s Tomasz Kuszneruk enjoying ‘a mix of dried and fresh cherries, with a touch of Provençal herbs and chocolate’, while Rockliffe Hall’s Daniel Jonberger spoke highly of its ‘touches of mint, and a savoury character with some oaky tobacco’. Team leader Lionel Periner, meanwhile, was impressed by its ‘floral aromas, leading to a refreshing palate with berry fruit and more floral notes’.

£17.35 Bibendum

Team leader Lionel Periner had praise for this Gold Lister’s ‘great tannic structure, with dry floral notes, and some berry flavours too’, while an impressed Mattia Mazzi of The River Cafe described ‘strawberries and smoke on an open and appealing nose, leading to a meaty and savoury palate with more strawberry fruit, and great concentration, not to mention some striking acidity’. ‘Perfumed, mineral and elegant, with some great complexity,’ summarised Hakkasan Mayfair’s Immacolata Cannavo.

£27.39 Bibendum

‘So aromatic and elegant,’ began impressed team leader Laurent Richet MS on discovering this clear candidate for Gold, going on to describe ‘complex cherry, cedar, dried meat and liquorice – dynamic and vibrant, with a silky texture’. Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, meanwhile, enjoyed its ‘eucalyptus aromas, with ripe cherry and strawberry on the palate, leading to a charcoal finish’, while team leader Lionel Periner thought it ‘floral and smoky, with good acidity on a long finish’.

£32.22 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Terry Kandylis of 67 Pall Mall spoke of ‘a charming nose, with floral elements like cherry blossoms’, while team leader Charlie Young described ‘spice, oak and fruit aromas, leading to lots of tannin and acidity’, but thought that ‘it flows extremely well, and the finish really demonstrates the quality of the fruit’.

£21.07 Armit

‘Black cherry, black plum and bramble fruit, along with pine, mint and eucalyptus character,’ began The Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki, going on to describe ‘good balance on the palate, with significant oak, and a good, spicy texture’.

£19.75 Eurowines

Daniel Jonberger of Rockliffe Hall described aromas of ‘dark fruit and hibiscus’, going on to find ‘a fruit-driven palate, with medium tannins’, which team leader Martin Lam summarised as ‘more winter than summer – a wholesome red with no pretensions’.

£7.00 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Violets and roses, leading to good balance on the palate,’ was consultant Emanuel Pesqueira’s first impression, while team leader Jan Konetzki identified ‘floral notes, along with dark, ripe fruit, leading to some acidity on the dry palate’.

£10.50 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Toasted and complex on the nose, with some vanilla notes,’ began Sean Arthur of Cliveden House, who went on to describe ‘brilliant structure, with very well-balanced acidity and tannins – a rich and well-made wine’.

£27.60 Mondial Wine

‘Red fruit, with a touch of plum, too, leading to a savoury palate with soft tannins, and some smokiness,’ thought Pavilion Wine’s Tomasz Kuszneruk.

£21.07 Armit

‘Light red berry fruit and fresh flowers lead to sour cherry notes on a palate that’s dry and elegant, with good balance and some nice acidity,’ said team leader Lionel Periner.

£21.07 Armit

‘An intense nose of macerated cherries and blackberries, along with some liquorice, leading to a full and warm palate, with bittersweet black cherries, and some long, woody tannins to finish,’ said Mattia Mazzi of The River Cafe.

£17.95 Eurowines

‘Fragrant and perfumed, with herbal notes and some dark fruit – a modern wine, with good precision,’ thought Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan.

£6.80 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘A slightly smoky and earthy nose with savoury undertones, leading to a palate that has a sweet core of fruit – a refreshing wine with real character,’ said 67 Pall Mall’s Terry Kandylis.

£16.02 Liberty Wines

Manor House Hotel’s Anita Vighova described a ‘delicate nose and a soft, mid-weight palate, with redcurrants on the finish and a cherry chocolate aftertaste’.

£10.22 Liberty Wines

‘Intense dark fruit, with pencil and oak notes, leading to a full-bodied palate with a lot of extraction, and dry coffee bean notes on the finish,’ said team leader Lionel Periner.

£16.06 Enotria&Coe

£14.20 Alivini

£12.08 Alivini

£16.35 CVA Canicatti

£11.56 Matthew Clark

£6.90 VinumTerra

£9.49 VinumTerra

£17.35 Eurowines

£39.60 Eurowines

£28.70 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£8.50 Boutinot

£8.55 Boutinot

£9.50 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£21.37 Liberty Wines

£11.95 Enotria&Coe

£13.45 Mondial Wine

£18.60 Mondial Wine

£19.55 Mondial Wine

£16.00 Armit

As this was awarded a well-deserved Gold, team leader Charlie Young spoke highly of its ‘spicy citrus aromas, and a full palate with upfront, pithy fruit, ripe but abundant grapefruit-like acidity, and some real complexity on the finish’. Fellow team leader Martin Lam went on to describe it as ‘quite plump and ripe, and spicy, too, with some honeyed melon fruit’, while Pavilion Wine’s Tomasz Kuszneruk put it succinctly: ‘Serious but fresh; rich but easy-drinking.’

£18.00 Enotria&Coe

‘A very inviting, super-floral nose, like Muscat,’ began impressed team leader Martin Lam as this took a well-deserved Gold, further describing ‘just a hint of sugar on the palate, with big jasmine and honeysuckle notes’. ‘Aromatic, dry and light on the palate, with a lovely balance between the floral and the citrus notes,’ said fellow team leader Charlie Young. All of this led Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn to identify it as an excellent ‘foie gras match’.

£8.62 Enotria&Coe

‘Lovely!’ was how 67 Pall Mall’s Beatrice Bessi summed up this worthy Gold medal recipient, going on to describe it as ‘fresh, intense and rich, and full of ripe orange, tangerine, guava and saffron notes, with some minerality to complete the picture’. A similarly impressed James Fryer of Woodhead 17 spoke of ‘smoke, apricots and almonds, with touches of gunmetal’, followed by ‘a textural palate, with golden fruits, and lychee tropical fruit too’.

£14.24 Bibendum

‘Dry and refreshing, with some green pea notes along with some citrus, too,’ said Pavilion Wine’s Tomasz Kuszneruk, while team leader Martin Lam described ‘oily, intriguing aromatics on the nose, leading to a juicy, fresh palate’.

£11.60 Wine Traders

James Fryer of Woodhead 17 described a combination of ‘golden nashi pears and pear skin, as well as white peach aromas, leading to mango and underripe pineapple on the palate, together with almond and cashew notes’.

£12.70 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘A pretty nose of jasmine, leading to a fresh, citrus palate,’ began The Royal Automobile Club’s Michael Fiducia, while team leader Martin Lam noted ‘apple, pear and stone fruit on the nose, with a juicy, sappy, dry and aromatic palate’.

£11.00 Boutinot

This Puglian white was ‘fragrant, with some floral, blossom notes, and green apple too, leading to a palate that’s crisp, refreshing and in good balance’, thought Scarlet Hotel’s Jim Bass, who also commented on its good value for money.

£8.70 Liberty Wines

‘A very complex nose, with floral notes and stone fruits, with a bit of age that helps to balance the wine very well,’ began team leader Carlos Ferreira, going on to find ‘lemon and red apple on the palate, leading to a long finish with some fresh vanilla’.

£19.77 Enotria&Coe

‘Asparagus, green leaf and citrus aromas’ on the nose were followed by ‘sweet peach and lemon rind on the palate, which finishes saline and leafy’, thought James Fryer of Woodhead 17, while Scarlet Hotel’s Jim Bass found the palate ‘buttery and bold, with some elderflower notes too’.

£8.12 Enotria&Coe

‘Complex stone fruit on the nose, with some white spiciness and asparagus notes too, leading to a palate that’s very elegant, complex and full of life, with a long finish,’ said team leader Carlos Ferreira.

£15.50 Boutinot

£13.75 Eurowines

£8.70 Matthew Clark

£15.50 Boutinot

£13.99 Enotria&Coe

£15.42 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£14.68 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Team leader Jan Konetzki was impressed by this Gold medallist’s ‘lemon sherbet with some tropical notes too, and a hint of minerality, as well as some food-friendly bitterness’, while Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan appreciated its ‘fine texture and lovely acidity, with bright mandarin and spiced peach notes, as well as some floral characters’. ‘Pear and stone fruit, hoppy herbal notes and some zippy lemon acidity’ rounded things off for team leader Tom Forrest.

£7.55 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Clearly Gold-worthy for its ‘rich and ripe nose, with some pastry notes’, according to New Street Warehouse’s Tanguy Martin, while team leader Tom Forrest liked its ‘rounded palate, with some perfumed notes alongside cinnamon and ginger spice’. Fellow team leader Jan Konetzki appreciated notes of ‘peach and apricot, along with orange peel and cream, leading to a fresh palate with plenty of ripe apple and more peach, as well as a hint of toast’.

£11.75 Alivini

This Gold winner was ‘such a beauty, with chalky notes and yellow flowers, as well as yellow apples and almonds’, according to an enthusiastic Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastropub, further describing ‘a balanced palate, finishing with camomile flowers’. Tanguy Martin of New Street Warehouse, meanwhile, found ‘nuts and Indian spice notes on a bone-dry palate with exciting bitterness, giving it a real kick – an expressive, impressive wine’.

£32.22 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Fresh apple aromas are followed by some real balance and elegance on the palate, with well-defined apple and pear on the finish,’ thought team leader Charlie Young, while Cliveden House’s Sean Arthur liked its ‘elderflower aromas and dry, pleasing palate’.

£12.30 Eurowines

Terry Kandylis of 67 Pall Mall appreciated this wine’s ‘expressive palate, with juicy peach and apricot that lingers, with a touch of salinity, too’, while team leader Charlie Young found additional notes of ‘spice, and a dollop of honey on a ripe, rich palate’.

£13.20 Eurowines

‘A well-made wine, with peach and apricot notes, and an oily texture,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS, while The Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki described it as ‘rounded and aromatic, with a creamy, mineral texture and a long finish’.

£13.15 Eurowines

Cliveden House’s Sean Arthur spoke of ‘an aromatic, floral and pronounced nose, with fresh green apple and citrus on the palate’, and went on to single this wine out for its ‘very good value, exceeding its price point’.

£7.45 Bibendum

Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan encountered a complex nose of ‘seashell and seaweed, with some floral notes too’, going on to describe ‘a ripe, fruity palate with yellow plums and fresh grapes, with some precise acidity’.

£11.50 Mondial Wine

‘Vibrant and aromatic, with peach, apricot and lemon juice, as well as some golden apple notes, and a savoury, mineral note, too,’ thought team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£7.71 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘A complex wine, with a spiciness, like white pepper, and wild flowers too,’ thought consultant Emanuel Pesqueira, while Flat Three Restaurant’s Heesoo Kang identified a ‘creamy, buttery note, along with some citrus and melon’, finding it ‘full-bodied but not heavy’.

£29.80 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘A good value wine,’ said Flat Three Restaurant’s Heesoo Kang, describing ‘lovely pear, blossom and grassy notes, with a hint of nuttiness and a savouriness, too, with a refreshing, long finish’.

£8.45 Enotria&Coe

£11.85 Alivini

£14.75 Matthew Clark

£16.60 Eurowines

£12.65 Bibendum

£10.02 Bibendum

£19.30 Matthew Clark

£16.56 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£11.75 Boutinot

£6.80 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£11.70 Liberty Wines

£8.30 Enotria&Coe

£18.60 Mondial Wine

£14.00 Armit

£13.16 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Complex and elegant,’ began Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club as this was elevated to Gold, adding that it was ‘showing some development’. Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan, meanwhile, found it to be ‘very ripe, with richly spiced plum and cherry, and a savouriness, too, with round, ripe tannins’. Team leader Jade Koch agreed, calling it ‘chewy, juicy and full of grip’, and suggesting it would be ideal alongside ‘lamb chops or steak tartare’.

£53.00 Bibendum

With its ‘raisin aromas and bright sweet and sour cherries’, this Gold-worthy Tuscan was ‘chalky, earthy, well balanced and very food-friendly’, according to team leader Martin Lam, while an impressed Victoria Sharples of St John Wines found it to be ‘textural and smooth, with good power and hints of tar and spice’, also describing it as ‘moreish, with lovely length and finesse’. For Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants, this all added up to a great match for ‘spicy meats and wild mushrooms’.

£17.51 Bibendum

‘Absolutely marvellous,’ began consultant Cinthia Lozano, as this unsurprisingly took Gold, while team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW praised its ‘gloriously aromatic profile, with violets, cherry and cedar, and with tannins that underline the palate, along with black fruit freshness’. Ennio Pucciarelli of Kahani London appreciated its ‘good complexity with red fruit, floral aromas, hints of graphite, clove and a touch of pepper’, while consultant Rebecca Coates found it ‘rich, powerful and full bodied’, adding that it ‘would pair perfectly with rare roast beef’.

£130.98 Bibendum

‘Dark, plush and juicy,’ began Victoria Sharples of St John Wines, as this was elevated to Gold, describing it as ‘quite elegant, with good persistence and some attractive mineral undertones’, while consultant Emanuel Pesqueira found it to be ‘earthy and smoky, with strawberry notes and some soft tannins’. Team leader Martin Lam, meanwhile, appreciated its ‘sweet, dark fruit and spice, with some juicy plum and a savoury edge’.

£10.55 Eurowines

‘This is Tuscany,’ began impressed team leader Jade Koch on encountering this Gold winner, finding it ‘elegant, soft and perfumed’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club appreciated its ‘red plum and gentle, smoked green herbs, leading to mature leather and cigar notes, chalky tannins and a long finish’. Describing it as ‘intense, with wild meats, smoke and truffle’, Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains concluded it was ‘a great option for food pairing’.

£13.28 Enotria&Coe

This ‘complex and elegant’ Gold winner, according to team leader Laura Rhys MS, was characterised by its ‘dark fruit and herbaceousness, with a smoky element, too’, while fellow team leader Nigel Lister appreciated its ‘ripe cherry and bramble, with wild woody herbs and roast meat aromas, leading to dense blackcurrant and cassis on the palate’. Dave Cushley of Prestonfield House, meanwhile, added praise for its ‘lovely open fruit and serious grip’.

£18.34 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘This is super-juicy, with a pretty nose,’ said team leader Jade Koch, ‘like fresh figs from a tree; the palate has baked fruits and notes of chocolate and coffee.’ ‘Decant and drink with rare bistecca Fiorentina,’ suggested fellow team leader Nigel Lister.

£83.49 Fattoria Villa Saletta Società Agricola srl

‘A complex earthy nose,’ thought ETM Group’s Guillaume Mahaut, while Ieva Markaityte of Portuguese Concepts found notes of ‘coffee, dark chocolate, black olives and good balsamic vinegar, with acidity lifting up the palate’.

£42.13 Bibendum

‘There’s notes of menthol and eucalyptus alongside the dense blackcurrant fruit,’ noted team leader Jade Koch, ‘and there’s a lick of oak with tobacco and sweet cherry.’ ‘It’s a premium listing,’ thought Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants, adding: ‘It’s flash and vivacious but its elegance is key.’

£21.86 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants enjoyed this Silver medal winner for its ‘fresh, straightforward style… like a good house Chianti’, and thought it ‘would be great with the Sunday roast’.

£8.45 Vinexus Ltd

‘An attractive, yeasty nose with dried red fruits on the palate and a long and refreshing finish,’ said Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, with team leader Nigel Lister adding: ‘A lovely, barnyard nose, this feels rich and dense with a fruitcake palate.’

£36.28 Matthew Clark

Dave Cushley of Prestonfield House found notes of ‘nutmeg and dried red fruit, with lots of cherry fruit and spice and beautiful tannins in abundance’. ‘Simple, yet with good length and acidity,’ added Ieva Markaityte of Portuguese Concepts.

£6.25 Boutinot

‘A concentrated, black fruit nose,’ said ETM Group’s Guillaume Mahaut, adding: ‘The palate is complex with elegant ripe, plummy fruits that have a lovely sweetness. The structure is pleasantly delicate with good ripe tannins.’

£18.24 Enotria&Coe

‘This has red cherries and vanilla pods on the nose, while the palate has good length with well-balanced fruit and peppery acidity,’ said Ieva Markaityte of Portuguese Concepts.

£14.55 Enotria&Coe

Ieva Markaityte of Portuguese Concepts was impressed with this Silver medal wine, saying: ‘This has good dark blueberry fruit coming through on the nose with some nice aromas of coffee there too, and the palate is very ripe with lots of sweet spice present as well.’

£20.00 Bedmond Hill Estate

‘Inky with notes of menthol,’ described, team leader Jade Koch, ‘'with pretty, yet fairly lightweight fruit.’ For Tobias Gorn of Boisdale Restaurants it was ‘structured, refreshing and classic’.

£33.00 Bibendum

‘There’s sour cherry with balsamic and toasty leathery notes,’ said The Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki, while Lucie Kalertova of Sexy Fish found ‘liquorice and gamey red cherry that would be great with a simple steak or roast chicken’.

£17.80 Eurowines

‘This has medium intensity with a nice black pepper, spicy nose,’ said Lucie Kalertova of Sexy Fish, ‘and there are notes of tomato leaf with the vibrant, black cherry fruit.’

£14.20 Eurowines

Team leader Tom Forrest noted: ‘The warm, cedar oak nose leads to a palate of jammy, cherry, red currant fruit and chocolatey tannins.’

£25.37 Liberty Wines

Team leader Laura Rhys MS noted: ‘Dark fruits with plums, jam and prune. The tannins are bold but ripe, rounded and silky.’

£18.37 Liberty Wines

‘This is showing signs of maturity, with a refined, restrained style; the red fruit is still there but showing some nice, tertiary development,’ said team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW.

£31.14 Top Selection

With its ‘blackcurrant aromas and sweet tea-soaked brambly fruit’, team leader Jade Koch fancied pairing this with ‘lentils and herby sausage’.

£12.91 Bibendum

£15.70 Fattoria Villa Saletta Società Agricola srl

£30.03 Fattoria Villa Saletta Società Agricola srl

£30.03 Fattoria Villa Saletta Società Agricola srl

£14.00 Bibendum

£51.50 Eurowines

£16.95 Eurowines

£14.00 Armit

£24.46 Matthew Clark

£32.82 Liberty Wines

£36.67 Liberty Wines

£15.54 Enotria&Coe

£21.50 Enotria&Coe

£11.99 Enotria&Coe

£35.68 Enotria&Coe

£13.77 Bibendum

£25.69 Top Selection