‘Dark, ripe but bright fruits,’ began team leader Laurent Richet MS of this deserving Gold Lister, going on to describe ‘lovely bright acidity tempered by tannin with a hint of smoke towards the end’ and concluding: ‘A food wine.’ Guillaume Mahaut of ETM Group found it ‘restrained, with a pretty nose of rose and balanced animal hints’ and described a ‘firm but balanced acidity, and chalky, red fruit palate with cherry and plum’.

£7.35 Boutinot

Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles was impressed, calling this ‘great, well-made wine’. He remarked on its ‘rich aroma of plum, cherry and tobacco’ and noted that it ‘remains fresh’. Corina Stanila of La Dame de Pic at Ten Trinity Square, meanwhile, thought it had a ‘beautiful nose’ and ‘elegant palate’, and found it ‘smooth’, with a ‘beautiful long finish’.

£8.30 Boutinot

‘Cherry, peppery, chocolatey texture with red fruits evoking rich plum’ thought Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group of this Gold winner, adding that it was ‘great value for money’. Aurore Anguenot of Aviary noted that it had ‘very good balance’, while for team leader Laura Rhys MS it was notable for its ‘dark berry, cherry, smoky oak notes and tomato leaf’. ‘Decadent and rich,’ added Claire Love of Loves Consultancy.

£7.93 Bodegas Olarra

‘Dark fruits and vanilla’ on the nose led, according to team leader Laurent Richet MS, to ‘a palate that’s powerful and intense, with some ripe fruit and a balanced structure, along with some high tannins’.

£23.00 Direct Wines

For Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains this wine brought notes of ‘saffron, black garlic, cured ham and soy sauce’, and he described it as ‘a generous wine that is firm but kind and would be great for pairing’. ‘Beautiful,’ said Corina Stanila of La Dame de Pic at Ten Trinity Square, admiring of both its ‘complex red fruit and magnificent balance’.

£29.21 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Clément Loubeyre of The Cross Kenilworth found this wine to be ‘very fruity with a touch of spiced walnut and good value for money’, while Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse described it as a ‘nicely balanced wine with its hints of cocoa and crème brûlée on the finish’.

£6.75 Boutinot

‘This shows notes of fig on the nose with herbal notes, fresh dill,’ said Street XO’s Raphael Thierry, adding: ‘The palate shows good red fruit with a little chocolate note, while the tannins are juicy, savoury and long.’

£7.50 C&D Wines

Team leader Laurent Richet MS described ‘a lovely intensity to the nose with vanilla, citrus, melted butter and orange peel notes with hints of cedar wood’, and Sarah McKenzie of Nut Tree Inn added: ‘This is really quite rich with buttery stone fruit notes and a bready, nutty finish.’

£6.51 Majestic Commercial

‘Sweet and vibrant vanilla and black fruit aromas,’ noted Claire Love of Loves Consultancy, with ‘a dry, cherry chocolate and liquorice finish’. ‘Nice freshness and good complexity for the price,’ added Raphael Thierry of Street XO.

£8.70 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

This aromatic Silver medal-winner brought notes of ‘plum, prune, clove, cinnamon and leather’ to the nose of team leader Jan Konetzski. ‘It’s dry, lively and full bodied,’ he added, ‘with grippy, woody tannins to the finish.’

£10.53 Bodegas Ondarre, S.A.

For Corina Stanila of La Dame de Pic at Ten Trinity Square, this wine had ‘a beautiful nose of plum and cherry with meaty notes and hints of cassis’, and she thought ‘the complex palate offers more ripe fruit and great balance’.

£17.27 Top Selection

‘This is quite a heavy bottle,’ said Claire Love of Loves Consultancy, but inside she found ‘fresh blackcurrant and cassis notes, with sweet ripe fruit, and notes of orange peel with lemon curd, and a touch of vanilla’.

£8.66 Halewood International

With its ‘bramble and apple notes and mild charcoal finish’, Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse fancied matching this with some ‘spicy lamb cutlets with olive pesto’.

£8.50 Frederic Robinson

This was a wine of ‘rustic nostalgia’ for Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains, which conjured memories of ‘preserved cherries, stracciatella and dark chocolate, with leathery notes and brilliant acid’. Proustian indeed.

£9.97 Matthew Clark

With notes of ‘black peppercorn, nutmeg and clove’, this had ‘good racy acid and serious tannin’, said team leader Andres Ituarte, adding: ‘There are good notes of coca, plum skin and tobacco and a good length.’

£13.33 Matthew Clark

With its ‘spicy, clove and black pepper nose’ and a palate of ‘red and black fruits’, team leader Laura Rhys MS felt this Rioja had both ‘elegance and weight’.

£11.91 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘This is bright and clean with savoury notes of pastry and custard, yet there’s also a nice Granny Smith apple crunch and a sappy, new oak finish,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£11.22 Berkmann Wine Cellars

For Claire Love of Loves Consultancy this was showing ‘a cassis and blackcurrant nose, with black olive notes on the palate, leading to a concentrated, cherry finish’.

£8.00 Hatch Mansfield

For Quentin Loisel of Restaurant Sat Bains this wine seemed to strike an autumnal note. ‘There’s dry leaves and forest floor, with mushrooms and a foxy note,’ he said.

£10.04 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£5.65 Adnams

£5.65 Adnams

£6.49 House of Townend

£9.99 LWC Drinks

£9.99 R.D. Wines Ltd

£7.25 Frederic Robinson

£5.85 Frederic Robinson

£9.55 Matthew Clark

£10.75 Davy's Wine Merchants

£11.00 Davy's Wine Merchants

£9.92 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£7.75 Boutinot

£7.93 Bodegas Olarra

£6.20 Majestic Commercial

£6.93 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

£15.55 Hatch Mansfield

£6.93 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

£6.34 Hatch Mansfield

£8.70 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£11.83 Bodegas Ondarre, S.A.