No stranger to the Gold List for its Shiraz wines, last year it was the Gimblett Gravels 2011, this year it's the Hawkes Bay.

'A dense, rich SGM, this is fresh and likeable,' said team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW. ‘Cedary aromas with berry fruit and complexity, medium dry with red fruits, wood and mushroomy notes, medium intensity and a persistent finish,’ said Joao Ribeiro of Buddha Bar London, while Laurent Richet MS of Restaurant Sat Bains added: ‘Almost an earthy tone with cherry stone fruit.'
Match with charcoal-grilled game, perhaps pigeon.

£10.10 Liberty Wines

A red Gold to match its white Chenin Blanc Gold, Kleine Zalze is on a roll, and the value for money in this red illustrates why. Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn was taken with this 'exciting, Rhône-style' red, highlighting its 'savoury nose, lots of forward flavours, chunky, meaty, lambs' blood and redcurrants'. He added that it was 'harmonious, long and brooding, with good substance'. Match with pork ribs and barbecue sauce.

£6.84 Hatch Mansfield

Bright and textured, Tinpot Hut strives for a cooler-climate style of Syrah, from relatively higher-altitude vineyards. ‘Blackberry notes with tight, perfumed fruit on the nose,’ began team leader Jade Koch, adding: ‘Elegant, clean, precise and pretty. Has great Rhône-style character coupled with New Zealand warmth. Very good length and Kiwi personality.’

£13.10 Liberty Wines

Elegance and nicely controlled savoury notes plus a very good price-point added up to Gold for Morgan.

'Gentle, juicy, lovely open floral style, showing some brown sugar notes and tender Victoria plum, with a good grippy finish,' said team leader Simon Woods.

'Well-made wine with good grip,' agreed James Hocking of The Vineyard Group. Match with beef cheeks bourguignon, leg of venison, or caramelised onion tatin.

£12.64 Bibendum

'Foxy and animal, leathery vanilla nose,' began Frédéric Jean-Yves Billet of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, continuing: 'Palate good, with nice exotic wood, excellent spice, cayenne pepper and mint. Polished, big and bold with huge potential.'
Robert Tozser of The Rib Room agreed, saying: 'Bright fruit, a bit of liquorice and good tannins.'

£12.10 Matthew Clark

‘Approachable, with soft red Grenache fruit showing initially on the palate, followed by fuller-bodied Syrah and lovely spice on the finish,’ said a satisfied William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants. ‘Spicy mid-palate, juicy and attractive,’ added team leader Annette Scarfe MW.

£8.80 Liberty Wines

Yves Desmaris MS of Lutyens liked this wine's style, saying: 'Good nose, aromatic, intense and flowery. Nice fruits, with dark berries on the palate.'
'Choc-box, sweet savoury, good fruity wine with lots going on,' agreed Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn. Match with guinea fowl.

£12.47 Waverley Hills Organic Wines

'Lovely deep colour, showing chocolate and rich spice notes on the nose, with a lovely fruit and acid balance on the palate followed by a rich, warming, satisfying finish,' said a pleased James Hocking of The Vineyard Group.

'More delicate restrained style, with lively fruit and acidity,' added team leader Annette Scarfe MW.

£16.98 Bibendum

Team leader Martin Lam enjoyed this wine's 'appealing, funky, savoury nose', adding: 'Very savoury Côtes du Rhône style – a very grown-up wine.'
Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn enjoyed its 'wonderful richness, cedar, cigar, leather, bright fruit and delicate farmyard hints'.

£8.96 Enotria&Coe

Gareth Ferreira of Launceston Place found all the elements in place: ‘Medium intensity of aromas, with vegetal, green olive notes, sweet spices and smoky meat with black fruit flavours. Long finish and good balance.’ 'Good freshness, this is well blended and harmonious. A great Chilean wine!' said team leader Martin Lam.

£13.30 10 International, Matthew Clark

A top wine with fine-grained oak from one of California's original pioneering Syrah wineries. James Hocking of The Vineyard Group found it to be 'quite intense', with its perfumed aroma, as he concluded: 'Full bodied with fresh fruit and great length, but needs time.'
We hope to see a return visit.

£15.75 Alliance Wine

‘Dark ruby colour, berry and vanilla nose with complexity. Berry and cherry fruit with a medium-intense finish,’ said Joao Ribeiro of Buddha Bar London. ‘Full fruit with vanilla and jammy texture, a more serious wine,’ added Laurent Richet MS of Restaurant Sat Bains.

£14.87 Barwell & Jones

‘Perfumed character with ripe strawberry and plums,’ said Diego Muntoni of Oxo Tower Restaurant, continuing: ‘Juicy and refreshing, but showing some good intensity too. Great drinkability.’ 'Full in body, with smooth tannins, this combines elegance and power,' added Sara Bachiorri of Chez Bruce.

£15.00 Stone Vine & Sun

‘Lots of ripe red fruit, this is juicy with fresh acidity,’ said impressed team leader Annette Scarfe MW, adding: ‘Spicy with well-managed oak, and notes of dark chocolate and spice.’ 'Intense with dry blood and juicy berry flavours, meaty and earthy undertones,' said Athila Roos of The Arts Club.

£15.00 González Byass

Sandro Lyhs of Oxo Tower Bar was pleased with this ‘big, juicy, spicy fruit bomb’, adding: ‘Has everything you can ask for, and has a lot of it.’ ‘Liquorice, tobacco, dark plum, spice and good length,’ agreed William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants.

£16.88 Bibendum

‘A slight toasty character of fresh baked bread crust,’ began Laurent Richet MS of Restaurant Sat Bains, continuing: ‘Close to a Rhône for a New World red, with strawberry jam and red fruits.’ ‘Expressive, appealing and easy,’ added team leader Jade Koch.

£10.76 Barwell & Jones

‘Great style and balance on this, good depth and complexity,’ began Chris Wood of Chelsea Vintners, with Laurent Richet MS of Restaurant Sat Bains adding: ‘Lovely, smoky tar-like aromas with hints of dark chocolate, jammy cassis, mint and almost a slate mineral finish.’

£12.00 Bottle Green

Team leader Natasha Hughes highlighted this wine’s ‘smoky bacon, peppery nose’, adding: ‘Glycerol-rich palate with chunky, rich, ripe character. Decent oak in a fruit-forward style.’

£7.15 Boutinot

Team leader Martin Lam suggested this as a 'well-knit, good value house wine' option, citing a 'dark, meaty, coal tar nose'.

'Chunky and savoury, good value for steak,' agreed Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.

£4.46 Molson Coors

'Well structured, full fruit,' said consultant sommelier Deborah-Lynn Morris, adding: 'Big mouthfeel, berries and classic blend composition.'
'Slightly confected raspberry, lots of grip and tender fruit,' noted team leader Simon Woods.

£14.88 Alliance Wine

'Gentle floral style, plenty of fruit but also no rough edges,' commented team leader Simon Woods. Equally impressed, consultant sommelier Deborah-Lynn Morris added simply: 'Beautifully composed, berries prominent.'

£20.96 Hatch Mansfield

'Very classy,' was the judgement of Frédéric Jean-Yves Billet of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, going on to say: 'Foxy style, with old leather, herbaceous mint/eucalyptus, good oak and rounded tannin.'
'Shows maturity, interest and complexity,' agreed team leader Martin Lam.

£13.65 Enotria&Coe

Team leader Annette Scarfe MW found this a well-made wine showing ‘typicity and precise winemaking’, saying: ‘Spicy Syrah with redcurrant fruit and fresh juicy acidity.’ ‘Blackcurrant fruit explosion with a slightly black pepper finish,’ added William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants.

£6.39 Molson Coors

'Soft, smooth, silky palate with great depth. Good structure and complexity, low tannins,' said consultant sommelier Deborah-Lynn Morris.

'Intense and powerful with a touch of spice,' added The Vineyard Group's James Hocking.

£16.96 Amathus

£5.19 Hatch Mansfield

£9.68 Hatch Mansfield

£11.66 Bibendum

£8.28 Bibendum

£5.52 New Generation Wines

£8.75 Fine Wines Direct

£18.00 North South Wines

£7.66 Kingsland

£12.50