Richness and balance led Hardy's matriarchal wine to the top, gathering many a fan along the way.

'Citrus and cream, this is a very classy wine, both long and refined,' said team leader Richard Bampfield MW, tipping turbot with citrus sauce as the match of choice. ‘Great character, an all-day wine,’ agreed Michael Moore of Room 24.

£23.00 Matthew Clark

A rich spectrum of fruit flavours, from melon to mango, pineapple to grapefruit, perfectly balanced with good acidity took Hay Shed Hill to the top. ‘Coconut, banana and tropical fruits on the nose, with good weight, supple acidity and a good length, lemony finish,’ said Luigi Buonanno of Bianco43. ‘Cooked golden apples on the nose with floral notes and touches of white pepper,’ added Caroline Brangé of 28°-50° Mayfair. Match with sushi, Chinese food and salads.

£7.95 Bancroft Wines

‘Great example of Aussie Chardonnay,’ began team leader Jade Koch of this great-value Gold Lister, continuing: ‘Lovely, honeyed nose with butterscotch richness, the bright palate is a delight.’ ‘Easy and fresh, clean style, but with some intensity of flavours on the palate. Will suit a range of creamy dishes,’ said Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering, with Bread Street Kitchen's Ram Chhetri suggesting pork belly and lemon roasted chicken.

£7.76 Bibendum

With a white Gold to match its Cabernet Gold, the judges felt this was a lovely expression of Chardonnay. ‘Compact and concentrated,’ began Hakkasan Group’s Christine Parkinson, continuing: ‘Lots of texture, layers of tropical fruit, spicy oak, quince, wet rocks and biscuit. Long, balanced and Burgundian. The new face of Margaret River.’ Match with salmon, cod, langoustine, fennel salad, smoked cod's roe... plenty to choose from!

£16.86 Bibendum

‘Excellent, with flinty, stony minerals and salty oyster notes on the finish,’ said team leader Andrea Briccarello, with Room 24’s Michael Moore adding: ‘Great drinking wine, but also with food such as risotto, fish ragout, or creamy sauces.’

£14.58 Bibendum

'Spicy and herbaceous, vanilla with apricot confit, this is big, with with well-integrated oak and a nice, long finish,' said Louise Gordon of Lime Wood Hotel.

'Very Meursault in style,' added team leader Andrea Briccarello, suggesting sole and sea bream as a match.

£23.44 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Great wine! Dense and layered, intense nose and palate, showing depth and mineral complexity. Lemon oil, apple and a whiff of oak spice along with some buttery notes. A wine built to last and improve,' said Athila Roos of The Arts Club. Team leader Richard Bampfield MW agreed: 'Nicely balanced, very Burgundian. A long wine, which seems very young.'
We hope it will return!

£29.47 Bibendum

‘Clean with great fruit concentration,’ said team leader Olivier Marie, adding: ‘Elegant style and poise, nice aromatics with judicious use of oak and pleasant, unforced minerality.’ 'Toast and apricots, with nutmeg and hints of fresh chilli, this has a long and spicy finish,' said Louise Gordon of Lime Wood Hotel. Match with chicken, veal, or pork.

£25.95 Alliance Wine

Hakkasan Group’s Christine Parkinson found this ‘compact, with lovely acidity’, saying: ‘Fudge, lemon, chalky with tropical notes. Rich, slightly sweet notes, spicy with incense. Very rich style,' while Louise Gordon of Lime Wood Hotel noted: 'Herbaceousness and lovely florality. Good oak integration. match with turbot.'

£17.00 Justerini & Brooks

‘Some ripe, tropical fruit present, with great, clean length and good acid balance,’ began James Hocking of The Vineyard Group, with Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering adding: ‘Very appealing wine and a versatile food option.’

£14.63 Liberty Wines

‘Drinking well now, showing clean, fruit-driven tropical notes on the nose with honeydew and cantaloupe melon, and creamy, lactic secondary yeasty character,’ said team leader Olivier Marie, while Louise Gordon of Lime Wood Hotel noted: 'Earthy stone fruits with touches of brown spice and high acidity. Match with salt-baked bream.'

£14.90 Cockburn & Campbell

‘Tropical, with good ripe pineapple and melon notes,’ began team leader Andrea Briccarello, with Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering adding: 'Clean and fresh style, with zingy acidity – an easy, pleasant wine.'

£7.50 Liberty Wines

‘Light on the nose but great taste, really a good, appetising food opener,’ said Michael Moore of Room 24. ‘Really nice, inviting nose, not too woody, with good freshness on the palate,’ agreed Andrea Domenicucci of Whatley Manor.

£9.15 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Subtle and honeyed, with white floral notes of blossom and narcissi, dry and zippy, full of energy,’ began team leader Jade Koch, with Mark Graham of Butlers Wharf Chop House adding: ‘Mellow, with good integration of fruit, citrus and minerals.’

£25.00 Liberty Wines

‘Pretty nose with apple, a drizzle of lemon and a faint hint of lavender,’ began Athila Roos of The Arts Club, continuing: ‘The palate follows through with texture and oak spice. Vibrant and showing length.’ ‘Dover sole or monkfish,’ suggested Room 24’s Michael Moore.

£9.95 Liberty Wines

‘Zingy style, lively fruit, this is a real mouthfiller, which would serve well as an aperitif or with white meats and salads,’ said Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering. Team leader Jade Koch added: ‘Passion fruit and mango aromas, dry, oily citrus fruit on the palate.’

£16.61 Negociants

‘Classic buttered toast aromas, elegant, juicy and refreshing, with great fruit ripeness and vibrancy on the palate,’ said team leader Jade Koch, with Butlers Wharf Chop House's Mark Graham adding: ‘Stony, mineral complexity and good fruit. Cleansing on the palate.’

£10.35 Liberty Wines

£17.00 Liberty Wines

£7.25 Boutinot

£21.75 Boutinot

£11.92 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£14.99 Matthew Clark

£12.95 Bancroft Wines

£8.54 Bibendum

£15.44 Negociants