Heady and perfumed, no wonder Guy Farge secured a Critics' Choice as well as Gold for his Cornas. Team leader Natasha Hughes MW was taken with its ‘floral, spice and savoury complexity’, adding: ‘Lovely silky texture and tannins, fresh and mineral.’ ‘Dry, with violets, pepper, black and white plums, and red cherry,’ said Diego Muntoni of Oxo Tower Restaurant, while Caroline Brangé of 28°-50° Mayfair said: 'A real North Rhône expression: garrigues, black pepper, great minerality.'

£26.08 Enotria&Coe

In this case, big [ITAL]is[/ITAL] beautiful.

'Well balanced and structured, with supple fruit and a black berry finish,' said consultant Sam Caporn MW. ‘Zingy, big and intense, with loads of red fruit flavours. A huge wine,’ said Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering, adding: ‘With the right food, big and spicy, good stuff.’ ‘Dense, juicy and mineral, put with lamb chasseur,’ suggested Andrea Fasan of La Petite Maison.

£23.00 Bulles Blanc Rouge

With good texture and complexity of flavours, a worthy Gold winner.

'Balsamic, leather and cigar box,' noted team leader Andrea Briccarello.

'Big, New World oaky style, with rich Grenache coming through,' said Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, adding: 'Lovely sweetness. It's an exciting wine. Dried strawberry and fruity flavours with vanilla overtones and hints of coffee at the end. Perfect with steak tartare and chips.'

£16.50 Boutinot

An expressive bouquet of leather, cigar box and spicy fruit illustrated why the Haute Marone picked up a By The Glass gong as well as Gold. ‘Vibrant, spicy, very approachable but big enough to impress,’ said Sandro Lyhs of Oxo Tower Bar, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW found: ‘Floral notes and ripe fruit, with spice on a warm finish.’

£7.25 Boutinot

Authenticity and vibrancy took Domaine de Montvac to the top.

'Black olive and purple ink in the glass, this is really vibrant on the palate, with excellent fruit,' said team leader Jade Koch.

'There's notes of cigar, smoke and leather on the nose, a full body and good length, making this perfect with lamb shank and venison,' said Benjamin Chan of Hakkasan Mayfair.

£18.69 Enotria&Coe

Spice, balance, silky tannins – Perrin's Crozes has it all. Gareth Ferreira of Launceston Place liked the ‘nice subtle spice and balanced finish, adding: ‘Black fruit and green olive tapenade, juicy fruit with tobacco notes.’ Team leader Natasha Hughes MW noted a ‘slightly reductive nose, but it's explosive, with a lovely, smoky spicy palate, brisk with supple tannins.'
Good value. Match with chargrilled steak.

£14.00 Liberty Wines

'Serious', 'wonderful', 'majestic' – just some of the praise heaped on the well-balanced Château du Campuget – no wonder it picked up Gold! 'There's a silky, lingering, long, luscious flavour,' said Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn. William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants added: ‘Lovely expressive, fruit-laden nose, with tar, liquorice, balanced tannins and fruit.’ Back to Roger for a tempting food match: slow-cooked mutton with capers, rosemary and garlic.

£13.90 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants found ‘brambly red fruits and wet stones on the nose’, along with ‘redcurrants and integrated tannins’. ‘Subtle and elegant with amazing balance,’ added Sandro Lyhs of Oxo Tower Bar.

£11.00 Liberty Wines

'Juicy, full-on classic,' began Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, continuing: 'Nice Syrah coming through, lovely balance and juicy, lingering precise fruit with spicy blackberry, cassis and heather. Perfect.'
'Plenty of ripe, spicy, plump fruit,' agreed Studio Alto's Neil Bruce.

'Very drinkable.'

£6.69 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Jonathan Kleeman of The Ritz Hotel found this ‘perfect for steak’, with its 'rich flavours, bold tannins, peppery notes and sweet spices’. ‘Really good wine,’ concluded team leader Olivier Marie.

£16.27 Enotria&Coe

‘Raw, Syrah-dominated and gamey,’ said approving team leader Richard Bampfield MW, adding: ‘Rich, warming white pepper with huge intensity. Really very good.’

£20.34 The Flying Corkscrew

‘Opulent, bold nose, generous and lively, stylish on the palate, long and pleasant, with pure fruit and a persistent finish,’ said Andrea Fasan of La Petite Maison. Team leader Richard Bampfield MW added: ‘Tastes as if it is good for you. Sheer joy, if not too complex.’

£14.53 Hatch Mansfield

'Inky eucalyptus, bay and liquorice on the nose,’ said team leader Jade Koch, adding: ‘Sweaty, plummy red fruit with firm tannins and a chunk of vanilla.’ ‘Smooth red fruits, spicy full body and finish,’ added Joao Ribeiro of Buddha-Bar London.

£13.85 Boutinot

‘Pencil shavings and blackcurrant aromas, with smoky minerals, meaty and intense on the palate,’ said an impressed Diego Muntoni of Oxo Tower Restaurant, adding: ‘Concentrated with big tannin – will develop into a beauty.’

£21.00 Boutinot

‘Complex, garrigue-herb style that needs time to breathe,’ said team leader Olivier Marie, with The Ritz Hotel’s Jonathan Kleeman adding: ‘White pepper and herbaceous notes with a hint of chocolate make it good for game.’

£14.00 Boutinot

‘A more evolved style, showing sweet tannins and juicy fruit,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW, with Sandro Lyhs of Oxo Tower Bar adding simply: ‘Very elegant.’

£9.64 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Rich and full, can be drunk now but still has bottle ageing to be done, with its solid, dark fruits, spice and earthy herbaceousness,’ said The Ritz Hotel’s Jonathan Kleeman. ‘Structured and characterful, chocolatey and gamey,’ added team leader Olivier Marie.

£23.79 Enotria&Coe

‘Savoury style, with leather, dark spices and dark olive,’ said Gareth Ferreira of Launceston Place, adding: ‘Very layered and complex wine. Tannins are firm but fine-grained. Powerful and very young, but very long, too. Match with grilled meats.’ Qualms about the price, along with its relatively youthful persona edged it into Silver status.

£113.47 Bibendum

‘Nice sweet tannins, lovely rich fruit, with a floral side and herbal character to balance,’ noted team leader Olivier Marie. ‘Rich chocolate and dark fruit, smoky, juicy and tannic,’ added Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel.

£12.10 Bibendum

‘Soft and approachable, with red fruits and a slightly vegetal note on the finish,’ said William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants. ‘Attractive, soft, easy-drinking style,’ agreed team leader Annette Scarfe MW.

£7.99 Matthew Clark

‘Has that perfect Rhône, ripe berry character and good tannin structure,’ noted team leader Jade Koch, adding: ‘Rhubarb and black olive aromas, with tart, ripe juicy fruit on the palate. Pretty, sweet, with a fine finish.’

£16.00 Liberty Wines

‘Simple, carbonic, fruity Rhône, showing typicity and fruity bubblegum style,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW. ‘Soft red fruit, blackcurrant and a note of tar on the finish,’ added William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants.

£6.24 Hatch Mansfield

'Slightly bruised character, with notes of green olive, black pepper, paprika and blueberry fruit, along with cured meat and tobacco hints, but firm in structure, with good ageing potential,' said Gareth Ferreira of Launceston Place.

£37.75 Boutinot

With team leader Martin Lam noting 'characterful dark liquorice and spices', Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn added: 'Some farmyard notes, but juicy fruit, saddle leather and some tannin, with juicy blackcurrant at the end. Spice then elegance.'

£7.58 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

'Delicate, appealing flavour that grows on one. Exciting style, spiced, clean and textured with lavender aromatics,' said Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, recommending to decant this now or keep to age.

£11.26 Enotria&Coe

‘Scented and a touch tarry on the nose, with mature, tobacco-scented fruit on the palate and a fresh finish,’ said team leader Richard Bampfield MW, adding: ‘Actually very flavoursome and refined, and a lovely food match.’

£9.23 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Very meaty, peppery and smoky on the nose, with some complexity,’ began team leader Natasha Hughes MW, continuing: ‘Silky, fine-grained tannin with floral notes on a long finish.’ ‘Earthy and perfumed with succulent acidity,’ agreed Diego Muntoni of Oxo Tower Restaurant.

£15.44 Bibendum

‘Ripe red fruit and plums on the nose,’ said an impressed Laurent Richet MS of Restaurant Sat Bains, ‘with cured meat, salt and moderately high tannins. Serious wine, both a great direct pleasure and a wine to keep. A classic.’

£22.98 Bibendum

‘Inky ruby colour, with berries and spice, rounded, delicate and complex with herbal notes,’ said Joao Ribeiro of Buddha-Bar London, adding: ‘Round finish with more spice, this is delicate and fine.’

£31.65 Boutinot

‘Fruit, richness, essence of flavour. Balance, intensity, young spices but still shy, although ripe fruit and moderate tannin,’ noted Laurent Richet MS of Restaurant Sat Bains. ‘Beautifully put together, expressive and round, integrated and ready to drink now. Made for pleasure,’ said equally impressed team leader Jade Koch.

£47.08 Bibendum

‘Fresh, fruity and honest, in a juicy, off-dry style. Packed with flavour and certainly easy to like,’ said team leader Richard Bampfield MW. ‘Plummy character with a big warmth,’ added Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering.

£7.00 Bottle Green

Team leader Annette Scarfe MW found this ‘appealing’, with ‘savoury, meaty notes'. ‘Chewy tannins but good fruit and well integrated. Will develop,’ added William Sheard of Donostia Restaurants.

£8.68 Bibendum

'Sweet Grenache fruit on the nose and palate. Simple and rather pleasing,' said team leader Martin Lam, with Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn adding: 'Clean, bright and precise, blackcurrant cordial, fresh and lively with notes of saddle leather.'

£6.00 Boutinot

'Black olives and currants. This is a full, intense, balanced red with integrated oak and liquorice notes to finish,' found Diego Muntoni of Oxo Tower Restaurant.

'Violets, smoky bacon and a fleshy palate,' agreed team leader Natasha Hughes MW.

£11.62 Louis Latour Agencies

'Appealing, warm spice and fruit nose, with a generous, juicy palate,' noted team leader Martin Lam.

'Clean, full flavour with good tannin. Keep to age,' added Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.

£9.67 Bibendum

£20.22 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£11.25 Majestic Commercial

£24.85 Boutinot

£9.37 Hatch Mansfield

£6.24 Hatch Mansfield

£7.90 Boutinot

£8.50 Boutinot

£6.40 Boutinot

£7.65 Boutinot

£32.50 Liberty Wines

£12.49 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£12.18 Bibendum

£16.85 Boutinot

£14.99 Hatch Mansfield

£12.76 Enotria&Coe

£22.00 Matthew Clark