With its ripe, forward style, persistence and length, this was popular from the start, with judges feeling it would work well both with food and by the glass. ‘Love it,’ declared Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering, adding: ‘With an appealing nose of cherries and plums, a very attractive palate and big warmth at the heart.’ ‘Blueberry, juicy fruitiness with some dry spices, good tannins and acidity,’ agreed Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel.

£6.09 Copestick Murray, Greene King

‘Rich cherry tart aromas with some chocolate and tobacco notes, dark cherry fruit on the palate with a nice concentration of medicinal herbs,’ said team leader Tom Forrest. ‘Complex nose, fruity, spicy, fragrant and ripe,’ added Enikő Heidenwolf of Bread Street Kitchen. A big wine for big flavours. Match with game.

£29.34 Eurowines

With its depth and complexity of flavour and its vivacious, bright palate adding up to a wine with strong food-matching potential, Montresor scored a place on the Gold List. Team leader Laura Rhys MS noted: ‘Ripe red cherries, strawberry, juicy berry and bramble fruit with some meaty notes and spicy complexity,’ while Riccardo Guzzardo of The Gilbert Scott enjoyed its ‘spicy, cheery sensation’ and Studio Alto’s Neil Bruce found a ‘Carmenère-like, leafy, herbal’ character.

£10.50 Boutinot

‘Ripe, almost jammy red berry and blackcurrant fruit, this is herbaceous with nice acidity on the palate, savoury spices and bold, grippy tannins,’ said team leader Laura Rhys MS, with Riccardo Guzzardo of The Gilbert Scott also noting: ‘Complex, coffee-mocha and brown sugar notes.’

£29.50 Jascots Wine Merchants

‘Sweet red cherry notes and hints of chocolate confectionery, soft red cherry flavours on the palate with drying tannins on the finish,’ said team leader Tom Forrest, with consultant sommelier Eike Bosche noting its ‘good fruit and length’.

£9.40 Liberty Wines

‘Scented wood, dates and wild ripe berries on the nose, a juicy palate, well balanced, with chocolate and liquorice notes and a good finish,’ said a satisfied Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel. Team leader Martin Lam noted: ‘Meaty, perfumed nose with herbs, black olive, spices and a hint of bitterness on the finish.’

£25.30 Eurowines

‘Quite sweet and full bodied, needing time, though a modern style with lovely fruits. Elegant and delicious,’ said Yves Desmaris MS of Lutyens, with team leader Tom Forrest adding: ‘Dusty, dried cherry, cedar spice with soft tobacco and a dash of chocolate.’

£50.05 Eurowines

Rebecca Coates of Hakkasan London found ‘raspberry chocolate with clove spice on the nose, fresh, delicate body and great structure’, with Riccardo Guzzardo of The Gilbert Scott appreciating its ‘incense smoke and tobacco', and Maxwell Allwood of Alimentum liking the 'lovely freshness' and 'pleasant notes of strawberry and cranberry'.

£14.00 Liberty Wines

‘Inviting, ripe fruit nose; palate is balanced, sweet and savoury, with good acidity on the finish,’ began team leader Martin Lam, with Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel adding: ‘Strawberry, vanilla and warm woody notes and some hints of chocolate.’

£15.63 Enotria&Coe

‘Rich red fruits and spicy on the nose, cherries and good tannin on a long palate,’ said Riccardo Guzzardo of The Gilbert Scott of this generous wine, with its pleasant earthiness. Team leader Laura Rhys MS noted: ‘Dark berries, earthy mushroom and herbaceous notes.’

£13.18 Bibendum

‘Tobacco, spice and cedar wood with cherry on the nose. Ripe cherry, concentrated palate with chocolate notes and moderate acidity,’ said team leader Tom Forrest, with Enikő Heidenwolf of Bread Street Kitchen adding: ‘Baked fruits with smooth tannins.’ Match with sashimi and dishes with sweeter sauces.

£35.65 Bibendum

‘Beautiful fruit-driven, soft vanilla oak style, jammy with soft tannin,’ said consultant sommelier Eike Bosche of this expressive wine, with its elegant fruit flavours. Team leader Tom Forrest added: ‘Nice herbaceous and spiced cherry style, rich cherry and tobacco, with cedar spice complexity.’

£13.76 Eurowines

Neil Bruce of Studio Alto enjoyed this wine’s ‘bramble fruit and black cherries on the nose, dry, grippy tannins and lovely spicy black hints and racy finish’, with Rebecca Coates of Hakkasan London finding it ‘good drinking, touch of sweetness with ripe red cherry fruits’.

£9.40 Liberty Wines

‘Deep, inky ruby colour with silky, chocolatey richness and cherry fruit,’ began Rebecca Coates of Hakkasan London, with Studio Alto’s Neil Bruce adding: ‘Fleshy, meaty with some development on the nose, with deep, dark, fleshy fruit on the palate too.’

£49.21 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Dark fruit, black cherry, fruit-driven aromas with lovely acidity and good structure on the palate,’ began team leader Laura Rhys MS, with Neil Bruce of Studio Alto adding: ‘Cherry and red plum, sweet/sour style, grippy with a fresh finish.’

£8.68 Enotria&Coe

With consultant sommelier Eike Bosche noting its ‘dark fruit and good tannins’, team leader Tom Forrest said: ‘Ripe cherry aromas with some richness, soft tannins, ripe red cherry and hints of chocolate. Dry on the finish.’

£9.59 The Flying Corkscrew

£8.13 Eurowines

£9.79 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£24.88 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£18.35 Liberty Wines

£22.08 The Flying Corkscrew

£9.00 Boutinot

£7.98 Alivini

£9.45 Matthew Clark