Exuding class from the start, this Gold Lister shows confit lemon, honey and dry flowers on the nose, according to team leader Andrea Briccarello, with Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at the InterContinental saying: 'The palate is elegant, with some coffee layers alongside fruit and mineral notes,' while thinking 'food'! 'Lively mousse, perfumed nose with farmyard hints followed by a citrus profile on the palate with racy acidity,' said Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall.

'Rich, decadent flavour profile in place,' added consultant Claire Love.

£35.00 Boutinot, Christopher Piper Wines

With its crisp elegance and great value for money, Les Roches Blanches scored a worthy Gold with this easy-drinking champagne. With notes of green apple freshness and pastry on the nose, this showed medium-intensity bubbles and a fresh, sherbety finish, according to team leader Tom Forrest.

'Some nutty notes and hints of lemon and pear fruit,' added Piotr Tomaszewski of JKS Restaurants.

£13.50 Kingsland

Ample waves of 'brioche and yeasty notes and great creaminess, with notes of spice. Very good quality', said Andrés Ituarte of Avenue Restaurant, illustrating how Besserat de Bellefon scaled the Gold podium.

'Earthy, delicate nose opening out into red berries and red apple with white grapefruit on the palate,' said Cheese at Leadenhall's Robert Mason, concluding: 'Youthful character, lively and complex.'

£22.50 Bibendum , Matthew Clark

Length, balance and elegance gave Taittinger one of its 2016 Golds.

'High intensity,' began Ivan Vegas of Fox Fine Wines & Spirits, adding: 'Concentrated and very well-developed aromas, fruit and yeast, with a strong but pleasant mousse.'
'Very elegant and smooth with great richness, and a good price point,' said The Savoy's Erik Simonics, while Gareth Ferreira of 67 Pall Mall noted a 'mineral edge, with chalk and flint, to the lemon pithy finish'.

£31.39 Hatch Mansfield

Not one but two 2016 Golds for Palmer & Co, kicking off with this complex Blanc de Blancs with its elegant finish. Michael Fiducia of Drake's Restaurant enjoyed its 'pleasant toasted brioche nose and nicely rounded palate', also highlighting a 'beautifully creamy drive on the finish'.

'Fragrant and smooth, well balanced with great complexity,' added The Savoy's Erik Simonics, and Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at the InterContinental noted: 'Dark fruits and spices, with a layer of smoky leaves.'

£28.65 Bibendum

'Well-judged maturity here, very complex and muscular style with a great range of flavours. Good for ageing, and good price point for top-flight restaurants,' said Erik Simonics of The Savoy, while team leader Angela Reddin highlighted its 'heady, toasty nose and very intense, lovely undergrowth aromas', and Hakkasan London's Rebecca Coates noted: 'Roast hazelnut, toasted almond, and baked pastry with red apple and quince.'

£58.07 Bibendum

Not just care but time – this ages for at least five years in the bottle – propelled Devaux's Ultra D to the Gold podium. While Andrés Ituarte of Avenue Restaurant complimented the 'vibrant bubbles, long, pretty palate, with a touch of candied apple and pear', Devon Pryor of Blandford Comptoir found 'some faint brioche or fresh bread, but not toasty', along with 'fresh cream and hints of flowers' on the nose, adding: 'Fine bubbles and loads of minerality on the palate, which lasts alongside fresh lemon and chalky flavours.'
'It's supple, generously flavoured, rich, ripe and pristine,' concluded team leader Simon Woods.

£28.75 Liberty Wines

'Toasted almonds and earthy aromas,' began Laure Patry of Social Wine & Tapas, adding: 'Creamy finish, high acidity with a little bitterness and white pepper on the finish.'
'Pretty, with lots of minerality and an oxidative note, but in a good way,' said Andrés Ituarte of Avenue Restaurant.

£36.00 Boutinot

'Richer style with some forest fruit and raspberry on the nose, herbal character but good freshness on the palate. Well made and balanced, good with food,' said Giancarlo Cuccuru of Brackenbury Wine Rooms, while Adriana Valentini of Massimo Restaurant & Bar found the 'touch of refreshing bitterness on a long finish' to be very pleasant.

£32.09 Pernod Ricard UK

'Pistachio shell and hazelnut, with a bready, yeasty, nutty finish,' said team leader Sam Caporn MW, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross at Kenilworth enjoyed its notes of 'red apple, pain d'épice and baked almonds'.

£43.19 Pernod Ricard UK

While Avenue Restaurant's Andrés Ituarte said: 'Very good, with bright acids, bread dough and light spice, this is rich and elegant, with a long length,' Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn found this to be good value for money, showing 'richness and colour depth, with baking aromas, savouriness and creaminess, along with layered depth of flavour and texture'.

£28.67 Louis Latour Agencies

Piotr Tomaszewski of JKS Restaurants found this 'very elegant and round', showing a big, complex nose of 'almond, brioche, yeasty nuts, lime and lemon, with a touch of reduction but smooth balance'. Giancarlo Cuccuru of Brackenbury Wine Rooms added that its 'gamey character and richness calls for food'.

£39.20 Coe Vintners

'Well balanced, elegant and smooth, with a delicate finish, at a good price point,' said Erik Simonics of The Savoy, with team leader Angela Reddin noting: 'Complex, almost earthy minerality, layered and quite intense.'

£24.80 Amathus, Bibendum , Matthew Clark, Inverarity Morton

'More tangerine, orange notes,' began Zigmars Grinbergs of Vinoteca, while Devon Pryor of Blandford Comptoir found an 'exuberantly citrus nose, candied grapefruit, nice texture lifted by a freshness and lovely balance', and Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at the InterContinental noted 'the austere palate and good acidity in balance with sweetness', suggesting confit duck as one top food match.

£30.11 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Consultant Claire Love found this a 'richer, decadent style' showing 'lovely balance, bubbles and acidity, bone dry but a lot of complexity on the palate'. Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants agreed: 'Rounded, full, complex, long finish. Needs time,' and team leader Simon Woods applauded the 'good length' and the 'lovely heady, crisp, juicy style'.

£47.16 Pernod Ricard UK

'Very fresh, crisp apple notes with a nice autolysis balance and length,' began team leader Sam Caporn MW, concluding: 'Good yeasty fruit and a touch of crisp lemon acid.'
Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn also enjoyed its 'apple, stone fruit, honeyed length'.

£13.50 Majestic Commercial

'Lemon and lime fruit characters, elegant and well balanced, with a touch of nuttiness on the finish. Smooth and elegant,' said Piotr Tomaszewski of JKS Restaurants, with Damon Little of Restaurant Nathan Outlaw also enjoying its 'biscuity nose and soft apple and pear fruit'.

£26.30 Moët Hennessy

Damon Little of Restaurant Nathan Outlaw enjoyed its 'fennel and apple blossom aromas' and 'creamy, fine mousse', while Adriana Valentini of Massimo Restaurant & Bar found 'medium intensity, elegant mousse, citrus and stone fruit with a touch of sage at the end'.

£21.67 Bibendum

Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall found 'vegetal, brioche and subtle spice' on the nose, adding: 'Soft, fine mousse, stewed cherry, dried apricot and baked apple with cinnamon sultana notes. Subtle and refined.'
Meanwhile Rebecca Coates of Hakkasan London noted: 'With its notes of strawberry, vanilla custard and sweet spice, this has great balance and structure, done in a powerful, rich style.'

£28.02 Liberty Wines

'Tart apple and lemon peel aromas, followed by fresh apple and sherbet notes on the palate with a nice level of fizz,' began team leader Tom Forrest, with Adriana Valentini of Massimo Restaurant & Bar noting a 'nice vibrant nose, autolytic flavours and an elegant, long finish'.

£23.73 Justerini & Brooks, Matthew Clark

'Great food sparkling,' began Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall, continuing: 'Macaroni cheese and floral notes on the nose, leading to citrus bite and floral balance on the mid-palate. Slightly sharp, zingy finish.'
'Clean, with a crunchy orchard fruit palate,' added consultant Claire Love.

£19.95 Spirited Wines, Castelnau Wine Agencies

'Smoked almond nose, bone dry and very linear, but well balanced,' said consultant Claire Love, while Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall found 'green apples galore, vibrant and zippy balance of fresh acidity'.

£23.50 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

'Classic, great champers,' said Piotr Tomaszewski of JKS Restaurants, adding: 'The smooth nose shows autolytic character, leading to a rounded, full-bodied palate.'
Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross at Kenilworth found 'toasted notes of pain d'épice and gingerbread' on the nose, and a 'soft, complex palate, baked pear and long, clean taste', while Skylon's Marco Marcuzzo added: 'Creamy, balanced and elegant.'

£249.90 Cellar Trends, Matthew Clark

'Bright and zesty on the nose, with yeasty character, then light and fresh on the palate, with chalky minerality on the finish. A good all-rounder,' said team leader Angela Reddin.

£15.85 Boutinot, Christopher Piper Wines

Marco Marcuzzo of Skylon enjoyed its fine bubbles and toasty pear and apple aromas, saying: 'Nice finesse, biscuity character and subtle finish.'
'Racy acidity, nice crispness and deepness,' agreed The Cross at Kenilworth's Giuseppe Longobardi.

£18.50 Eurowines

Complex and accomplished. Our judges appreciated the plentiful citrus notes, the savoury, yeasty hints and the long finish. Rich pastry notes on the nose suggest some serious time spent on the lees. Delightful.

£34.18 Louis Latour Agencies

Medium in sweetness and 'light on the palate', according to Laure Patry of Social Wine & Tapas, who highlighted 'aromatic peach, apricot and herbal notes, gentle bubbles and a rounded finish'.

'The balanced dosage makes it food-friendly,' added Vinoteca's Zigmars Grinbergs.

£26.50 Amathus, Bibendum , Matthew Clark, Inverarity Morton

'Citrus aromas, then taut and tense in the mouth, with summer meadow flavours,' said team leader Angela Reddin, while The Savoy's Erik Simonics added: 'High-intensity palate, really pleasant and contained, with a delicate mousse.'

£35.24 Hatch Mansfield

'Lovely,' said team leader Sam Caporn MW, who highlighted an 'attractive nose of grilled nuts' followed by 'balanced lemon and a toasted brioche finish' on the palate.

'Nice complexity on the nose and rounded character,' added Ed Verrill of Vinoteca King's Cross.

£22.78 Justerini & Brooks, Matthew Clark

'Freshness and approachability, richness and length,' began Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, while team leader Sam Caporn MW found it a 'slightly unusual, distinctly nutty style, but with a long, autolytic finish'.

£27.48 Justerini & Brooks, Majestic Commercial, Matthew Clark

'Perfumed, subtle autolytic notes, apple and sultana, light and elegant,' began Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall, with Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants adding: 'Spice, toast, stewed apples and a lovely finish.'

£28.72 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£19.25 Boutinot, Christopher Piper Wines

£14.70 Kingsland

£19.50 Boutinot

£25.27 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£26.30 Bibendum , Matthew Clark

£79.40 Pernod Ricard UK

£23.89 Bibendum

£24.19 Top Selection Ltd

£18.95 Spirited Wines, Castelnau Wine Agencies

£21.82 Liberty Wines

£26.07 Liberty Wines

£19.00 Carte Blanche Wines, Sogrape UK, Wine Importers

£18.67 Mentzendorff & Co

£20.65 Jascots Wine Merchants

£23.72 Enotria&Coe

£28.65 Bibendum