‘Light and fresh nose, perfect fruit intensity on the palate, and the acidity gives good drive for a long finish,’ began Marek Rakowski of Harbour Heights Hotel of this Gold-winning rosé, with Arnaud Fiol of The Don Restaurant finding the ‘nose full and discreet, rich in the mouth and good value’. Team leader Annette Scarfe MW was impressed by its ‘well-defined structure, with white flowers and redcurrants, leading to a crisp, clean finish’.

£5.15 Carlsberg UK

Taking a second Gold for GCF Exclusif in the category, this showed ‘nice cranberry and berry fruit on the nose’, according to Vinoteca’s Charlie Young, who found ‘plenty of punchy redcurrant and rhubarb character on the palate, all really well knitted together’, with team leader Jade Koch highlighting ‘warm ripe peach notes, tart acidity and an apple crunch on the finish, juicy with some elegance’. ‘Duck or rabbit stew would match well,’ concluded Buddha Bar’s Piotr Artur Tomaszewski.

£5.40 HT White & Co

Team leader Lionel Periner praised Cavit’s second House Wine Gold for its ‘pale colour, but with berries and nice tomato leaf character on the nose – a dry and well-balanced palate showing nice, elegant acidity and a good bunch of fresh red fruit salad flavours on the finish’. ‘Quite intense aromas of cherry and strawberry, with a good mineral core on the palate and fresh acidity. Lean and crisp,’ added team leader Andrea Briccarello. ‘Ideal either as an apéritif or with monkfish,’ concluded team leader Annette Scarfe MW.

£5.90 Boutinot

‘Red fruit, plenty of strawberry on the nose with hints of floral aromatics, dry with nice acidity on the palate, well balanced and light on the alcohol,’ said team leader Lionel Periner, while Corin Ireland of Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms found ‘crunchy cranberries and raspberries with a dry, elegant finish’.

£4.66 Molson Coors

Noting its dark pink colour, team leader Lionel Periner picked out its ‘red fruit, candied touches and floral aromas, dry, medium body with a nice balance, finishing fresh and spicy’, while Corin Ireland of Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms found it ‘much drier than expected, with good character of melon and strawberry fruit’.

£5.83 Matthew Clark

Vinoteca’s Charlie Young enjoyed its ‘melon fruit on a fresh nose, great balance and good fruit intensity on the palate and pleasant red berry fruit character’, while Arnaud Fiol of The Don Restaurant found ‘good minerality on the nose and balance in the mouth’.

£4.85 Boutinot

‘Attractive orange and nectarine character on nose and palate, mid-weight style with a clean, mineral and drying finish,’ said team leader Jade Koch, with Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse noting ‘nice nose that hints of spring, clean taste that will match well with green veg’.

£4.90 Boutinot

A very pale salmon pink colour, with ‘an elegant and fresh nose offering floral notes, too, nice acidity on the palate and a refreshing dry finish’, said Jacopo Mazzeo of The Pig Hotel (Brockenhurst), with team leader Andrea Briccarello also finding ‘roses and lilies, followed by raspberry and cherry freshness, nicely balanced’.

£5.15 Boutinot

£3.83 Broadland Wineries

£5.48 Boutinot