This ripe Chardonnay-based blend proved ‘that the UK has a place in the fizz market’, according to Charles Ashby-Taylor of Dabbous. Team leader Sam Capon MW joined in its praise, describing a wine that had ‘pretty balance, nice autolysis, good freshness and a saline note’. ‘This is a fashionable style, classy and nutty with salty mineral notes. It would be good for a high-end restaurant,’ concluded Tanya Mann of Linden House Stansted.

£21.96 Laithwaite's Wine

Understated at first, Lyme Bay’s Classic Cuvée soon won judges over with bright freshness and a great price tag. Neil Tabraham of Paris House spoke of a ‘bright nose, grapefruit and green apples’, while Antonio Cuadros of The Don Restaurant enjoyed its ‘strawberry fruit and quite saline style’, also finding ‘barnyard notes, but subtle and elegant on the palate with a good, rounded finish’. ‘Generous minerality with a touch of steeliness and lovely mousse,’ added team leader Olivier Marie.

£17.26 Lyme Bay Winery

Earning its place on the Gold List with generous fruit and freshness, this sparkler was described by James Fryer of Portland Restaurant as having a ‘green apple nose, leading to red apple and cherry blossom, and a very pretty finish’. ‘Good mousse with refreshing green fruit, rather yeasty, but good acidity with brioche notes and a long finish,’ said Francisco Macedo of Bovey Castle. ‘Well balanced, good for an aperitif,’ concluded team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£24.51 Liberty Wines

Snapping up another Gold for England, this was ‘opulent, with bags of character, and would work wonders with food’, according to Charles Carron Brown of The Forest Side Grasmere. Remarking on its unusual fruit flavours and a particularly ‘smoky’ character, Francisco Macedo of Bovey Castle highlighted its ‘peach notes and creamy texture with firm bubbles, blood orange and fresh apple juice with a good finish’.

£21.77 Jascots Wine Merchants

Consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates felt there was ‘lovely substance’ to this wine, with its ‘green apple fruit, toast, lively acidity and good mousse’, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot found it ‘rounded and not too complex, with baked apples and citrus’.

£16.66 Denbies Wine Estate

‘An elegant style with nice mousse, fruity character and good acidity, clean and long on the finish,’ said Francisco Macedo of Bovey Castle, with team leader Laurent Richet MS also finding notes of ‘nutty orange peel, balanced yeast and biscuit’.

£18.90 Vintage Roots, Mason & Mason Wines, S H Jones, Yorkshire Vintners, Milton Sandford

‘A richer style, with more nutty character on the nose, then cream and toasty buttery notes,’ began Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, concluding: ‘Good quality, well balanced on the palate with a nice smoky edge to it.’

£21.05 Ellis of Richmond

‘Light and fresh with balanced aromas, delicate fruit flavours on the palate making it a pleasantly bright wine,’ said consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates.

£25.00 Adnams, Clark Foyster Wines, Gusbourne Estate, Wright Wine Co, Tanners Wine Merchants, Butlers, Shepherd Neame, Field and Fawcett, Woodwinters

‘Clean on the nose with fresh brioche, a creamy palate with direct acidity and baked apple fruit with more brioche notes,’ said The Vineyard Group’s James Hocking. ‘Great complexity, with apple skins, almond notes and a ripe mouthfeel,’ added team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£21.00 Adnams, Clark Foyster Wines, Gusbourne Estate, Wright Wine Co, Tanners Wine Merchants, Butlers, Shepherd Neame, Field and Fawcett, Woodwinters

James Hocking of The Vineyard Group was clearly impressed with this wine’s ‘classy, leesy’ character, highlighting its ‘opulent and refined, well-made style, with some brioche notes, apple and baked bread’, and summing up: ‘Yes!’

£23.15 Wiston Estate Winery

James Hocking of The Vineyard Group found it ‘ripe with fresh fruit, delicate in aroma and flavour with nice notes of baked apple and brioche’, while team leader Laurent Richet MS also found a ‘delicate nose of red cherries’.

£19.55 Boutinot

Consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates enjoyed its ‘intense red apple and quince jelly aroma notes, and complex, rich and well-balanced palate’, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot summed it up as simply ‘elegant with depth and good length’.

£30.30 Liberty Wines

‘Rising bread aromas, redcurrant and citrus fruit with some elderflower notes,’ began team leader Angela Reddin, also noting its ‘crisp, clean finish’, while Stefan Kobald of Jason Atherton Group enjoyed its ‘developed character, long finish and great complexity’.

£24.07 Liberty Wines

The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira enjoyed its ‘good balance, lemon and raspberry fruit on the nose, and white grape juice character on the palate’, with team leader Laurent Richet MS noting its ‘massive foam, apple and pear fruit with quince and toast notes’.

£32.41 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

A ‘well-balanced and bright wine with great ageing potential’, thought Stefan Kobald of Jason Atherton Group, enjoying its ‘pear drops and apple, salty character on the nose, chalk minerality and creamy body with a medium finish and oaky hints’.

£19.00 New Generation Wines

Stefan Kobald of Jason Atherton Group was clearly impressed with its ‘citrus orange blossom aromas, orchard and stone fruit character with soft, delicate bubbles, luscious fruit on the palate, medium body and long finish’.

£19.00 H2Vin

‘Very approachable and frothy, with Red Delicious apple and a touch of residual sugar,’ began consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates, with The Don Restaurant’s Antonio Cuadros finding it ‘a bit saline and citric but tasty, with peachy stone fruit and a good, elegant finish’.

£20.00 Bibendum

Team leader Laurent Richet MS found a ‘delicate nose with earthy hints’, enjoying its ‘oaky Chardonnay palate and great fizz’, and recommending it as ‘great to go with food’, while The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira highlighted its notes of ‘cooked apple, wet grass and raspberry’.

£22.49 Justerini & Brooks, Lanchester Wine Cellars, Dayla, C&O Wines, HT White & Co, Davy's Wine Merchants

£19.30 Ellis of Richmond

£17.85 H2Vin

£17.04 Corney & Barrow, Wiston Estate Winery, Hennings Wine

£20.39 Bibendum

£16.00 Redfold Vineyards LLP

£24.50 Armit

£21.06 Liberty Wines

£24.27 Jascots Wine Merchants