This ‘classical Pinot Noir’, according to Plateau’s Federico Forte, couldn’t walk away with anything less than Gold. Team leader Annette Scarfe MW found it an ‘attractive, juicy style, with ripe black plums and cherries in the mouth, a juicy mid-palate and delicate spices on the finish’. ‘This draws you in with red cherry and sugar plum aromas, sprinkled with thyme, leading to graceful power on the palate. Beautiful, and ideal with venison,’ concluded team leader Angela Reddin.

£20.75 Liberty Wines

A great Gold at a great price, and worthy of a By The Glass Trophy, too, this had ‘a juicy, bright nose with lots of red fruit, redcurrant and creamy texture on the palate with a bite of tannin and a fresh finish – brilliant for the price’, said Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson. Avenue’s Agustin Trapero found a ‘pleasant nose of fresh red fruit and plums with a hint of spicy beetroot on the palate’. ‘Lovely mouthful of juicy fruit, remarkable value!’ concluded Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering.

£6.89 Greene King

Consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates praised this great-value Gold’s ‘earthy, animal nose, followed by a well-balanced palate with plenty of fruit and hints of vanilla’, with team leader Martin Lam describing it as ‘quite focused and lightly tannic with fresh red fruits’. ‘Hedgerow and summer fruits – a ripe, sweet nose with hints of spicy oak. Nice, and recognisably Pinot,’ added team leader Angela Reddin, while Stamatis Iseris of The Strathearn at The Gleneagles Hotel appreciated ‘a palate redolent of fresh red fruits and spices, with good texture’.

£8.20 Armit Wines

Lavished with praise by our judges, this unanimous Gold winner had, according to team leader Martin Lam, ‘complex sour cherry and raspberry fruit, then a note of liqueur raspberry on the palate, with a long finish, for a refined and elegant style’. Consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates, meanwhile, was lured by its ‘raw, meaty, animal, enticing nose, followed by great balance and finesse, and there’s an artisan touch here – I took a second sip!’ ‘Match with lamb, pheasant, or game,’ suggested Stamatis Iseris of The Strathearn at The Gleneagles Hotel.

£21.07 Bibendum

Well-considered oak and lots of fresh fruit took this to Gold. ‘Almost a toasted bread nose, with a beautiful red cherry fruit and violet background,’ began impressed team leader Laurent Richet MS, continuing: ‘Delicate and fruity on the palate, with a structured finish, it’s a lovely wine.’ ‘Lovely, pure, expressive wine, red fruit and spice, mid-weight with a long and elegant finish,’ added Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson. Frances Bentley of Individual Restaurants thought this perfect with ‘tuna steak, or roast beef sandwiches on sourdough’.

£11.05 Bibendum

A second Gold for Otago Pinot, this was ‘delicate, with fresh plums and cherry fruit on the nose – well integrated with high quality oak’, began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, who was impressed with its ‘textured and structured palate and great length on the finish’. Winexponent’s Simon Cassina advised: ‘It’s worth the effort to decant this wine, with its high-extraction, low-yield concentration and premium style. I’d be happy to buy a case!’ A similarly enthusiastic Stamatis Iseris of The Strathearn at The Gleneagles Hotel added: ‘Elegant and rich, it explodes on the palate with sweet red fruits, spices, red roses and herbs. Match with venison or duck.’

£26.04 Bibendum

‘A great food wine,’ said Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson of this Gold Lister, praising its ‘savoury, spicy nose with whole bunch lift’, and adding: ‘An intriguing wine with something to say, showing cherry and strawberry fruit on the palate, with grippy tannin.’ Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering noted: ‘Good complexity, appealing development in the mouth and good depth.’ ‘Super-fresh acidity and excellent typicity – great with cold cuts, or as an aperitif,’ concluded Frances Bentley of Individual Restaurants.

£15.25 Berkmann Wine Cellars

This took home a Gold for its ‘bright and fruity’ style, as consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates described it, continuing: ‘Strawberry and cranberry perfume on the nose, and a clean palate with lots of charming, crunchy fruit.’ Giancarlo Cuccuru of The Ned Hotel meanwhile highlighted ‘spices and vanilla notes, good body with lots of dark fruit character and a warm finish’. ‘A deeply layered palate with earthy notes and lovely ripe, sweet fruit. Match with game,’ suggested team leader Angela Reddin.

£12.88 Enotria&Coe

‘Earthy and animal, layered aromas of dark fruits, then juicy fruit and soft tannins on the palate, lovely balance and structure,’ said consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates, with team leader Martin Lam adding: ‘Uncomplicated, dark and funky, forest floor and mushrooms with cherry fruit.’

£11.35 Bibendum

An ‘easy-drinking example’ for Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering, who liked its ‘fresh, balanced, fruity, amiable style, and good value’, while team leader Laurent Richet MS highlighted ‘black cherries and ripe red plums, blackberry jam with lovely ripeness on the palate, delicious and juicy’.

£8.25 Molson Coors

‘Light and tasty, a nervy and restrained style with lovely chalky tannins, notes of under-ripe raspberries and strawberries, young and refreshing,’ said Simon Cassina of Winexponent.

£13.50 Liberty Wines

‘Nice ripeness of red fruit on the nose, with intense strawberry, cherry and plum, then earthy and smooth on the palate,’ said Avenue’s Agustin Trapero, while Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson enjoyed its ‘lovely, pure Pinot perfume on the nose, red fruit and cherry palate with savoury balance and spice, subtle and long’.

£12.70 Bibendum

Team leader Annette Scarfe MW enjoyed this wine’s ‘rich, creamy vanilla oak nose, opulent with ripe black cherries, showing a sense of place with perfumed floral notes on the palate’, while Tamas Nemeth of Bread Street Kitchen noted ‘lovely ripe fruit, a bit of earthiness with a long finish; good value for money’.

£14.63 Liberty Wines

‘Smoky, meaty nose, almost cured meat hints, then a complex palate of dark cherries and dark plum; clean, with a little showing of oak,’ said team leader Laurent Richet MS, with Agustin Trapero of Avenue noting: ‘Great, ripe black fruit, plums and beetroot, with a hint of white chocolate.’

£15.83 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Light, raspberry fruit nose with a touch of austerity, juicy fruit on the palate then a clean and fresh finish, good length and balanced tannins,’ said Neil Tabraham of Paris House, with team leader Simon Woods finding it a ‘rounded, plush, textured style’.

£15.83 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Giancarlo Cuccuru of The Ned Hotel enjoyed this wine’s ‘vibrant nose of red fruit with some herbal character and a pleasing finish, that’s bound to be a popular style’, while for consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates it had a ‘gorgeous nose of roses, and a classy palate with plenty of finesse’.

£10.83 Davy's Wine Merchants

‘An appealing wine,’ began Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering, finding it ‘easy, clean and balanced, with a pleasing mouthful of fruit and remarkable development in the mouth’. ‘Classic rhubarb, plums and cherries on the palate,’ added Avenue’s Agustin Trapero.

£9.96 Hatch Mansfield

‘Attractive aromas of raspberry and ripe strawberries,’ began Charles Van Wyk of FJB Hotels, continuing: ‘An elegant Pinot with notes of redcurrant and strawberry on the palate, very well made with a lingering finish.’

£11.52 Bibendum

Team leader Simon Woods found ‘floral, fragrant aromas with strawberry, plum and cherry, a welcoming style with a slightly spicy finish’, while Tim McLaughlin-Green of Sommelier’s Choice saw it as ‘a harmonious wine, worth every penny, I want to drink more and more of this’.

£15.58 Liberty Wines

‘Cherry fruit aromas with rich farmyardy notes, sweet-sour cherry palate with light pine hints and a charming finish,’ began Andre Luis Martins of the Cavalry & Guards Club, with Plateau’s Federico Forte finding ‘maturity, strawberry and blue and black fruit notes, concentration with spicy notes to finish’.

£20.51 Enotria&Coe

£19.53 Aitken's Folly Vineyard Ltd

£17.49 Matthew Clark

£10.50 Ellis of Richmond

£12.00 Ellis of Richmond

£7.73 Boutinot

£8.18 Boutinot

£9.37 Majestic Commercial

£9.47 Majestic Commercial

£9.35 Armit Wines

£14.65 Bibendum

£14.33 Matthew Clark

£17.75 Matthew Clark

£12.87 Matthew Clark

£10.84 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£30.63 Liberty Wines

£13.34 Liberty Wines

£12.04 Liberty Wines

£11.40 Liberty Wines

£12.99 Enotria&Coe