A considered approach and a great price convinced our judges that this deserved the Gold. ‘Controlled not overblown Chardonnay, with grapefruit notes and slightly buttery on the finish,’ began Tim McLaughlin-Green of Sommelier’s Choice, while Charles Van Wyk of FJB Hotels found it a ‘well-made and balanced wine offering a nose of peach and apricot with lovely weighty mouthfeel coming from clever use of oak, flavours of almond, apricot and limey refreshing acidity’.

£6.59 Hatch Mansfield

A clear candidate for Gold, with a ‘creamy texture, smoky oak notes and stone fruits on the palate, and an elegant and balanced palate’, praised Bovey Castle’s Rustem Mingaleev, while team leader Martin Lam appreciated its ‘chalky, wet stone nose and a good citrus lift on the palate’. Portland Restaurant’s James Fryer described ‘super-opulent peach and apricot notes, with some almond on the finish’, while team leader Tom Forrest thought it a match for cod loin.

£12.11 Bibendum

With its structure and freshness, judges found another Chardonnay Gold for South Africa. ‘Plenty of oak, but a cool, almost herby, fynbos style; good, young, but with lovely balance and high cheekbones,’ began team leader Simon Woods. ‘Powerful aromas of vanilla, almonds and ripe apricot,’ said Charles Van Wyk of FJB Hotels, noting ‘good concentration and a weighty mouthfeel, which finishes very refreshing with a lemony acidity’. This was an ideal partner for monkfish with pancetta, thought team leader Tom Forrest.

£8.81 Gordon & MacPhail

‘Delicate citrus nose, and showing restraint and elegance on the palate, with a creamy finish,’ began consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates, while team leader Tom Forrest appreciated ‘sweet oak and sweet ripe pineapple and mango, leading to rounded oak on the palate, and more ripe pineapple, with a mineral finish’.

£17.68 Bibendum

‘A mineral, Chablis-like style with hints of buttery fruit, the palate quite restrained with fresh oak coming through on the aftertaste, which is long and shows great potential, too,’ said an impressed Tim McLaughlin-Green of Sommelier’s Choice.

£13.80 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Neil Tabraham of Paris House enjoyed its ‘clean, peach and melon nose with a fuller style, juicy and zesty palate, a well-made foodie Chardonnay with a long, bright and complex finish.’ Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia, meanwhile, appreciated ‘baked apples and peaches, with a wonderful mouthfeel’.

£17.31 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Consultant sommelier Rebecca Coates enjoyed this Chardonnay’s ‘creamy yoghurt character and oak on the nose, a balanced and flavoursome style with a round finish, a serious effort’, while Rustem Mingaleev of Bovey Castle described it as having ‘clean, white stone fruits, vanilla and smoke notes’.

£10.60 Alexander Wines, H2Vin

A ‘classic with full flavour’, said Tim McLaughlin-Green of Sommelier’s Choice, ‘pure style, clean and elegant with ripe fruit, balanced and refreshing. An engaging, buttery Chardonnay that’s great value and needs food.’

£9.63 Distell International

‘Reaching its peak soon, this has stone fruit ripeness on the nose and a creamy citrus palate, with some oaky tannins,’ said team leader Martin Lam, while Charles Carron Brown of The Forest Side Grasmere found ‘tropical fruit, melon, banana and honeysuckle, with a subtle amount of oak’.

£15.58 Top Selection Ltd

£15.18 Baleia Bay Wines cc t/a BALEIA WINES

£14.00 Mannings Heath Golf Club & Wine Estate

£7.08 Hatch Mansfield

£7.00 Fuller's

£17.25 Bibendum

£9.58 Bibendum

£9.47 Bibendum

£11.86 Bibendum

£8.56 Bibendum

£9.19 Enotria&Coe