An impressive balancing act between richness and freshness earned this Gold. ‘A rich, honeyed style with oak ageing that enhances the vanilla character on the palate, but it’s long and has good acidic balance, too,’ said Gaetano Giangaspero of Coya Mayfair. ‘Ripe and creamy, with tinned peaches and apricots. Well rounded, with an oily texture,’ added team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while Sexy Fish’s Julien Sahut appreciated ‘ripe apple, stone fruit and some mineral notes, with a long finish’.

£14.25 Boutinot

Taking Gold amid high praise from judges, this Côtes du Rhône Blanc was described by Gaetano Giangaspero of Coya Mayfair as having ‘a velvety nose and elegant palate, creamy texture with fresh, balanced acidity and good persistence’, while team leader Lionel Periner pointed out ‘candied lemon aromas, well-balanced palate with nice, elegant fruit style’. An ideal partner for poultry with a creamy sauce, thought Sexy Fish’s Julien Sahut.

£7.23 Hatch Mansfield

‘The nose ranges from sweet florals to ripe tropical fruit, to spices too,’ began an impressed Gaetano Giangaspero of Coya Mayfair, going on: ‘The palate’s gentle but very expressive too, with a very long finish.’ ‘Full aromas of citrus, stone fruit, apricot, oak vanilla and almond nut hints,’ agreed team leader Lionel Periner.

£9.94 Boutinot

Charles Ashby-Taylor of Dabbous enjoyed its ‘leesy, floral nose, nice tuffe volcanic minerality, gentle toast and balanced acidity’, while team leader Lionel Periner found ‘apricot, citrus and floral notes, a dry palate with an aromatic finish’.

£13.49 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

‘A well-crafted wine with restrained white flower aromas as well as some peach skin, leading to a spicy mid-palate and a long, complex finish,’ described team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while J Corey Evans of St Swithins Wine Shippers found it to be ‘perfumed but elegant, and a little waxy, too’.

£28.43 Hatch Mansfield

‘Elegant and floral nose, fleshy fruit with peach and banana notes on the palate,’ began Charles Ashby-Taylor of Dabbous, with Gaetano Giangaspero of Coya Mayfair noting ‘ripe fruit and sweet spice notes, a rounded palate with good structure and persistence’.

£6.66 Boutinot

£15.78 Bibendum

£25.55 Matthew Clark

£12.29 Liberty Wines

£12.51 Hallgarten & Novum Wines