‘Not textbook, but very interesting,’ commented team leader Jade Koch as this remarkable Pinot Grigio took Gold. Corin Ireland of Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms found ‘ripe fruit character, creamy texture, notes of spice, sweet vanilla and lemon curd with good depth and length’, while James Fryer of Portland Restaurant enjoyed ‘a nutty hazelnut and ripe apricot nose, with a cereal note, too, leading to more nuts on the palate, and some sweet peaches’. Markus Dilger of MAD F&B Consulting enjoyed ‘vanilla, citrus and white blossom on this complex nose, with honey and brioche on the palate’. A match for lardo and walnuts, thought Koch.

£19.64 Eurowines

A clear Gold candidate, packed with generous fruit and some floral notes, too. ‘Green straw with apples and lime on an aromatic nose,’ began Tamarind of Mayfair’s Chantal Serrano, who found ‘warmth and texture, white flower notes and fresh, fruity character on the palate, with a long finish’. ‘Easy-drinking, light and delicate, with stone fruits and a touch of residual sugar on the mid-palate,’ added Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall. ‘This delivers on price, and would make a good by-the-glass option. A good match for light tapas,’ thought team leader Angela Reddin.

£5.99 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

‘Classic Pinot Grigio,’ began team leader Lionel Periner of this Gold winner, as well as a By The Glass Trophy recipient. He noted ‘citrus and lime fruit with a greener edge like garden peas, and well-balanced acidity and alcohol on the palate’, while Jacopo Mazzeo of The Pig Hotel (Brockenhurst) found it ‘harmonious with good acidity and minerality, with a decent finish making it good value for money’. Portland Restaurant’s James Fryer liked its ‘intense, ripe apricot note and textural palate, with peach skins and white pepper’, while team leader Jade Koch thought it ‘pretty, with peachy fruit, warmth and minerality’.

£5.40 Moreno Wines, Try Wines, The Great Grog Company Limited

‘A different, original style,’ began team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW of this deserving Gold winner, highlighting its ‘mineral, almost spritzy, salty edge and a refreshing, likeable and long palate’, while Mattin Larraburu of Sexy Fish noted ‘vibrant, fresh, floral aromas with minerals and slightly honeyed notes on the finish’. Team leader Angela Reddin appreciated the minerality here, too, noting ‘a seashell, breezy freshness, with a herbal, citrus and melon palate with a hint of marzipan – works on many levels’.

£12.55 Bibendum

Layers of complexity in this wine singled it out for Gold, with Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte finding ‘oak ageing and notes of lees contact richness, leading to a ripe and creamy palate with balanced fruit and hints of Christmas spices’, while Mattin Larraburu of Sexy Fish enjoyed its ‘dense and generous texture on the palate’. Stamatis Iseris of The Strathearn at The Gleneagles Hotel appreciated its ‘beautiful, creamy nose of custard, cream, ripe apples and citrus fruits, followed by zesty acidity and rich texture’, while M Wine Store’s Harry Crowther singled this out as a perfect match for shellfish.

£19.04 Liberty Wines

Veneto took Gold again, this time with ‘peach and citrus aromas, then a textured and long palate with notes of camomile and ginger spice, fresh and balanced’, said Chantal Serrano of Tamarind of Mayfair, with The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira noting its ‘slightly floral, complex nose followed by a beautiful, spicy, floral and silky palate with stone fruits and a very decent finish’. Stamatis Iseris of The Strathearn at The Gleneagles Hotel praised ‘candied fruits, almonds and sweet white flowers, leading to refreshing acidity, rich texture, and intensity of flavour’, while team leader Angela Reddin identified it as a match for lemon and thyme chicken.

£8.69 Enotria&Coe

Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall enjoyed its ‘fresh lemon, lime and gooseberry aromas, and minerally, ripe and fresh palate that’s clean, mouthwatering and great value’, while The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira found ‘stone fruits, really good balance, white grape juice character on the mid-palate with lots of freshness’.

£6.99 Frederic Robinson

A pleasant combination of ‘elegant florals and subtle orchard fruits on the nose’ for Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall, followed by ‘touches of butter and a slight note of petrol oiliness on the palate, which is minerally and flinty’.

£20.08 Eurowines

‘Crisp nose, with some notes of green apple flesh on the nose, more citrus-led on the palate,’ said Jacopo Mazzeo of The Pig Hotel (Brockenhurst), with team leader Lionel Periner highlighting ‘citrus and spring flower notes, a well-balanced, dry palate with a lime character on the finish’.

£7.13 Liberty Wines

A feast of fruits for Cristian Sanchez of Hotel du Vin Cambridge, who found ‘citrus fruits with notes of ripe peach and apricot, tropical flavours of pineapple, mango and melon, a slight sparkle on the attack, full-bodied with high acidity and a long finish’.

£14.59 Liberty Wines

‘Light pear fruit aromas with some notes of celery and minerals,’ began team leader Tom Forrest, noting ‘some oak spice with creamy pear on the palate, elegant fruit style, some spice and a soft finish’. ‘Good to have with fatty fish in the summer,’ added The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira.

£18.34 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Soft and nutty, almond and blossom aroma notes, pear and apple fruits on the palate with more of that nutty character on the finish, a good length finish with lively touches of fresh lemon zest,’ said team leader Tom Forrest, with Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall tipping it as ‘complex and unusual, great with a strudel as an alternative to a dessert wine, but dry’.

£20.40 Eurowines

‘Fresh melon and apple, very juicy acidity, refreshing on the palate with a touch of spice and grassy character,’ said Corin Ireland of Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms, while team leader Andrea Briccarello found ‘slight richness with plenty of citrus and nicely balanced’.

£5.20 Society of Vintners

‘Red apple and citrus nose with a bit of viscosity in the mouth, long and nutty on the finish, this is good value at the price,’ began Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, while Cristian Sanchez of Hotel du Vin Cambridge highlighted ‘high intensity, citrus fruits and ripe white peach with stony minerality’.

£5.80 Liberty Wines

Cristian Sanchez of Hotel du Vin Cambridge enjoyed its ‘tropical fruits, mango and pineapple with apricot and peach aromas, floral citrus notes on the palate with mineral touches and a very long finish’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte found it ‘very apple pie, an interesting style, with cloudy apple, cinnamon and clove’.

£10.44 Top Selection Ltd

£7.13 Eurowines

£7.45 Eurowines

£13.63 Boutinot

£6.79 Liberty Wines

£7.00 Forth Wines, Moreno Wines

£9.89 Bibendum

£11.43 Vinicola Tombacco srl

£8.52 Liberty Wines

£13.53 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£13.93 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£13.26 Enotria&Coe