This Gold winner certainly wasn’t lacking in big, bold character, although it proved to have some finesse, too. Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS enjoyed its ‘perfumed, black pepper, herbal and slightly medicinal’ nose, finding the palate ‘quite lean and spicy, really herby with good power and a long finish’. ‘Brambly and powerful with lots of weight, and very dry, rustic tannins,’ agreed team leader Jade Koch. This made it a good option for lamb with pistachio, according to The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira.

£12.95 Sonvino

Worthy of Gold for its fantastic value for money alone, this picked up a By The Glass Trophy, too, impressing judges with ‘crunchy red fruit and good tannins, balanced acidity and great personality’, according to Vinoteca’s Charlie Young. Team leader Annette Scarfe MW loved its ‘fantastic value and vibrant red fruit’, while J Corey Evans of St Swithins Wine Shippers liked the ‘cherry nose, and a little woodiness on the palate’.

£5.29 Taste Turkey

‘Big, creamy depth, crunchy tannins, dark fruit, pepper and huge concentration,’ said an enthused Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan Group on encountering this obvious candidate for Gold. Team leader Annette Scarfe MW added: ‘An ambitious wine, with lashings of new vanilla French oak on the nose, very sleek and polished, and packed with fruit.’ ‘A lovely nose, with plum, leather and cherry, as well as some sweet spices, with the oak well integrated on the palate. A match for steak with herbs de Provence,’ concluded Sexy Fish’s Julien Sahut.

£21.85 Mey Icki Sanayi ve Tic. A.S /Kayra Wines

Our panel found this to be a rich, bold style, and undoubtedly worthy of Gold. ‘Well balanced, with rounded tannins,’ began Sexy Fish’s Julien Sahut, describing ‘juicy cherry, plums and pepper’. ‘A lovely example, with vibrant, crunchy redcurrant and cranberry fruit – delicious and inviting you to have another sip,’ added team leader Annette Scarfe MW, who thought this would be an excellent match with grilled lamb.

£8.62 Connolly's Wine Merchants Ltd

A Gold to go with Urla’s two Silvers in this category, this impressed our judges with its abundant fruit and ripe tannins. ‘Clean with dark fruit on the nose, very intense,’ began Rustem Mingaleev of Bovey Castle, continuing: ‘Dark fruit character of plums, cherries and blackberry on the palate with high tannin and full body, definitely needs red meat.’ ‘Great texture and weight, good chewy concentration,’ added team leader Jade Koch. A great match with venison stew, thought fellow team leader Tom Forrest.

£23.00 Armit Wines

Charles Van Wyk of FJB Hotels was very taken with its ‘intense concentration’, highlighting ‘ripe blueberry and blackcurrant complemented by cedar spice and clove with leather notes’, and concluding: ‘This is powerful, complex and beautifully balanced by the use of new French oak.’

£28.87 Mey Icki Sanayi ve Tic. A.S /Kayra Wines

Andrea Cotichella of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa enjoyed its ‘intense, complex and spicy nose, followed by a rounded palate with an edge of bitterness’, and team leader Laura Rhys MS noted ‘bright, ripe red fruits, spice and weight’.

£11.50 Try Wines

An intriguing combination on the nose of ‘floral, meaty and gamey aromas, freshness and elegance’, said Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS, who found the wine ‘full bodied, concentrated and well made, with a lifted fruit character and very long finish’.

£23.00 Armit Wines

‘Lovely ripe berry fruit with plums and soft tannins, concentrated and complex,’ said impressed team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while Buddha Bar’s Piotr Artur Tomaszewski noted ‘marzipan and cinnamon on the nose’.

£16.63 Armit Wines

‘Juicy and fresh character on the nose,’ began Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS, who highlighted its ‘quite savoury style on the palate with spicy notes and blackberry fruit, lovely freshness and elegance, too’.

£16.63 Armit Wines

‘Clean and intense on the nose with dark fruit aromas,’ began Rustem Mingaleev of Bovey Castle, continuing: ‘High tannins but good fruit and body on the palate, which shows plenty of plum, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Well balanced, and ideal for red meats.’

£11.00 Turkish Fine Wines

Luciana Girotto-Beckett of Macellaio RC found the nose ‘funky and almondy but balanced’, enjoying the ‘berry fruit and leathery richness on the palate’, while team leader Jade Koch highlighted its ‘tart, jammy fruit with a slightly orange character, fruity and bright’.

£9.36 Turkish Fine Wines

‘Bright character on the nose, showing juicy red and blue fruits,’ began team leader Laura Rhys MS, who enjoyed its ‘herbaceous palate with pencil shaving notes, good structure and a creamy finish’.

£9.38 Taste Turkey

‘Attractive red fruit notes with hints of char and smoke, tannins are grippy but well integrated, and it’s very good value,’ said Charles Van Wyk of FJB Hotels, with team leader Annette Scarfe MW adding simply: ‘Lovely aromatic expression – delicious.’

£7.41 Tees

This was ‘definitely a food wine’ for team leader Laura Rhys MS, who liked its ‘bright red fruits, and crisp, elegant palate with dark, mineral character’, while Sosharu’s Masahito Suzuki highlighted its ‘raspberry and redcurrant fruit’ notes.

£13.77 Suvla Wines

‘Red fruit and mint notes on an elegant, floral nose, with juicy, fresh character and smooth tannins on a dry palate,’ said team leader Lionel Periner, while Cristian Sanchez of Hotel du Vin Cambridge noted ‘overripe cherries, plum and blackberry’.

£12.25 Suvla Wines

‘Velvety and juicy, fine depth with crunchy texture and intensity,’ began Hakkasan Group’s Olivier Gasselin, with Charles Van Wyk of FJB Hotels noting ‘ripe blueberry notes with hints of vanilla and sweet cedar spice, good concentration’.

£13.92 Tees

£12.95 Sonvino

£7.09 Tees

£8.98 Doluca

£7.99 Tees

£7.99 Taste Turkey

£21.75 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£23.13 Mey Icki Sanayi ve Tic. A.S /Kayra Wines

£16.13 Connolly's Wine Merchants Ltd

£21.73 Kavaklidere Saraplari

£13.32 Kavaklidere Saraplari

£11.24 Connolly's Wine Merchants Ltd

£15.50 Nif Bağları

£14.08 Armit Wines