Unusual, maybe, but this was definitely deserving of Gold, with team leader Angela Reddin finding it a ‘very individual style with chicory oak notes, dark plum and cherry with mocha’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason noted its ‘deep, medicinal, herbal, meaty and brooding character with dark fruits, power and muscle – an Arnie wine’. All of this led team leader Annette Scarfe MW to match this ‘with lamb vindaloo, as it has the sweetness to match the spice’.

£17.15 Liberty Wines

‘Impressive,’ began Vinoteca’s Charlie Young in his praise of this Italian sparkler as it took Gold, describing ‘pineapple on the nose, with plenty of freshness and acidity on the palate, with ripe, juicy apple in spades’. Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav added his appreciation for its ‘citrus and elderflower and a slight bitter touch on the finish’, with team leader Laurent Richet MS finding it a ‘vibrant fizz with a fresh fruit salad palate’.

£10.40 Liberty Wines

Edgaras Kazokaitis of Roka Aldwych enjoyed the ‘ripe apple, pear, peach and caramelised apple aromas, and rich palate with fine bubbles’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte found a ‘yeasty, bready nose, good quality with pear skin and lemon zest with unripe apricot notes, long and balanced on the finish’.

£17.13 Matthew Clark

A well-balanced wine, thought Vinoteca’s Charlie Young, showing ‘a fresh, pure nose with a nice lift, a level of residual sugar working well with the lovely ripe apple character on the palate’.

£18.33 Clark Foyster Wines

‘Elegant aromas, citrus and floral with light toast, well balanced on the palate, complex with a long finish,’ began Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, with Vinoteca’s Charlie Young highlighting a ‘nice balance of pear and savoury aromas’.

£13.67 Theatre of Wine , The Old Cellar

Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston noted ‘fine bubbles with shortbread and orange blossom on the nose, a buttery palate with a clean finish’, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot found it ‘light and lifted, with lemon cheesecake character’.

£10.80 Berkmann Wine Cellars

An appealing style for Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston, revealing ‘persistent tiny bubbles, fresh apple and hot buttered brioche aromas, a tropical fruit finish with vibrant crispy personality’.

£6.62 Majestic Commercial

‘A fun wine,’ said team leader Angela Reddin, with its ‘Asian pear and cherry aromas, lovely fruity palate and nice balance’, while Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles felt its ‘freshness and sweetness is balanced by acidity and an explosion of red fruits’.

£11.20 Eurowines

Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason found this a ‘soft and satisfying wine’, noting its character of ‘spice and herbs, black and red fruit with smooth tannins, good body and weight, in a delicate, easy-drinking style’.

£15.15 Eurowines

‘Big, green apple nose and palate with a rounded mouthfeel,’ said Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, who found ‘a touch of residual sugar, but bright acids balance it well’, while Winexponent’s Simon Cassina felt its ‘hearty yellow apple, nutty honey and wax’ character would make it a good match for pork.

£12.11 Boutinot

Team leader Laurent Richet MS enjoyed the ‘lovely yeasty aroma, rich and complex mouthfeel with a mix of hazelnut, Granny Smith apple fruit and mineral characters’, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston highlighted notes of ‘crunchy bread crust and apricot’.

£25.05 Enotria&Coe

Winexponent’s Simon Cassina highlighted ‘mature yeast and creamy cheese patisserie on the nose, persistence and elegance on the palate with a nice hint of oxidation and complexity’.

£11.35 Bibendum

A wine that got the conversation going among our judges, with team leader Laurent Richet MS finding ‘aromas of sweet-coated cashew nut and notes of pressed cheese like Comté or Abondance, then an unusual palate combining honey and bruised apples with a certain sweetness’.

£75.88 Azienda Agricola Tognon di Davide Tognon

Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles enjoyed its ‘very intense fruits, lovely freshness and floral finish’, while team leader Angela Reddin praised ‘bags of summer berry fruit and sugar that sits well in this dessert-style wine’.

£9.45 Eurowines

‘Young yet expressive, with floral confit lemon sweetness and a good finish,’ began Coq d’Argent’s Lazaros Engonopoulos, with Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection finding ‘floral aromas, apple, peach and peas, fine balanced sweetness and light mousse’.

£6.20 Matthew Clark

£10.81 Xisto Wines

£8.67 The Oxford Wine Company

£6.80 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£9.45 Eurowines

£12.14 Bibendum

£11.95 Bulles Blanc Rouge

£12.70 Boutinot

£10.47 Liberty Wines