Judges weren’t shy in their praise of this expressive Gold winner, with Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club highlighting ‘perfumed, sour cassis with fresh peppery notes on the nose, deep flavour with gentle red fruit and cassis, as well as light orange blossom hints’, while team leader Simon Woods was impressed by its ‘rich and juicy, lithe and lively character – fresh, balanced and relaxed, with bright, pretty rosehip, red cherry and raspberry fruit tones’. ‘Compact and savoury, with exceptional length, and a match for venison,’ thought team leader Angela Reddin.

£40.00 Matthew Clark

Impressed with this ‘full, rich, powerful Pinot’ as it took its rightful spot on the Gold podium, Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason described ‘fruitcake, sweet spices and chocolate, with meaty and earthy aromas, depth and complexity with bags of elegance and personality’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS spoke highly of its ‘bold, rich, almost jammy dark fruit, spiced bacon and earthy notes on the palate, along with some fairly chunky oak’.

£28.50 H2Vin

‘The full package!’ was Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s take on this Gold-medal Pinot, finding it to be ‘soft, silky, delicate and perfumed, with raspberry and red cherry fruit, and some savoury notes too, and a little spice’. Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club added his praise, finding ‘ripe red fruit with a touch of black cherry and blackberry, with notes of vanilla and cloves coming through after a few seconds’.

£20.84 Liberty Wines

Winning hearts, and a Gold medal, for both its style and its great value, this Pinot’s ‘cranberry fruit aromas’ and ‘long body of raspberry and strawberry with moderate tannins’ were highlighted by Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia, while team leader Angela Reddin approved of its ‘smoky aromas of cherry and blackberry, and lovely ripeness in the mouth’. The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones was impressed by its ‘fruits of the forest, with softness, texture, freshness and good length’.

£10.76 Boutinot

Plenty of ‘depth of aroma and flavour’, began team leader Tom Forrest in praise of this Gold medallist, finding ‘ripe strawberry and cherry, creamy vanilla and baking spices, yet light on the palate with some toastiness, ripe fruit and balanced length’, while Typing Room’s Alex Pitt enjoyed its ‘expressive, fruity nose of cherries and redcurrants, silky red fruit on the palate with a moreish spiciness and generous finish’.

£11.99 Boutinot

Team leader Laura Rhys MS enjoyed this for its ‘lovely weight, wild strawberry, Morello cherry, bold and juicy fruit’, while L’Enclume’s Pierre Brunelli highlighted a ‘savoury nose with beetroot notes, restrained style with a touch of reduction, but lightly salty mineral palate with spice and dried herb notes’.

£17.96 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘On the nose it’s more about forest floor, pine, wet grass notes, gamey and savoury, but on the palate it’s very well put-together, with black cherry compote character, very fresh and a beautiful finish,’ said The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, clearly convinced.

£10.05 Hatch Mansfield

‘A soft style, with ripe red berries and cherries on the nose,’ began Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico, noting ‘just a touch of oak spice to complete the bouquet, some flower nuances and a pretty long finish’. ‘Light spicy cassis underlined by fresh herbal aromas, elegant peppery notes and good balance,’ added Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club.

£17.49 Matthew Clark

‘Some floral violet, some perfume, but bright cherry and strawberry fruit to the fore,’ said team leader Tom Forrest, enjoying its ‘nice elegant fruit character and oak spice on the palate, with a light, peppery finish’. Meanwhile The Don’s Carlos Ferreira picked up notes of ‘white pepper and vanilla, with big tannins on the palate’.

£28.50 H2Vin

‘Light summer fruit basket nose, rosehip scents with some herbal notes on the palate,’ began team leader Angela Reddin, while for Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson it was ‘complex and food-oriented, with a savoury nose, excellent, classical, fresh and cool fruit, spice and savoury grip’.

£12.33 Castelnau Wine Agencies

Its ‘full flavour of cherry and underripe redcurrants’ was complemented by ‘delicate spices, strong but not overpowering acidity, and a long finish’, said Jonathan Kleeman of Four Degree, with team leader Simon Woods describing a ‘broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted style, powerful but restrained with dark, deep cherry fruit and some spice’.

£20.67 Castelnau Wine Agencies

Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair enjoyed this ‘succulent and elegant wine, very balanced between tannins and body in particular, with red fruit, black plum and woody notes’, while for Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson it was ‘dark and dense for a Pinot, grippy and needs food, but impressive balance for a powerful wine’.

£19.93 Castelnau Wine Agencies

Team leader Laura Rhys MS liked this wine’s ‘bold and generous’ style, showing ‘juicy blackberry fruit on the nose, lots of complexity on the palate, with velvety tannins and a chocolate-mocha finish’, while L’Enclume’s Pierre Brunelli also picked up notes of ‘intense spices and candied beetroot’.

£16.40 Liberty Wines

Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club found ‘fresh, wild red berries with light candied notes, then more fresh red berries on the palate with gentle minty and sweet spice notes, refreshing on the finish’, while Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club picked up ‘spicy sour cherry and black cherry dominating with a touch of greenness, but smooth and long’.

£17.02 Boutinot

Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall found a ‘perfumed nose, floral violets with hedgerow and cranberry aromas, good body on the palate with fresh acidity, ripe red fruits, nice richness with finesse and good length’, with team leader Laura Rhys MS commenting on its ‘elegant style’.

£12.01 Fine Wines Direct

Team leader Laura Rhys MS was pleased with this Pinot’s ‘good value, clean and elegant fruit, red cherries and raspberries with minerality and elegance on the palate’.

£8.58 Maisons Marques et Domaines

With some ‘struck match, bonfires and mulch’ on the nose, this revealed ‘cherry pie and peonies on a very elegant palate’, said team leader Angela Reddin, appreciative of its ‘delicate strength and sustained finish, for a lovely wine’.

£23.31 Bibendum

‘Ripe, soft berry fruit, milk chocolate with sweet spice notes, generous and a little smoky,’ said team leader Laura Rhys MS, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason noted a ‘slightly green herbal nose, lots of cherries and redcurrants in a soft, easy style’.

£10.05 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

A ‘gorgeous fruity style, with gentle, soft tannin and lots of drinkability’, began Typing Room’s Alex Pitt, with The Don’s Carlos Ferreira noting ‘strawberry jam and cherry liquorice aromas, with slightly high acidity, but that will work well if paired with cheese’.

£9.08 Molson Coors

‘A lovely wine, gently perfumed with cherry and plum aromas,’ began team leader Simon Woods, admiring its ‘confident but never OTT style, good fruit and slightly herbal finish’.

£13.95 Liberty Wines

Appealing for its ‘soft bramble crumble notes and silky cranberry dryness on the finish’, said Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia, with Typing Room’s Alex Pitt enjoying its ‘really nice concentration of acidity and fruit, a touch of grip on the finish but lots of juiciness’.

£13.10 Liberty Wines

£24.42 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£23.29 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£13.32 PLB

£29.62 Bibendum

£6.50 Bibendum

£6.50 Bibendum

£13.50 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£11.45 Berkmann Wine Cellars

£21.37 Matthew Clark

£11.28 Broadland Wineries

£7.82 Boutinot

£12.37 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

£17.40 Liberty Wines

£12.97 Liberty Wines

£14.47 Fine Wines Direct