Sommelier Wine Awards 2018 Winners

‘An open wine,’ began team leader Lionel Periner as this was led to the Gold podium, further describing ‘candied lemon and great acidity’, while Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth found ‘great balance, with the fruit and acidity really coming together’. ‘You can really taste the soil,’ said an impressed team leader Angela Reddin, describing ‘a very mineral palate’ that followed on from ‘quite a classic dry Riesling nose, with lemon, lime and kumquat notes’.

£26.52 Clark Foyster Wines

For Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, this Gold medallist had ‘good body, acidity and concentration, with a leesy finish’, and he found ‘notes of fresh green apple and a chalky nose, with citrus and fresh stone fruit on the palate’, while Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles thought it a ‘pretty wine, with a lovely, delicate nose with apricot, peach and white flowers, and well-balanced minerality and acidity on the palate’.

£23.96 Clark Foyster Wines

‘A ripe wine with peach, apple, melon, honeysuckle and white pepper,’ began Adam Michocki of Glasshouse in praise of this Gold-worthy Grüner, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants spoke of ‘a ripe, generous nose, leading to a full, weighty, complex palate’ that was ‘fresh and mineral’ too. Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks thought this ‘voluminous wine, with warm spice’ would be ideal served alongside chicken or pork with a heavy, creamy sauce.

£18.06 Clark Foyster Wines

Garnering enthusiastic praise from our judges, this Gold Lister was described as ‘vibrant, with a green apple note and a slight spritz’ by team leader Laurent Richet MS, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants found it ‘light and refreshing, with a hint of white pepper on the palate, and good length’. ‘Gentle herbal notes, with some floral elements too, lead to fresh green apple and some complex minerality,’ added Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club.

£9.06 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Distinct floral and citrus aromas, with a hint of ripe, exotic fruit,’ began team leader Lionel Periner in his praise of this Gold winner, going on to describe a ‘vibrant, balanced palate, with a long finish’, while Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen appreciated its ‘lime and honeysuckle aromas, with refreshing acidity and grapefruit notes on the palate’. ‘This really punches above its weight in terms of price,’ said Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms.

£8.50 Alpine Wines

‘Lovely apple, pear and floral aromas,’ began Yohann Pinol of Wiltons of this worthy Gold medal recipient, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club described ‘apricot notes with white flowers on the nose’, leading to ‘more complex, ripe apricot on the palate, with a light toastiness and refreshing minerality’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS thought its ‘lovely fruit concentration and good acidity’ made it a match for ‘a raw vegetable salad, or cordon bleu with horseradish’.

£12.57 Bibendum

Like a ‘mixed fruit strudel’, thought Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot as this Zweigelt snapped up a well-deserved Gold, with its ‘silky smooth mouthfeel and good length’. Meanwhile team leader Tom Forrest highlighted ‘creamy vanilla oak and dark stewy fruit aromas, and seriously ripe fruit on the palate with balancing acidity and soft tannins’, and The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi particularly appreciated its ‘spice notes of cinnamon and clove, leading to a sweet, long finish’.

£13.41 Boutinot

Felt by our judges to be not only a worthy rival to Champagne, but a worthy Gold recipient, too. ‘A blanc de noirs style with wonderful body’ as Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason put it, ‘yeasty and savoury with macaroni cheese aromas, rich and full yet lively and fresh on the palate, with sour cherry on the finish and clean, refreshing acidity’. Agreeing, team leader Lionel Periner also noted ‘ripe yellow fruit and almond notes, full, elegant and complex on the palate’.

£19.41 Top Selection Ltd

Overdelivering for its price, this couldn’t be anything but Gold, with a ‘gentle, bready nose with light citrus fruits and smooth mousse’ preceding a palate of ‘fresh green apple and lively acidity’, according to Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who found it ‘great value, ideal for a gastropub, by the glass’. Nicola Merighi of Hakkasan Mayfair added praise for its ‘touch of fennel, with a bit of yeast’ and ultimately a ‘smooth and refreshing palate’, making it a perfect match for ceviche.

£7.53 Boutinot

‘Gooseberry and wool aromas,’ began Ten Trinity Square Private Club’s Melody Wong as this English white was led to the Gold podium, going on to describe ‘candied lemon, cut grass and a bit of earthiness on the palate’. Hakkasan Hanway Place’s Jose Luis Hernandez liked its ‘ripe yellow fruit, like quince’, while The Mount Vineyard’s Andrea Carozzo praised it for its ‘delicate nose and fresh acidity, with good balance – and good value, too’.

£7.58 R.W. Buckingham & Son

For Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains, this worthy Gold Lister was ‘grassy and herbaceous, with a slight spritz on the tongue’, and she found it ‘well balanced, with some good weight on the palate’. Team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, liked its ‘fresh, green and mineral notes, with some lemon, too’. With its ‘tropical fruit and nice acidity’, Crafthouse’s Andrea Rossi thought it to be a fine match for fish and chips.

£7.36 Boutinot, Sharpham Wines, Christopher Piper Wines

This Gold medal-winning English Pinot was one to ‘drink chilled’ said team leader Tom Forrest, who had ample praise for its ‘floral perfume, bramble hedgerow fruits, and soft, spicy oak, with a cherry liqueur finish’. For James Fryer of Woodhead 17 it had ‘dark plum and meaty aromas’ and ‘fresh plum juice on a palate that’s super-fresh and zippy’, while Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro found it ‘delicate and well balanced, with raspberry, blackberry and mint, and an earthier note on the finish’. ‘Match with meaty monkfish,’ concluded Forrest.

£12.52 Christopher Piper Wines

On encountering this worthy Gold winner, Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia thought it was defined by its elegance, describing ‘elderflower notes with light nuances of gooseberry and greengage’. Meanwhile Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason described it as ‘savoury on the nose, with some ripe lychee, peach and jasmine aromas, leading to a weighty body, with ripe fruit and fresh acidity’, adding that it would be an ideal match for risotto.

£8.00 Toppesfield Vineyard

This classically styled Gewürz took home the Gold, with team leader Angela Reddin describing ‘spicy-sweet, floral aromas, dried church flowers and plenty of richness on the palate’. Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks thought it ‘rich, and concentrated, with freshness in the background’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira felt it would be ‘great with cheese, with its peachy stone fruit aromas and sweet red apple notes, very balanced palate with good acidity and finish’.

£16.62 Matthew Clark

It wasn’t difficult to see how this Gewürztraminer picked up Gold, with what Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms described as ‘a slight richness on the palate, with acidity in place, and with a delicious tropical, lychee finish’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS was generous in praise of its ‘beautiful aromas and delicate, silky palate’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club described ‘tropical aromas, with crisp mandarin zest and sweet guava’.

£10.35 Boutinot

This impressive Gold-winning Riesling had ‘a floral, flinty nose, with honeysuckle notes’, began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, further describing it as having ‘fresh acidity, with a hint of residual sugar, and a little oily, too’, and adding that the combination was decidedly ‘food friendly’. ‘Slate, rubber and lemon zest,’ added Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms, enjoying its ‘balanced palate, with slight sweetness, and a nice finish, too’.

£13.95 Maisons Marques et Domaines

‘Very refreshing! I’d much rather have this than some nameless house wine,’ said impressed team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, additionally praising this Gold Lister’s ‘lively pink grapefruit and red apple juiciness’. Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker enjoyed ‘fresh almonds and vanilla notes, with some sweet apricots and ground pepper, too’, while Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant found ‘pineapple, peaches and cream’, and declared it ‘fantastic for oriental or seafood dishes’.

£7.91 Direct Wines Production

A well-deserved Gold for this Left Bank Bordeaux, with Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston finding its ‘cherry and chocolate mint notes, soft palate and lovely texture’ appealing, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot highlighted ‘blackberry and dark plum with herbaceous notes and underlying oak nuances, with fine tannin structure’. This fine combination of ‘vibrant black fruits, herbs and tannins’ meant this would, according to Coq d’Argent’s Lazaros Engonopoulos, ‘match brilliantly with chateaubriand or côte de boeuf’.

£17.75 Liberty Wines

Identifying a wine that was nothing but solid Gold, Adam Michocki of Glasshouse appreciated this for its ‘developed, farmyardy, leather and forest floor complexity of aromas, nice plums and cassis on a smooth palate with dusty tannins balanced by acidity and alcohol through to a long finish’. ‘Leather, cigar box and tobacco leaf’ notes made Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa’s David McGlinchey think this the perfect accompaniment for lamb.

£20.89 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

This worthy Gold winner had ‘bright fruit with a farmyard note on the nose’ for consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor, who praised ‘a big amount of red cherries that give racy acidity to the palate, with flint and leafy plums, too’. Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub found a ‘touch of wildness on the nose but fresh, fruity red berry character too, some green tannins but soft on the palate with a pleasant and refreshing style’.

£11.48 Domaine de la Jobeline

‘A juicy and refreshing wine, full of life and warmth,’ was team leader Jade Koch’s thoughts on this Chablis as it clinched Gold, finding it to be ‘a happy wine, with good acidity and minerality’. Aurel Istrate of The Connaught liked its ‘well-integrated fruit flavours and good acidity’, while Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm enjoyed ‘red apple and cotton candy notes, with a touch of salinty that lengthens the steely finish’.

£13.38 Bibendum

This Gold Lister represented ‘a richer style of Chablis, with ripe lemon and a flinty backbone, not to mention a creamy mid-palate,’ thought team leader Annette Scarfe MW, with Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine praising ‘good fruit, and some minerality, too’. ‘A dainty nose with floral and sea-breeze notes’ led, for Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm, to ‘fresh citrus and green apple’ on the palate, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason thought it ‘rich, rounded, deep and food-friendly’.

£19.08 Top Selection Ltd

To hear the judges describe this, it couldn’t have been anything but Gold, with Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte finding aromas of ‘black peppercorns and earth, then a medium-weight red fruit palate – so delicious, and great value’, while Vinoteca’s Charlie Young found ‘leafy, pencil-lead aromas leading to plenty of acidity and more graphite notes on the palate, with a ripe red-fruit character on the finish’. And at the price, Winexponent’s Simon Cassina thought it an excellent by-the-glass option.

£6.55 Levin Wines

As this took its place on the Gold podium, Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club described an attractive nose of ‘chalk, grass, peach and a floral bouquet, leading to a palate with juicy acidity and good ripeness’, while team leader Tom Forrest spoke of a ‘laser-sharp wine streaked with minerality’. ‘Taut, with a pure, beautiful nose and bright, steely palate, with smoke, greengage and grassy notes,’ added Mediterroenean’s Leonie Loudon.

£19.02 Matthew Clark

It was an impressed judging panel that elevated this Loire Chenin to Gold, finding it ‘a great food wine’, according to team leader Annette Scarfe MW, and ‘well balanced and integrated, with delicate apple notes on nose and palate’. Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm found it to have ‘good weight and acidity, as well as complexity and texture’, while Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains praised its ‘ripe style and lively acidity’.

£11.03 Bibendum

An inevitable Gold to hear our judges speak of it, with Mediterroenean – Wines of the Mediterranean’s Leonie Loudon enamoured with its ‘pure, vivid nose with blackberry and plum, and a very attractive and juicy palate that’s all about the fruit, cut by some spice and dried herbs’. Team leader Angela Reddin was impressed by ‘smoky hints and herbal lift with good length’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira very much enjoyed its ‘black fruits and white pepper on an elegant palate that’s fruity and juicy with very well-balanced tannins’.

£9.35 Matthew Clark

‘Wild and full of character’ was Hamish Anderson of Tate Catering’s appraisal of this intriguing Gold medallist, finding ‘mint and red fruits’ on the nose, and a palate that was ‘gravelly, with minerals, bacon and herbs’. ‘A well-structured wine with lovely ripe berry character and a long finish,’ thought Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, while The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate added praise for this ‘complex wine with some well-structured oak’.

£13.74 Bibendum

‘Everything you’d expect from Muscat,’ began Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth, confirming this wine’s spot on the Gold podium, and going on to describe a wine that was ‘light, aromatic and well balanced’. Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms spoke of ‘classic floral and lemon curd notes, with bracing acidity’, while Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn described it as ‘crisp but rounded, with a lovely flowing texture’, before adding: ‘Great for the price!’

£6.79 Molson Coors

Our judges weren’t shy in their praise of this Chardonnay as they elevated it to Gold. For Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant, it was ‘very elegant, with ripe apple and citrus notes, as well as some roasted vanilla, and a long finish’. Andrés Ituarte of Coq d’Argent, meanwhile, found it to be ‘dry and saline, with peach and pear notes, and some moderate acidity – a delicate wine with a long finish’.

£9.71 Direct Wines Production

‘A cooler-climate Viognier,’ thought Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, going on to describe this worthy Gold medal recipient’s ‘good fruit and minerality, as well as some just-ripe apricot notes’, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW identified ‘delicate white peach skin and creamy vanilla notes, well balanced by some sweeter spice on the finish’. The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate liked its notes of ‘jasmine and camomile’, while finding the acidity ‘very well balanced’.

£6.34 Boutinot

The first in a category with a particularly high Gold medal hit rate, this had appealing ‘nectarine and blossom aromas’, according to Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa’s Piers Gibson-Birch. Team leader Annette Scarfe MW had praise for its ‘varietal typicity and excellent value for money, with apricots and an oily texture’, while Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel found it ‘fresh and slightly spiced, with good pear fruit’.

£6.25 Molson Coors

‘A lovely attack of peach fruit and white peach skin,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, as this took home a well-deserved Gold, going on to describe the palate as ‘oily, well textured and complex’. Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa’s Piers Gibson-Birch, meanwhile, described ‘ripe apricot’ and ‘good oak usage and intensity of fruit’, and The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate found it ‘crisp, with a touch of ripe orange and marmalade’.

£10.54 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

A Grenache Gris that couldn’t be anything but Gold, according to our judges, with team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW finding it to be ‘characterful, with exotic fruit and a refined palate with refreshing acidity’, while Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant described it as ‘full-bodied and mineral, with camomile, pear and white peaches, as well as some grapefruit and lemon notes’. ‘Very pretty and elegant,’ summed up team leader Jade Koch succinctly.

£30.44 Bibendum

‘Massive but classy’ was Lutyens Bar & Restaurants’ Mattia Mazzi’s first impression of this Gold medallist, going on to describe it as ‘intense, fine and concentrated’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS noted ‘ripe citrus, toasted nuts, spice and mineral notes’. Yohann Pinol of Wiltons summed all of this up as ‘very complex and well-textured, with well-integrated oak’, which made it the ideal partner for ‘Dover sole, either meunière or grilled’.

£37.76 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘A generous wine, with ripe, almost bruised fruit character, and some minerality, too,’ said Mattia Mazzi off Lutyens Bar & Restaurants of this Gold medal-winning Bourgogne Blanc, while Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki found ‘peach, ripe lemon, melon and vanilla, with an intense, complex and buttery palate’. Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma enjoyed its ‘rounded texture and mouthwatering acidity with mineral undertones, and a hint of nuttiness underlying the flavours’, imagining it perfectly matched ‘with spaghetti bolognese’.

£14.99 Top Selection Ltd

Not only the second in a pair of Gold medals for Lequin-Colin this year, but also the second year in succession that this wine has made it on to the SWA Gold List. Praised by Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants for its ‘nutty and intense’ nose, describing the palate as ‘fine and elegant, with minerality and good concentration of fruit, and well balanced’, team leader Annette Scarfe MW thought it a ‘superb example of Burgundy – rich, opulent, and with elegant use of oak’. ‘A lovely wine with great potential for ageing,’ added Adam Michocki of Glasshouse.

£28.88 Top Selection Ltd

This Gold-winning Meursault was ‘a sapid wine with citrus peel and hemp aromas, as well as some oyster shell notes’, began team leader Angela Reddin, going on to describe it as ‘complex, with beautiful oak and balance, and a fab finish too’. Fellow team leader Laura Rhys MS was similarly generous with her praise, finding ‘good weight and acidity’ with notes of ‘orange rind, melon, ripe apple and grapefruit’, and considering this a perfect match for ‘roasted quail with creamy potato risotto and toasted hazelnuts’.

£30.75 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘A smoky nose, with notes of cooked apple and spice,’ began team leader Angela Reddin about this Pouilly-Fuissé as it took its Gold medal, going on to describe ‘a lovely, layered palate with tight mineral notes leading to a classy finish’. The perfect match with a Moroccan tagine, thought Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma, who praised this ‘complex wine with its waxy texture and honeyed, spicy finish – with mouthwatering acidity too’.

£19.38 Hatch Mansfield

Adding a Gold to Louis Jadot’s pair of Silver medals, this had a ‘mineral, oyster-shell nose’ that led to a ‘lovely linear flow in the mouth’, according to team leader Angela Reddin in her description of this 100% Aligoté, going on to praise its ‘subtle yet beautifully elegant balance and length’. Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen found ‘buttermilk and lemon on the nose’, while enjoying ‘peaches and cream, as well as some honeysuckle on the palate’.

£11.66 Hatch Mansfield

The judges were enamored of this Gold-worthy Riesling, finding plenty of aromatic appeal here, with consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor picking up ‘notes of fusel oil, bay leaf herbs, green apple and lavender’, while The Fat Duck’s Melania Bellesini enjoyed its ‘pungent, complex aromas of acacia flowers, honeycomb richness on the palate and long finish with fantastic acidity’. Sahar Gharai of La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge (California) found it ‘not traditional in style, with floral, aromatic notes, and some white pepper spice too’, thinking it a real crowd pleaser.

£16.08 Winetraders

‘An evolved nose, pungent and savoury,’ began team leader Martin Lam of this Gold winner, thinking it was ‘showing fresh lime juice and flowers on the palate, in a very linear and direct style’. ‘Lime, mango and pineapple on the nose, floral notes coming in on the palate and a hint of peach, and a touch of nuttiness on a long finish,’ added The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo. ‘Mouth-coating and silky, with well-integrated alcohol and acidity,’ concluded consultant Javier Azcona.

£17.51 Top Selection Ltd

‘Rich and intense but balanced,’ began The Fat Duck’s Melania Bellesini as this took its place on the Gold podium, finding it ‘very fruity with beautiful acidity, quite juicy and savoury with a touch of sweetness on a long finish of white peaches and gooseberry’, while team leader Jade Koch was equally impressed with its ‘honeysuckle, lovely crunchy acid, pear and peach flavours on the palate with a saline touch’, adding that it would be ‘great with smoked eel’.

£24.60 Top Selection Ltd

This had all the Gold List qualifications, with team leader Martin Lam highlighting an ‘evolving savoury-sweet note on the nose, plus lime and honey’, going on to find ‘keen, zesty lime acidity balancing the residual sugar and lifting the ripe fruit’, while The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo picked up ‘kerosene, dried lime, peach and honey in a refreshing style’. Matthieu Longuère MS of Le Cordon Bleu London thought its ‘peachy and floral rather than mineral’ style perfect for ‘pork pie with orange marmalade’.

£11.97 Boutinot

‘Bright and elegant,’ began team leader Laura Rhys MS as this took home a well-deserved Gold, further describing ‘honeyed, soft fruit like peach and nectarine, with a lovely freshness’. The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo liked its ‘classic’ cut, revealing ‘petrol and honey aromas with dried orange peel, apricot and lime zest notes, then lime juice and marmalade on the palate’, while team leader Martin Lam was impressed by its ‘darker, golden colour, honeyed lime on the nose, complex sweetness and rich, developed style that calls for Roquefort!’

£20.00 Boutinot

Team leader Martin Lam was impressed by this Gold Lister’s ‘classic Pinot Noir nose, with some perfumed notes and lots of aromatics’, finding that the ‘palate is fresh and savoury-sweet’ and describing it as ‘a good Pinot all-round’. Woodhead 17’s James Fryer added his appreciation for its ‘smoky nose, with some white pepper and meaty notes in the background’, while The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi thought it an excellent match for ‘duck, barley and beetroot with a wine and orange sauce’.

£17.78 Boutinot

Unquestionably Gold, this was made in a ‘spicy, Chenin-like’ style, thought team leader Martin Lam, observing a ‘golden colour and rich, dry, honey and flower aromas with a dry, floral palate’, while Yauatcha City’s Linh Ziolkowska enjoyed its ‘lovely camomile and tropical nose with honeydew melon and honey notes, then pronounced, fleshy peach and pineapple on the palate’, which made it ‘very easy to drink’. With its ‘waxy lime-fruit nose and lovely peachy fruit in the mouth’, this was, for team leader Angela Reddin, a great match for vegetable risotto.

£8.50 Southern Wine Roads

A unanimous Gold, according to an impressed team of judges, with Christoph Hons of Park Chinois finding ‘peaches, orange, mango and yellow fruit notes’ and describing this as ‘very crisp on the palate with vanilla and herbal richness, yet refreshing acidity to balance’, while Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS thought it was ‘vibrant, with fresh green flavours throughout, great drive and balance, a weighty mid-palate and a clean, fresh finish’.

£14.33 Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Maltby & Greek

A hit with our judges, this Macedonian red struck Gold with its ‘opulent and modern’ style, thought Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin, who further praised ‘savoury, juicy tannins and cocoa, smoke, cigar leaves and cedar notes’, while Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club found the oak ‘well integrated’, along with ‘ripe red and black fruit, as well as some spice from the oak’. Team leader Tom Forrest agreed, finding ‘crunchy red fruit and some toasty spice’. Its ‘pronounced intensity’ made it a match for chicken breast with chilli sauce, thought consultant Javier Azcona.

£15.89 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

This Gold winner ticked all the boxes for a house red, with The Don’s Carlos Ferreira describing aromas of ‘strawberry and cherry jam’, and finding it ‘a bit spicy and oaky on a palate that’s very fresh, with an elegant, long finish’, while Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel also found ‘hints of spice, as well as plums and chocolate’. Team leader Martin Lam added his praise for ‘sweet and savoury balance on the palate, with some soft tannins’, and suggested a pairing with lamb.

£4.95 Atlantico UK

Taking Gold in no small part for its versatile food-friendliness, this was described by team leader Tom Forrest as having ‘ripe, stewy red fruits and rhubarb notes on the nose, with more rhubarb and raspberry on the palate, with some ripe notes and light tannins’. ‘Bold and pleasing,’ thought Christopher Parker of Lime Wood Hotel, describing ‘raspberry compote, pepper and baking spice’, while Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles praised its ‘intense, fruity nose and soft, creamy palate’.

£5.76 Boutinot

A ‘beautiful bright colour and very pleasant array of aromas’ left an early impression on Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, who also noted this accomplished Gold’s ‘strawberry and raspberry fruit and high structure’. ‘Violet, plum, chocolate with red berry sweetness and smooth, medium body,’ added Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club enjoyed ‘sweet cassis and fresh-baked cinnamon cake notes, with some baked red fruit leading to a fresh finish’.

£6.00 Matthew Clark

As it picked up a well-deserved Gold medal, Adam Michocki of Glasshouse thought this was the ‘perfect for red wine lovers during summer’, with its ‘perfumed, confectionery nose of ripe strawberries and cherries’, describing it as ‘soft and delicate on the palate but intense with a long finish’. Team leader Jade Koch appreciated its ‘light and lifted’ character and ‘refreshing tea leaf’ notes, while Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel enjoyed its ‘herbaceousness, alongside good dark and red fruit’.

£5.33 Majestic Commercial

This fresh-fruited red took home the Gold with ‘a nice nose with red cherry and strawberry fruit’, according to The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, adding that ‘the balance is good, and ideal for a summer barbecue’. Team leader Jade Koch agreed, calling it ‘very good, with a refreshing, drying finish’, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot praised ‘lifted, perfumed aromas and crunchy fruit’, and Carolina Seibel of Portland Restaurant specifically noted its ‘good grip, with firm tannins’.

£4.74 Majestic Commercial

This Gold winner was made in a ‘friendly, fresh-fruit style’, praised team leader Martin Lam, with Le Gavroche’s Rémi Cousin finding it ‘really pleasant, with strawberries, raspberries and dark cherries, and a soft, velvety texture’. Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub described a ‘purple-black wine, with deep, rich, ripe fruits on the nose’, and ‘raisins and fig, appassimento style’, concluding that it was a ‘great by-the-glass option’.

£5.88 Sivipa - Sociedade Vinícola de Palmela, S.A.

A hit with our judges, this Gold winner drew praise from Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm for its ‘red fruit and granite, well-integrated oak and clean finish’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club noted its ‘sweet spicy plum with complex clove notes, gentle red berry with charming sweet Moroccan spices and a delicate finish’. ‘Juicy, ripe fruit and some elegance’ made this, for team leader Laura Rhys MS, a perfect match for ‘roast pork with apple sauce and crackling’.

£5.40 CyT UK

Gold through and through, this was a ‘lively, well-textured wine’, said Yohann Pinol of Wiltons, thinking it ‘elegant with lots of red fruit aromas and a touch leathery, but well balanced with a pleasant finish’. ‘Dark cherries and plums, good body, fresh acidity and medium length,’ added Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection, while Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson thought its ‘dark bramble fruit and spice, with some earthiness and good structure’ couldn't have been a better match for a burger.

£5.30 Fuller's

‘Really charming aromas of candied fruits with good structure on the juicy, refreshing palate’ was enough to earn this Gold, according to Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche. ‘A good house wine style,’ thought team leader Martin Lam, who described this as ‘the palest pink-salmon colour, with a pear drop nose and quite pure fruit aromatics’, while The Vine Eno Gastro Pub’s Tatiana Mann praised this as ‘elegant, with some good minerality’.

£5.69 Molson Coors

For Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant, this Gold-winning French white had ‘high acidity, with citrus, grapefruit and fresh apple notes, as well as some pineapple’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte appreciated its ‘Sauvignon Blanc nose, with a touch of jalapeño pepper’. This all made it, according to WSET’s Mike Best, a good choice ‘by the glass, without food, but would also match superbly well with roast pork and fennel, with its herbal notes, and enough acidity to balance the fatty meat’.

£5.95 Grand Mayne

Taking Gold in no small part for its ‘bold and juicy fruit’, according to team leader Laura Rhys MS, this had ‘attractive herbaceous notes and good acidity’ for fellow team leader Annette Scarfe MW, who thought this was ‘technical, and a good food wine, too’. Matthieu Longuère MS of Le Cordon Bleu London added that this ‘floral and elegant’ wine was both ‘juicy and mineral’ on the palate, and ‘perfect for a goats’ cheese salad with pomegranate and a citrus dressing’.

£5.38 Distell Europe

Gabriel Liotta of Hakkasan Hanway Place was taken by this Gold winner’s ‘lovely, pronounced notes of peach and white flowers, with some richness on the palate, as well as ripe stone fruit, and a lime finish’. ‘A bright, citrus wine, with notes of grapefruit,’ added team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, before going on to describe ‘a lively and fresh mid-palate’, while Hakkasan Mayfair’s Jurijs Nemkovs enjoyed its ‘good acidity, with apple and lemon fruit’. This ‘Côtes-du-Rhône blanc’ style made team leader Martin Lam think it would accompany risotto well.

£5.69 Molson Coors

This Gold medal Sauvignon Blanc was ‘great for the price’, according to Sahar Gharai of La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge (California), who described a wine that was ‘well-balanced – floral and aromatic, with some good citrus notes’, while team leader Angela Reddin had good things to say about its ‘bright, fresh nose containing red apple and some citrus character’, going on to praise it for being ‘fresh and light in the mouth’.

£3.77 Tolchards Ltd

A Gold-worthy wine with a strong personality, as Valentin Radosav of Gymkhana found: ‘Delicate mango, pineapple, yellow plum and a creamy nose, with well-balanced acidity on a zesty palate showing tropical fruit and quince flavours with pear and woody beeswax notes and dried apricots on the finish.’ ‘A herbal attack with hints of basil, a textured mouthfeel and slightly spritz, too, with a warm finish,’ added team leader Annette Scarfe MW.

£12.88 Maluxfood & Wine Co

A complex and undoubtedly Gold-worthy style, this had ‘lychee on the nose, then a touch of residual sugar on the palate with Turkish Delight and orange blossom, a waxy texture and acidity on the finish’, according to an impressed James Fryer of Woodhead 17, while Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro was taken with its ‘ripe apricot, peach and honey aromas, rounded lime and citrus with some sweet notes and thyme herb on the palate’.

£11.72 AZIENDA VINICOLA TALAMONTI SRL

This Gold winner separated itself from the crowd with ‘fruity green apple on the nose, showing good fruit character, texture and freshness’, began Street XO’s Raphael Thierry, with team leader Laurent Richet MS picking up a ‘slightly oxidative approach, but also exotic fruit flavours, and peach and apricot, with a saline note of complexity’. ‘Generous tropical fruits and a zestiness’ on the palate sealed the deal for team leader Andrea Briccarello.

£10.22 Liberty Wines

A second Umbrian Gold in this category, and Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS felt its ‘leafy capsicum, slightly stalky but dark, ripe, plummy fruit and spices on the nose’ led to an ‘elegant delivery with complex mid-palate and a wide range of fruit tones and spice notes on a balanced and classy palate, and earthy on the finish’. ‘Very aromatic and good mineral, fresh aromas, with nice red fruits and juicy character, and balanced tannins and acid,’ agreed Christoph Hons of Park Chinois.

£31.90 Eurowines

Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel was enchanted by this Gold Lister’s ‘very complex nose with berry and tobacco aromas, spicy chocolate and toasty notes’, and thought it had ‘a balanced palate and smooth tannin, for drinking now’. Team leader Lionel Periner agreed, noting ‘elegant, complex, floral cooked berry aromas with a hint of smoke, complex and full-bodied on the palate with oak well balanced and floral hints on a long finish’.

£16.50 Cantina Goccia

Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse was among this Gold Lister’s many admirers, enjoying its ‘great depth and subtlety’ and considering it ‘good for grilled foods and may I say barbecue as well’, while Kai Mayfair’s Elisa Soggia was a fan of its ‘woody, cedar aromas, cinnamon and black plum, tobacco and jam with good, balanced tannins and body’. ‘Smoke, black olive, crushed stone fruits with a nice balance of benign savoury bitter notes, semi-dried dark berries and mocha,’ added team leader Angela Reddin.

£11.50 Eurowines

Turning judges’ heads and simultaneously taking home the Gold, this Gran Selezione drew praise from Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia for its ‘concentrated, dried dark fruits, sandalwood spice and cherry blossom notes, and a grippy but quite giving palate’. ‘Warm floral notes of violet, with a palate of plum and some peppery spice,’ added team leader Tom Forrest. ‘Rich, elegant and balanced, with good dark fruit,’ concluded Rémi Cousin of Le Gavroche.

£27.28 Boutinot

‘Bold, with red fruit on the nose, purple floral and herbaceous notes, elegant tannins and lovely freshness,’ praised team leader Laura Rhys MS as this Chianti Classico Riserva effortlessly took the Gold, with Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason finding it ‘earthy and slightly rustic, with notes of chocolate, smoke and juicy fruit’. ‘Violet and velvety,’ thought The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate, with added complexity from ‘tomato leaves, smoky tobacco and coffee’.

£15.10 Eurowines

Clearly a Gold List wine, this combined ‘floral notes of violets and rose petals with hazelnut on the nose, a soft palate of ripe cherries, pepper and vanilla’, according to team leader Tom Forrest, with Typing Room’s Alex Pitt picking up ‘nice cherry fruit with some slightly cured meat characters, but well-balanced acidity and structure on the palate’. For consultant Chantal Serrano it showed ‘good development, with dried fruit, cocoa and mint, all with good balance’.

£26.24 Matthew Clark

Pierre Brunelli of L’Enclume was impressed with this Gold winner’s ‘classic nose of floral notes, meaty hints and spices with figs, very fresh tannins and good concentration on the palate’, while for team leader Laura Rhys MS there was ‘dark, bitter cherry, plum and cherry stone aromas, black stone minerality and good oak integration on the palate but bold tannins’. Its ‘dark fruit, cedar, dried mushroom and roasted notes’ made this, according to team leader Laurent Richet MS, ideal for a barbecued rib of beef.

£8.98 Boutinot

Alex Pitt of Typing Room loved this Gold Lister’s ‘inviting aromas of vine tomatoes and wild strawberry’, followed by a ‘silky and elegant palate with nice balance of fruit and savoury notes’, and The Don’s Carlos Ferreira noted ‘tobacco leaves and black olives with black cherry fruit, great balance and level of tannin, and spicy black fruits on the finish’. ‘Voluptuous and complex, with dark spices and round tannins,’ concluded team leader Andrea Briccarello.

£12.70 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Team leader Laura Rhys MS was drawn to this exceptional Gold winner’s ‘bold and juicy dark fruits on the nose, spice and weight on the palate’, finding it a ‘modern style with prominent but well-integrated oak’. ‘Beautifully balanced, with lovely volume in the mouth, with some black fruit compote and a spicy finish,’ added Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club found further complex notes of ‘olive, tobacco leaf and leather’.

£17.00 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

On encountering this Gold winner, Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia was lured in by an ‘enticing nose of dark berry compote and toffee apple, leading to an opulent and silky-smooth palate’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira highlighted ‘dried cherry and plum with liquorice and tomato leaf on the nose, textured, spicy black fruit on the palate with a finish that’s really fresh and very well balanced’. ‘Rich, luscious and beautiful,’ was how The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones summed it up.

£33.15 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

A Gold to go with Cesari’s pair of Silver medals, and a couple Bronzes too, this was a ‘ripe and succulent’ style, said team leader Sam Caporn MW, who thought it was showing ‘lots of black and Morello cherry fruit, with a little residual sugar but a long and herbal finish’, while Fenwick’s James Franklin also noted ‘soft tannins, violets and herbal elements’. ‘Wild cherries with a lovely crunchiness to them,’ added Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, also describing ‘minerality, and a long, spiced finish’.

£7.75 Fuller's

As this took its rightful place on the Gold List, team leader Tom Forrest picked up notes of ‘tobacco and clove spice, oak, cacao and dark cherry on the palate’, with a ‘creamy texture and a nice bite to the finish’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte appreciated its ‘good purity of fruit, with plum skin and redcurrants joined by some toasty spices and some moderate tannins and very good acidity’.

£9.95 Eurowines

An indisputable and inevitable Gold, Aurel Istrate of The Connaught found plenty to enjoy here, with ‘smokiness, dark and red fruit and a rustic edge on the nose, with very well-integrated oak, peppercorn spice and figs, and with a nice, long finish too’. ‘Very concentrated,’ said The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo, finding ‘sour cherry, kirsch and liquorice notes, coffee and cedar aromas, tobacco and cigar box, mint and eucalyptus’, and ultimately describing the palate as ‘big, with fine tannins’.

£66.45 Eurowines

Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia was drawn to this worthy Gold medallist’s ‘perfumed aromas of Morello cherry and bramble fruit, with dark chocolate dusting and crunchy fruit on the palate’, while James Franklin of Fenwick was equally impressed by a ‘seductive nose of jammy, ripe fruits, a soft, velvety and warming palate with great tannin and a long, savoury finish’. Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, meanwhile, found ‘lapsang tea and sweet, baked red and black fruit aromas, with good complexity and length – like a light Amarone style’.

£15.60 Eurowines

Our judges were seriously impressed, sending this straight to the Gold podium. Team leader Martin Lam described a ‘savoury then cassis nose, excellent, complex tarry fruit and ripe, savoury palate character with balanced acidity’, and The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo admired its ‘bready, pencil shaving aromas, dried strawberry and sour cherry, long palate with great ageing potential and careful use of oak’, while Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks appreciated its ‘coffee, ginger, laurel and black pepper notes, with an iron finish’.

£41.30 Liberty Wines

The Amarone Golds kept on coming, with this one having a ‘velvety, violet nose’ that led to ‘dark fruits, very well-integrated oak and an elegant finish’, according to The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate, with The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo highlighting ‘firm tannins on a crisp palate of cranberry, raspberry and red cherry fruit, concentrated and balanced, finishing long’. ‘Morello cherry and liquorice, with some raisin and leather notes too’ had Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks thinking about rabbit stew.

£29.10 Bibendum

A ‘complex, intense nose follows through on the palate’, began team leader Martin Lam, who found this substantial Gold medal wine to be ‘quite broad on the palate and very food-friendly’. The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo highlighted ‘a fresh, savoury nose, dried fruits, plum and prune with notes of cocoa on the finish’, which, according to team leader Laurent Richet MS, made it an ideal accompaniment for ‘deer with chocolate sauce and roasted root vegetables’.

£24.05 Mondial Wine

‘A delicate, rose petal nose with very pretty, plump fruit, some gentle peach and spiced pear,’ was team leader Nigel Lister’s appraisal as this took its rightful spot on the Gold List, while Woodhead 17’s James Fryer spoke of ‘plush white florals, like magnolia, with good weight on the palate, and intense rose water and talcum notes’. ‘Nice freshness and aromatics, with some lychee and spice,’ concluded team leader Sam Caporn MW.

£20.46 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

A broad combination of flavour influences helped elevate this to Gold, with team leader Annette Scarfe MW highlighting ‘ripe stone fruit with an oily texture, orange peel and lemon zest on a creamy mid-palate, notes of rose petals and spices’, and Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav enjoying ‘stone fruit and yellow flowers, complex and intense in the mid-palate but with well-balanced acidity and a long finish, bringing in tropical fruit, flowers and nutmeg’.

£19.47 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

While finding it ‘bashful and restrained on the nose’, Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel was charmed by this Gold medallist’s ‘oily and biscuity, refreshing nose, with lime and yellow plum fruit dominating the palate, and showing some light, nutty oxidation on the finish’. ‘Apricot flesh aromas and some good ripeness on the finish’ were described by Woodhead 17’s James Fryer, while team leader Sam Caporn MW was taken by its ‘restrained and well-handled use of oak’, ultimately concluding that it was ‘elegant and delicious’.

£26.20 Bibendum

Elevated to Gold amidst praise from our judges, this Soave had ‘stone fruit and fresh tobacco leaf aromas with rich lees notes on the nose’, began Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club, ‘with a herbal, balsamic character too, and elegant on the finish’. Four Degree’s Jonathan Kleeman liked its ‘rich, rounded and luscious style, oak flavours coming through but not dominating, and fruit that’s ripe but still fresh and zippy’.

£19.04 Liberty Wines

A ‘great value and good all-rounder’, according to Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, this took its place on the Gold List, offering ‘ripe red cherry notes, with some floral perfume and a raisin note too’. He went on to describe ‘good, ripe tannins and a light, fresh body, with clean acidity’, while Mario Tomekovic of Smiths of Smithfield highlighted ‘cherry and ripe plums, as well as blackberry, on a rich and complex palate with a long aftertaste’.

£10.03 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

As this was elevated to Gold, Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin was taken by its ‘very bright aromas of spiced cherries and plummy fruit’, followed by ‘sour cherries on a bitter-sweet palate with good typicity and balanced ripeness’. Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair, meanwhile, was impressed by ‘violet and raspberry on the nose’, which was followed by ‘plum and cherry fruit on the spicy palate, leading to a nice finish with more violet and some mint’.

£9.60 Eurowines

The first Gold in a massive medal haul for Barolo this year, this had ‘sweet red fruit aromas with mossy, mushroom hints, and juicy and exotic fruit on the palate, with tobacco and spice’, began Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent, while team leader Nigel Lister enjoyed its ‘tarry, smoky nose, young bright fruit and glistening acidity, showing good typicity’. ‘A very fine, elegant structure, with a perfumed nose and ripe, fresh fruit on the palate,’ concluded Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants.

£20.88 Winetraders

Double-decanting was advised for this ‘youthful, tarry, meaty’ style that captured the hearts of our judges while taking the Gold, and leaving an impression on Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent with its ‘botanical aromas, great tannins and well-integrated oak on the palate, with good length and a juicy finish’. ‘Composed, elegant and balanced,’ added Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, who enjoyed its ‘developing bouquet, with undergrowth, dried leaves and flowers, and a tar note too’.

£42.72 ANTICA CASA VINICOLA SCARPA srl

Clearly a Gold medallist, to go by the generous praise from our judges. Team leader Lionel Periner highlighted ‘notes of kirsch and dried flowers’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason found it ‘complex and excellent, with dark chocolate, coffee-mocha, tar and tobacco aromas, woody and earthy, tomato skin with dark cherries, plum and damson on the palate’. All of this, plus ‘lots of potential for ageing’, thought Crafthouse’s Andrea Rossi.

£22.70 Rovellotti Viticoltori in Ghemme

‘A distant, autumnal, poetic nose: a lark ascending,’ mused team leader Nigel Lister, who, back on the ground, appreciated this Gold medallist’s ‘lovely red fruit’ and thought there was ‘great potential in a lovely wine, made for rich game dishes’. Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent agreed, finding ‘intense floral aromas, dried petals and cardamom spice notes, sous-bois and cocoa notes with juicy tannins’, while Leonie Loudon of Mediterroenean – Wines of the Mediterranean was taken with its ‘beautiful robe of violets and red and black fruits, elegant tannins and a hint of rosemary on the finish’.

£29.23 Moreno Wines

This highly acclaimed Gold Lister was ‘a big wine’, according to consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor, who admired ‘lots of fresh new oak that will integrate with time, underlying rich ripe fruit with bright acids and fresh tannins, and classic high notes of red fruits’. Team leader Tom Forrest praised ‘spicy cedar and oak, with some violet aromas too, leading to a soft palate with pepper and cherry joining more cedar, spice and floral notes’.

£58.70 Liberty Wines

As this took its place on the Gold podium, The Don’s Carlos Ferreira described ‘black and red fruits, dried tomato and black olives on the nose, and an elegant palate’, while team leader Angela Reddin enjoyed its ‘sandalwood and tobacco aromas with Morello cherry fruit, brisk tightness and lovely freshness’, adding that it was ‘very well made, elegant and delicious’. ‘Intense and fresh at the same time, and both rounded and elegant on the palate,’ summed up Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair.

£20.75 Tenuta Olim Bauda

Impressing Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms with its ‘herbs and tar on the palate, great fruit all in place and well-structured tannins’, for Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club this clear Gold candidate also revealed ‘dark cherry with gentle farmyard aromas, black pepper spice with fresh plum notes on the palate and complex tannins’. ‘Rustic and polished at the same time’, summed up Andrés Ituarte of Coq d’Argent, describing ‘layers of flowers, forest floor and worn oak’.

£35.57 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

A wine with a difference, and deserving of Gold, with Christopher Parker of Lime Wood Hotel noting ‘fresh herbs, dill and tarragon, along with red berries and lashings of Turkish Delight’, and team leader Simon Woods also enjoying its ‘quirky style, with earthy strawberry fruit, dainty and lively palate with good balance and a slightly herbal finish’. ‘An interesting wine with a big personality,’ said Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, who liked its ‘spicy cherry fruit and a lovely freshness’.

£13.33 The Wine Drinker

An impressive Gold medal recipient, this had a ‘full, volcanic nose with hints of incense and floral notes’, according to Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London, who found a ‘lovely palate that’s dry, with primary fruit, fresh and balanced, and elegant, too, with hints of oak and minerality on a long finish’. Meanwhile consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor picked up notes of ‘sweet grapefruit, balanced acidity and fleshy peach with a grassy finish’.

£18.42 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Mineral, elderflower, citrus and flowers on the palate,’ mused Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro as this was added to the Gold List, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 found it ‘very perfumed, with pear and white flowers, and almonds on the nose, with brown pear skin, wheat and subtle oyster shells on the palate, and acacia flowers on the finish with pear syrup and lychee complexity’. ‘Aromatic, juicy and tropical, with great acidity and complexity,’ concluded Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason.

£24.90 Eurowines

One of a pair of Gavi Golds for La Scolca, Yauatcha City’s Linh Ziolkowska praised its ‘depth and character, showing freshness, acidity, citrus and minerality, with a medium-weight finish’, and Woodhead 17’s James Fryer enjoyed its ‘nose of white florals and pear flesh, soft and fuzzy nectarine on the palate with subtle acids and some lactic, salty mineral notes’. For Andrea Carozzo of The Mount Vineyard, ‘green and citrus fruits’ led to ‘a delicate palate, with good balance overall’.

£13.55 Eurowines

‘Restrained lemon peel with a creamy mid-palate, savoury lees and an oily texture,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW on encountering this Gold medallist. ‘Its delicate use of oak gives body and structure, and it’s still youthful so worth decanting to reveal its depth and complexity,’ she recommended. Fellow team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, described ‘wet stones and peach, orange and tropical notes, too, as well as a nutty, toasty element’.

£16.04 Liberty Wines

‘A gentle giant,’ began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason in his praise of this Gold medallist, finding ‘lots of ripe tannin and structure, but with ripe fruit and liquorice, and a savoury element too’, while freelance sommelier Julio Iglesias enjoyed notes of ‘tobacco, vanilla and some minerality’, finding the combination to be ‘balanced and structured’. A perfect match for pork ribs with a sweet glaze, added team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£11.70 Eurowines

‘Class, sophistication and elegance’, in the words of Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, were just the characteristics to elevate this to Gold, with Mason praising it for being ‘food orientated and great value’. ‘Musky forest fruits’ led, according to team leader Nigel Lister, to ‘coffee notes on the palate, with some elegant dark chocolate, too’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club was impressed by ‘plum and sweet cinnamon, with a fresh, elegant earthiness on the palate, and some gentle, fresh raspberry fruit’.

£11.60 Winetraders

‘An enticing nose’ was among the effusive praise this Sicilian red received, along with its Gold medal, with Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia describing ‘an opulent palate, with good length’. For Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, this had ‘a smoky, tarry nose reminiscent of Nebbiolo’, as well as ‘firm structure, fruit that is intense and dark, and good concentration too’. This food-friendly combination had The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston’s Giuseppe Longobardi picturing it with ‘venison with cranberry, or haggis’.

£29.98 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘A vibrant, pleasant summer wine,’ said an impressed Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles as this took a well-deserved Gold medal, finding ‘lovely fresh fruits and good acidity’. Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse identified ‘lavender perfume and a splash of cinnamon towards the finish’, and Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson thought it was ‘hugely drinkable’, praising its ‘pretty, fragrant nose with cherries and wild flowers, and an elegant, pure palate with more cherries, wild herbs, and the grip of some fresh tannin’.

£16.50 Liberty Wines

A clear Gold List candidate, this had ‘blackcurrant, cherry and blackberry jam notes’, began Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston, who went on to describe a palate packed with ‘liquorice and spice that is well balanced by tannins, and leading to a sweet finish’. ‘Rounded ripe fruit, with chocolate and nuts too, leading to an elegant finish,’ said Four Degree’s Jonathan Kleeman, summing it up as ‘punchy, and very drinkable’.

£13.33 The Wine Drinker

Puglia took the Gold here, with Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin enjoying its ‘ripe and juicy, pear-like fruit with liquorice hints, juicy, mineral and leafy palate that’s intense with fine texture, oiliness and minerality’, while Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker picked up ‘ripe apricots with gala melon notes, and a wild heather floral touch with ground white pepper’. For Diana Rollan of More than Wines Academy, ‘intense citrus and grassy notes, with good spice, balance, texture and weight’ made this ‘perfect for green curry’.

£14.06 Bibendum

One of a trio of Sicilian Golds, this impressed our judges, with Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn enjoying its ‘fresh and ripe lemons and limes on the nose, good acidity with some tropical notes on the palate and a background of minerality’. Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason noted ‘gentle citrus and stone fruit, mineral backbone’, finding it ‘fresh and smooth with herbal notes and grapefruit on the finish’.

£10.79 Ester Wines

Aromatic concentration was central to this wine, and marked it out clearly for Gold, with Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants finding ‘delicate blossomy aromas, white flowers and grapey honey millefeuille, a palate dominated by aromatics, with more flowers, an oily texture and medium acidity, but matching the lean cut of the nose’. ‘Maybe Asian food,’ mused team leader Laurent Richet MS, picking up ‘assertive peach and apricot with vibrant acidity, clean and delicious’.

£13.50 Mondial Wine

Impressed with its ‘rich, honeyed, almost smoked palate’, team leader Andrea Briccarello found ‘great complexity and delicious savoury style’ as this wine joined its fellow Sicilians on the Gold podium. Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS was similarly taken with its ‘flowery straw, fruit peel and peach aromas, textured and dense palate with bags of fruit and spices, round but powerful body with balanced acids’. ‘To recommend with some meaty fish or white meats,’ added Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant.

£18.56 Matthew Clark

The first of a pair of Golds for Montalcino and Portland Restaurant’s Carolina Seibel was impressed with its ‘complexity, developing red and dark fruit and dried red berry aromas, leathery plushness on the palate with good structure, solid tannins and notes of orange with oak integration and a plummy finish’. ‘Textbook nose, with cigar box notes, great freshness and vibrancy,’ added team leader Andrea Briccarello, while Mathew Simmonds of Paul Kitching 21212 Restaurant, Edinburgh thought it perfect for lamb or boar dishes.

£25.72 Boutinot

‘Drink this with urgency!’ advised Street XO’s Raphael Thierry on encountering this worthy Gold winner, loving its ‘balsamic and smoky nose, followed by a palate showing good development with dried fig, chocolate and tomato, leather and dark spices’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte noted a ‘soft palate and more traditional style, with cooked red fruit and blackberry crumble characters, some hints of sweaty leather and worn oak’.

£29.85 Top Selection Ltd

Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte was most impressed with this wine’s Gold-worthy SuperTuscan styling, finding a ‘silky mouthfeel with grip, and tonnes of fruit that makes this very appealing now, though it’s built to last, showing lots of leather and pepper, plenty of tomato and well-integrated oak’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS noted ‘hints of smoke on a ripe, juicy palate, with great texture, balance, length and power’, while fellow team leader Sam Caporn MW appreciated its ‘green and leafy notes, with deep cedar and capsicum, and a silky palate’.

£51.50 Eurowines

A ‘beautifully perfumed style, with violets and blackberries, meaty and fleshy on the palate,’ began team leader Andrea Briccarello as this took the Gold, with an equally impressed Carolina Seibel of Portland Restaurant finding it ‘plush yet angular, showing dark berries and good oak structure with lightly floral and orange characters on the finish and fine, grippy tannins’. ‘Spicy and toasty, with tar and violet notes, as well as plums, with ripe, mature tannins and good concentration,’ concluded Diana Rollan of More than Wines Academy.

£38.91 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

With Fenwick’s James Franklin revelling in its ‘ripe and encompassing nose, pulling you in and wrapping you up’, and Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducial describing ‘lifted eucalyptus and menthol with cooked bramble fruit crumble notes’, this couldn’t have been anything but Gold. The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo added praise for its ‘good varietal character and green pepper, liquorice, coffee and Morello cherries, as well as some firm, ripe tannins’, which added up, he thought, to ‘good ageing potential’.

£21.59 Liberty Wines

This had all the hallmarks of a Gold medal red blend, with Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons describing ‘a dark, heavy wine, yet balanced, and with a long finish’. Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa went on to find ‘good quality of oak and fruit, with a slight jam character joining eucalyptus and blackberry’, describing it, crucially, as ‘worthy of the price!’

£19.89 Direct Wines Production

‘It definitely says “Margaret River”,’ began impressed team leader Jade Koch on encountering this Gold-worthy Cab, while Hakkasan Mayfair’s Jurijs Nemkovs described ‘a ripe character on both nose and palate’ and went on to praise its ‘good concentration of complex, dark fruit, and good acidity, too, as well as some sweetness on the finish’. ‘Rich, powerful and concentrated, with Christmas spices and oak and vanilla, as well as some medium tannins,’ added Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte.

£24.50 Great Wine Estates

A well-deserved Gold for this Cabernet, with its ‘wonderfully expressive nose, with a soft, creamy, rounded palate’, according to Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia. Team leader Angela Reddin praised its ‘classic nose with great fruit character, tannins that are firm but balanced, and a juicy finish’. Finding it ‘young and vibrant, with dark intense fruit’, team leader Laura Rhys MS saw it best served alongside barbecued wild boar.

£13.16 Bibendum

‘A subtle but expressive nose of berries and oak nuances in harmony and balance,’ was the praise for this wine from Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia as it took Gold, while team leader Angela Reddin thought it was ‘showing development on the nose, with oolong tea and some developed fruit notes, and with an underlying fruit core’. ‘Mushroom and leather aromas jump out, with stewed strawberries and a touch of spice, leading to softened tannins and integrated acidity, and a superb finish with some barnyard and umami flavours,’ added Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen.

£27.50 Enotria&Coe

‘A ripe, fruit-forward style, with a good backbone of new oak, a silky mouthfeel, and good length,’ said Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia, echoing other judges’ sentiments as this took its place on the Gold podium. Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles, meanwhile, enjoyed ‘a fruity and spicy nose, leading to a balanced palate’, while team leader Laura Rhys MS declared it ‘a food wine for certain’, and suggested a charcoal-roasted T-bone steak.

£23.74 Noel Young Wines, Alexander Wines, H2Vin

This Gold medal-winning Californian Merlot opened with ‘ripe black fruits and black pepper spice’, according to team leader Laura Rhys MS, who went on to describe a ‘bold and juicy palate, with savoury, herbaceous notes’. ‘Lots of personality, with pepper and leather, as well as some cardamom notes,’ added Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston. ‘A wine that’s balanced, and very food friendly,’ concluded Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte.

£26.50 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘A great value Californian red, with all of its components in place, and showing good typicity, too,’ commented Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms as this took its place on the Gold podium. ‘Herbal and currant notes’ kicked things off for Melody Wong of Ten Trinity Square Private Club, and she went on to describe a wine that was ‘fresh and juicy, with a touch of mushroom, and with smooth tannins, too’.

£9.73 Berkmann Wine Cellars

This substantial Cabernet-dominated blend was destined for Gold, according to our judges. ‘A big, bold wine with ripe, black fruit and a smoky, meaty note, too,’ began Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains, while Vinoteca’s Charlie Young found ‘fresh, dark berry fruit with a herbal lift, leading to good acidity and chunky tannins with good persistence’. Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm, meanwhile, found it ‘big and muscular, with ripe, concentrated fruit – and very moreish’.

£25.17 Daniel Lambert Wines

With both ‘richness and freshness’, this Colchagua Cab took Gold for its ‘tobaccco, plums and spicy, fresh fruit’, according to The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones, while team leader Angela Reddin appreciated its ‘cassis and herbs on the nose, with bags of fruit on the palate and a good, lengthy finish’. Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS, meanwhile, enjoyed its ‘chocolate and blackcurrant’ aromas, and found the palate ‘ripe and juicy, with some flinty notes, too’.

£6.70 Molson Coors

‘Plush and smooth,’ began Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm as this earned itself a well-deserved Gold, going on to describe it as ‘meaty, with lovely structure and dark, ripe fruit’. ‘Very fleshy and full-bodied, showing capsicum notes on an intense palate with full structure,’ confirmed team leader Andrea Briccarello, while Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant recommended pairing its ‘smoky, toasty and floral notes’ with ‘rich and oily dishes – venison or beef’.

£15.15 Eurowines

As this was elevated to Gold amidst praise from our judges, impressed team leader Angela Reddin admired its ‘smoky bonfire nose, cranberry and briar, with very autumnal fruit flavours, too’, with Daria Ershova of Ten Green Bottles enjoying its ‘bramble fruit, savoury meaty nose, soft tannins and fresh acidity, making it a food-friendly choice’. Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia added praise for its ‘nuances of herbaceousness and lovely mocha on a structured palate’.

£7.73 Enotria&Coe

Winning a well-deserved Gold to go with Siegel Family Wines’ collection of medals, this Carmenère was ‘classic in style’ according to Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, who described ‘dark fruit and balanced hedgerow notes, and a grippy palate with good length’. Team leader Andrea Briccarello enjoyed its ‘earthy beetroot with red fruit aromas, jammy notes on the palate with a refreshing finish’, while team leader Martin Lam thought its ‘lifted elderberry and spice aromas’ and ‘graphite, red fruits, spice and coffee’ notes were crying out for a steak.

£9.44 Carson Wines

Ticking all the boxes for team leader Tom Forrest, and picking up a Gold medal in the process, this noteworthy Chardonnay showed ‘creamy vanilla oak and some stone fruit and orange aromas, with canteloupe melon and peach flavours on the palate balancing the oak in a rich and buttery style, with great balance and length’. Team leader Angela Reddin appreciated additional notes of ‘lemon posset, peach melba and crème brûlée, with some savoury notes, too’, and thought it had a ‘bright and fresh palate with clever oak use and a long, elegant finish’.

£17.89 Bibendum

With its ‘chalky, floral, nutty’ aromas, this worthy Gold medal recipient was ‘elegant, with a charming delivery, freshness and drive’, began Chris Delalonde MS of Bleeding Heart Group, while Stefano Barbarino of Chez Bruce Restaurant admired its ‘beautiful nose that’s quite complex, buttery and ripe with apple and pear fruit’, further describing ‘a lovely creamy texture on the palate that is very well complemented by freshness, and a good option for cod or sea bass’.

£13.25 Davy's Wine Merchants

‘Fruity and mineral on the nose, and a little flinty with hints of gingerbread,’ began Simone Fadda of Roka Aldwych in praise of this Gold medal Chardonnay, also noting that it was ‘fresh and citrusy with grapefruit zest on the palate’, while Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS enjoyed its ‘chalk, yeast, apple and pear aromas with oak spices, complex expression on a dense, mineral palate with salty touches’ that will develop further with time.

£19.12 Liberty Wines

There was plenty of fruit and personality in this clear candidate for Gold, with team leader Nigel Lister noting ‘quince, pineapple, coconut and vanilla, and an exotically rich and creamy texture coupled with banana freshness and lees character’, while Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent picked up ‘nectarine intensity, vanilla, beeswax and peachy white chocolate cake’. Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club, meanwhile, enjoyed ‘fresh almond notes with crisp minerality, crispy apples and complex oak on the finish’.

£13.29 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

It was an impressed judging panel that elevated this Chardonnay to Gold, with its ‘struck match, smoky bacon nose, tahini and rich yellow orchard fruits, sappy acidity and elegance’, as team leader Nigel Lister put it, also noting that it was ‘young, but with great potential’. Meanwhile Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent found it ‘immensely intense, with ripe white fruits and botanicals, notes of dried banana, avocado and freshly baked cake, and with buttery notes and a good, elegant finish’.

£28.31 Mentzendorff & Co

Echoing the praise that other judges had for this Gold medal-winning Chardonnay, team leader Sam Caporn MW found ‘sappy oak on the nose and palate, some interesting back notes and wood phenols on the finish’, while Fenwick’s James Franklin indulged in its ‘beautifully maturing nose, hints of warm butter, white spice and vanilla sweetness, with additional layers of apple and pear fruit and even mango acidity’. ‘A gastronomic wine,’ summarised Grape Times UK’s Harry Crowther.

£16.64 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

An intriguing Chardonnay that was ‘slightly perlant on the palate’, began team leader Laurent Richet MS, who admired this Gold medallist’s ‘great concentration’ and correctly identified its use of organic fruit, going on to describe ‘flavours of oak and golden apple, almost sour apple or tarte tatin’. ‘Succulent and approachable, with great balance and clear, nutty, dried pineapple flake aromas and mouth-coating fruit on the palate,’ added Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants.

£11.97 Berkmann Wine Cellars

This Gold Lister’s generous nose of ‘vanilla and butter’ stood out for Fenwick’s James Franklin, along with ‘green apple, crisp pears and leafy notes, all balanced by great acidity’, while Christoph Hons of Park Chinois found it ‘on the fresher side, with a hint of oak and lots of yellow fruit’. ‘Of the Burgundy school,’ mused Winexponent’s Simon Cassina, who found it to have ‘good harmony, balance and freshness’.

£9.41 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

With its ‘intense style, showing finesse on a very well-integrated nose’ it’s no wonder this took home the Gold, with an impressed Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants going on to enjoy its ‘mineral with almond milk notes, tropical and substantial fruit and nut aromas, and concentration of oak delivered with elegance and persistence’. ‘Very well crafted, with good levels of golden apple, caramel, lemon juice, pink grapefruit, vanilla and orange marmalade,’ added team leader Laurent Richet MS.

£13.60 Matthew Clark

‘Honeyed, soft, creamy and appealing,’ said team leader Jade Koch of this Gold-worthy Chardonnay, finding it a ‘good, inexpensive example of New World style, lean and drying with pretty mid-palate apricot, nectarine and tropical fruits, and a refreshing finish’. Vinoteca’s Charlie Young, meanwhile, appreciated ‘almond and lemon curd aromas’ as well as ‘some weight here, but great definition, with some minerality to be found, along with very well-integrated oak’.

£7.26 Hatch Mansfield

Mario Tomekovic of Smiths of Smithfield admired this Gold medallist’s ‘wide range of fruit aromas’, specifically picking up ‘peaches, pineapple, mango, passion fruit, lime and apples’, before praising a palate with ‘wonderful complexity of flavour, with buttery and yeasty notes followed by minerality and a saltiness lingering on the long finish’. ‘Ripe, yes, but very well made,’ added Vinoteca’s Charlie Young, who described ‘a lovely palate with some depth and power’.

£19.10 Bibendum

A memorable experience for Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin, who found this Gold winner to be ‘multi-layered and juicy, with very fine toast and a crunchy texture with minerals and fabulous acidity’, declaring it ‘wonderful’, while Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker highlighted its ‘aromas of soured cream and sweet pastry, Belgian buns and iced fingers, with revitalising acidity’. ‘Rich, complex and ripe, with a creamy yet refreshing, as well as elegant, palate,’ concluded Erik Simonics of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons.

£32.36 Berkmann Wine Cellars

This Gold medallist’s ‘vanilla, nutty nose’ led to a ‘really juicy and fresh palate, well made with ripe peach and a lovely fresh finish’, said an impressed Matthieu Longuère MS of Le Cordon Bleu London, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira had praise for its ‘ripe fruits and asparagus touches on the nose, and a palate that’s both dry and elegant with a long, oily-textured finish’. For Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin, this ‘slightly tropical, balanced and complex’ wine was perfect for beef stroganoff.

£15.95 Liberty Wines

Another South African Chenin on the Gold podium this year, this was ‘ripe, with toasted oak and fresh, creamy apple pie on the nose, with more apple and spice flavours on the palate’, according to team leader Tom Forrest. It also left an impression on Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico, who found it ‘reminded me of a Condrieu, with an unusual style, long with peach, apricot, floral notes of honeysuckle and orange flowers and spice from the oak’.

£11.89 Distell Europe

A Gold Chenin for Spier, and one of its two medals for the grape, this was characterised by ‘ripe tropical fruits and some apricot, nice acidity and a flavourful palate’, began Edgaras Kazokaitis of Roka Aldwych. Team leader Tom Forrest had praise for its ‘savoury oak, rounded apple and pastry notes, with some blossom and spice towards the finish’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte was keen on its ‘bright acids, fresh and easy-drinking style and a bit of residual giving it good-value commercial appeal’.

£5.42 Bibendum , Walker & Wodehouse Wines

‘Held back… but in a good way!’ began consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor on encountering this obvious Gold winner, enjoying its ‘pretty floral notes, with bright red cherry and some blueberry’, while Mario Tomekovic of Smiths of Smithfield was attracted by its ‘earthy mushroom, red fruit, spicy and meaty aromas’, adding that its ‘firm tannins, balance and long aftertaste make it very meat-friendly’. ‘Very good value, with length, depth and complexity,’ concluded Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason.

£9.27 Enotria&Coe

As it took its rightful place on the Gold podium, Coq d’Argent’s Lazaros Engonopoulos heaped praise on this Malbec for being ‘young, juicy and concentrated, with black fruit, vanilla and incense, with big tannins and a good finish’. ‘Warm with a dry, lean elegance, bay leaf herb notes and a touch of coffee bean bitterness that calls for fatty food: very Malbec and very Argentina,’ concluded team leader Jade Koch.

£22.50 Enotria&Coe

A Gold winner through and through, this was full of ‘blackcurrant and plum, sweet spices on the nose’, began Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms, very much enjoying its ‘elegant tannins combining well with black fruit compote and earthy notes, and finishing well with more black fruits lingering on the palate’. ‘Fresh cassis with light herbal mint aromas, ripe plum with green peppery notes on a gentle palate,’ added Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club.

£15.84 Ellis of Richmond

In praise of the Gold medallist, Aurel Istrate of The Connaught highlighted ‘cherry scents, tannin grip and nice acidity’, while team leader Martin Lam found it a ‘more extracted, black fruit style with chalky tannins’. A great accompaniment for a burger, thought team leader Tom Forrest, who spoke of ‘warm, ripe aromas of berry and cherry, leading to red and black fruit with some peppery tannins, and leading to a well-balanced finish’.

£6.74 Boutinot

‘Vibrant and open,’ began team leader Simon Woods in his praise of this Malbec as it took the Gold, going on to describe it as ‘juicy and earthy’, with Grape Times UK’s Harry Crowther adding his appreciation for its ‘sweet fruit, with oak and cedar, and good structure’. Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm felt this was a ‘great value crowd-pleaser’, showing ‘smoky ripe fruit and violet notes, fresh, high acidity and beautiful tannins’.

£9.89 Boutinot

Flying the flag for the Uco Valley, and adding a Gold to Salentein’s collection of Silver and Bronze medals, this had ‘bright blueberries and a violet undertone, with good structure and nicely placed oak’ for consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor. The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones was impressed by ‘rich, dark fruits and Christmas cake and pudding notes’, while consultant Chantal Serrano liked its ‘complexity, with plums, mint and cherries’.

£13.24 Matthew Clark

‘Baking spices and macerated cherries with singed pastry crust’ were this Gold’s highlights for Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker, while Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental described it as ‘fruity with clear, ripe red and black fruits, and both tender and smooth on a rounded palate, with notes of vanilla’. For team leader Simon Woods it was ‘broad-shouldered, fleshy and fresh, with balanced liquorice and blackberry notes’.

£11.78 D&V Wines

‘I really like the finesse and light oak here,’ began Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte in his praise of this Gold winner, further describing a wine that was ‘soft, fruity and balanced’. Hakkasan Mayfair’s Jurijs Nemkovs appreciated its ‘interesting nose full of mixed wild forest berries, with ripe tannins and good acidity to make for a tightly structured wine’. ‘Juicy, warm and full of red fruits,’ summarised team leader Jade Koch, who thought it an ideal match for shepherd’s pie.

£10.76 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Yes please,’ was the reaction of Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm to this Gold-worthy red blend, praising its ‘lovely fruit concentration and powerful, characterful tannins’, while Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia went on to find ‘blackberry and dark cherry aromas, with sandalwood notes’. ‘Ripe and rich, showing dark red fruits with earthy notes,’ added Jonathan Kleeman of Four Degree, who found it ‘full-bodied with cooking spice and black pepper character – definitely a meat wine’.

£21.00 Matthew Clark

‘Ripe, rich, round and very good value,’ began team leader Nigel Lister as this noteworthy Petite Sirah was elevated to Gold, adding praise for its ‘soft notes of toffee and caramel – an opulent, velvety style with dark chocolate notes and crushed raspberry, and fresh acidity’. ‘Lots of chunky blackberry, violets and rose with good structure,’ thought team leader Andrea Briccarello, while Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia highlighted its ‘savoury, crispy bacon’ character.

£12.77 Enotria&Coe

Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse was very taken with this accomplished Gold medallist’s ‘perfumed nose with a rich cocoa taste, finishing on wild summer berries’, finding it a ‘very special wine’, while Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson picked up on its ‘lovely, expressive, pure fruit-driven nose, leading to a fresh mixture of red and black fruits on a young, mid-weight and dusty palate with notes of lavender, spice and blueberry’.

£34.65 Heirloom Vineyards

This Petit Verdot took home a well-deserved Gold medal with what Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav described as ‘a nose of blackberry and gamey notes, leading to a charcoal-granitic minerality on the palate with ripe, dark fruit at the core, along with espresso and chocolate notes, and well-balanced tannins’, with team leader Annette Scarfe MW highlighting its ‘more rustic style, packed with dark bramble fruit, fresh acidity and big but ripe tannins’.

£10.83 Berkmann Wine Cellars

A ‘full-bodied and fresh’ addition to the Gold List, began an impressed Mattia Scarpazza of Petersham Nurseries, going on to describe ‘sweet baked notes of spiced black cherry and raspberry’. Carolina Seibel of Portland Restaurant noted signs of ‘development, with red and dark fruits, some leafy and orange peel notes on the nose, leading to candied lingonberry fruit with very fine, intense tannins’. Enamoured of its ‘complex layers of cigar box, tobacco and earthy notes’, Sahar Gharai of La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge (California) saw this as a perfect match for grilled entrecôte.

£16.25 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Chalking up a Gold for Torrontés, Kaiken’s entrant was ‘beautiful and delicate’, according to Leonie Loudon of Mediterroenean – Wines of the Mediterranean, who found it ‘enticingly fragrant on the nose, with rose and incense notes, leading to Turkish Delight and coriander on the palate’. Adding his praise, Winexponent’s Simon Cassina found it ‘aromatic and medium-bodied, and not too oily in texture, with rose-petal floral notes’, and further described it as ‘clean and intense, packed with tropical flavour, high acidity with a touch of salinity and a note of bitterness’.

£8.00 Liberty Wines

More Gold for South African Chenin, this time in blended form along with some Grenache Blanc and a dash of Palomino. Street XO’s Raphael Thierry praised this excellent rendition’s ‘lovely camomile aroma, good concentration and ripe fruit with steely freshness on the palate’, while team leader Tom Forrest spoke highly of its ‘rounded oak and stewed apple notes, and a waxiness, leading to some spiciness on the finish’. Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel concluded that it was ‘complex and smoky with toast and vanilla, and a mineral-fresh finish’.

£9.29 Boutinot

A wine that raised judges’ eyebrows, even as they handed over the Gold, with Coq d’Argent’s Lazaros Engonopoulos noting ‘complex, candied lemon, peach and peas with a touch of sweet spice and integrated acidity’, and Typing Room’s Alex Pitt speaking of ‘a creamy texture almost like white peach yoghurt with some confit lime’. Vinoteca’s Charlie Young found ‘gooseberry and nettle, sweet and rich but not oaky, like an off-dry Alsace style that would be great with vacherin!’

£15.24 Matthew Clark

‘Very floral, with white stone fruit aromas,’ began Yohann Pinol of Wiltons as this took Gold, enjoying its ‘good intensity, aromatic and elegant texture, giving a very vibrant wine with good length’. For Alex Pitt of Typing Room it was ‘easy drinking, with inviting floral and stone fruit aromas, leading to spicy and juicy pears on the palate’, while team leader Nigel Lister thought this ‘moreish, mouthwatering, textbook-style’ Pinot Gris was the ideal match for ceviche.

£8.34 Boutinot

Earning Gold with its ‘fresh, crisp, juicy red fruits, soft tannins and good acidity’, this was undoubtedly ‘well made, and silky-textured’, according to Christoph Hons of Park Chinois, while for Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS it had a noteworthy ‘fruit-driven palate, with cherries and smoky spices in good balance with the tannins, and some oak emerging on the finish’. This all led to team leader Laurent Richet MS’s assertion that it was ‘easy drinking, and great by the glass’.

£16.38 Enotria&Coe

On encountering this clear Gold winner, Woodhead 17’s James Fryer was impressed by its ‘dry, earthy, brown pepper and bacon notes on the nose, followed by dusty dark cherry with some black fruit juice and dried leaf tones, and very subtle tannins’, while for team leader Martin Lam it had a ‘big, bold Pinot nose with substantial oak and good sweet-savoury fruit balance on the palate, and good complexity too’.

£14.05 Eurowines

A ‘whiff of oak, then some sweet fruit and dark berries’, began team leader Martin Lam in praise of this worthy Gold medal recipient, pleased to find a palate that was ‘medium-bodied, not dominated by oak, and showing some decent fruit character’, while Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro highlighted its ‘delicate rose petal and raspberry aromas with sweet spices too, and balanced, crunchy and vibrant on the palate’.

£7.60 Bibendum

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

Snapping up a well-earned Gold with its ‘more developed Old World style’, according to consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor, this had ‘strawberry and leafy notes, with zippy acidity and a pleasant touch of tannin’. Team leader Andrea Briccarello went on to describe ‘dried mushroom notes, as well as great balance and texture’, while team leader Nigel Lister highlighted ‘sweetly violet aromas and gentle cherry fruit with cranberry on a silky-textured palate’.

£13.68 Enotria&Coe

Clearly worthy of a Gold medal, this was ‘plush, with fleshy red fruits, rounded texture and offers good value’, said Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, with team leader Laurent Richet MS finding ‘quite a concentrated, pretty nose, perfumed with violets and ripe black cherries, medium acidity wrapped in juicy Ribena and black cherry juice flavours, and a juicy, flashy finish’. As Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin summed it up: ‘A spicy, juicy, savoury style that’s broad but balanced by freshness.’

£11.13 E. &J. Gallo Winery

‘Stewed fruit and the great outdoors!’ began an enthused Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine on encountering this Gold Lister, transported straight to ‘baked cherry pie found at the house in the woods of the American grandma you always wanted to have! Good, restrained use of oak for a NorCal Pinot.’ Vinoteca’s Charlie Young highlighted ‘nicely lifted aromas, plenty going on, quite full on the palate with notes of bitter cherry and lots of acidity and tannin’.

£32.03 Bibendum

This excellent-value Gold winner was ‘a great gastropub wine’, suggested Street XO’s Raphael Thierry, who liked its ‘juicy blueberry and blackcurrant fruits’, while team leader Jade Koch felt it to be a ‘great introduction, sweet and savoury with a bloody character, and then sweet wild-berried fruit’. For Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants it was ‘herby and smoky, with some light tannins to add structure, and some good length and persistence’.

£5.33 Majestic Commercial

‘An explosion of berries, ripe and fresh,’ began Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel as this exceptional Pinotage was elevated to Gold, going on to enjoy its ‘hints of spice, well-integrated oak, smooth tannin and a complex, engaging finish’. ‘An intense nose of baked red fruit compote laced with smokiness, dill and coconut’ led, for Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, to a palate that was ‘meaty and rich, with great concentration’. ‘Vibrant and fun to drink’ concluded Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte.

£15.56 Bibendum , Walker & Wodehouse Wines

Scooping up a well-deserved Gold medal, this versatile Riesling was praised for its ‘floral nose leading to a light, lemony palate, with acidity on the palate that’s reminiscent of sherbet’, began Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, concluding that this was ‘a fresh style that is truly pleasing’. ‘Crisp, light and balanced, with tropical and citrus notes,’ added impressed freelance sommelier Julio Iglesias.

£7.00 Davy's Wine Merchants

Judges were full of praise for this Gold Lister that was, according to team leader Annette Scarfe MW, ‘zesty, with lovely acidity and good typicity, showing some appealing lemon and lime notes’, while Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa identified some ‘petrol notes, with balanced acidity’. James Fryer of Woodhead 17 went on to describe a ‘Nashi plum skin prickle and electric acid, with a lemon balm finish’.

£10.50 Liberty Wines

‘Pure Riesling,’ said team leader Martin Lam with approval on encountering this Gold winner, describing a ‘complex, evolving nose’, while Glasshouse’s Arletta Mala identified ‘lemon and petrol, with well-balanced sweetness and acidity, and a long finish with some coconut notes’. Team leader Simon Woods went on to describe this as a ‘juicy, tangy young wine, with bright lemon notes, leading to a fresh and bright palate, with a slightly candied finish’.

£12.52 Bibendum

Team leader Nigel Lister had nothing but praise for this Gold medal winner, from its appropriately ‘deep gold colour’, to its ‘petrol and rubber band aromas’, and ‘zesty acidity, with rich orchard fruits’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club praised its ‘crisp, clean apple with a beautiful roast-almond finish’. Alex Pitt of Typing Room appreciated notes of ‘key lime, diesel, and a touch of spritz’, which served to ‘highlight the floral aromas in the wine’.

£9.24 Ellis of Richmond, Richmond Wine Agencies, Lapworth Wines

‘A dry, honeyed and evolved nose, leading to a palate that’s also evolved, and nutty on the finish,’ was team leader Martin Lam’s praise for this worthy Gold winner, while Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub was impressed by its ‘spice and tropical fruit’, making this a ‘versatile wine that’s nice value for money’. Team leader Simon Woods found it a ‘bracing, almost salty wine with grapefruit aromas and a touch of sweetness on the palate’, which made it an excellent match for roast salmon.

£11.84 Ellis of Richmond, Richmond Wine Agencies, Lapworth Wines

‘A lovely wine to enjoy in the summer,’ was Alex Pitt of Typing Room’s first impression of this Gold-worthy Sauvignon, adding praise for ‘lots of fruit on the nose – all vibrant and tropical’. ‘Green and red apple on the nose plus a little stone fruit,’ elaborated The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, finding it ‘very well made on the palate, a little soft and grassy, and ultimately very well balanced’.

£9.89 Berkmann Wine Cellars

A Gold winner made in a full-on style, thought Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, highlighting its ‘pungent, aromatic, herbaceous nose of nettles, herbs and capsicum, accompanied by lots of grapefruit on the palate’, and adding that it was ‘heading towards New Zealand in style, with rasping acidity and a long, zippy, zingy finish’. The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo added praise for its ‘pungent, intense tomato leaf and green pepper nose, leading to a similarly intense palate’.

£7.93 D&V Wines

A Sauvignon Gold to go with Saint Clair Family Estate’s Silver medal-winning Pinot Noir. Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles liked its ‘clean nose with vegetal notes and elegant minerality, an intense palate, good length and acidity with more good minerals on the finish’, while team leader Laurent Richet MS noted its ‘creamy, textured quality with delicate yet sharp acidity, all well managed, and focusing more on minerality and gooseberry notes’.

£18.25 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Vinoteca’s Charlie Young was drawn to this Gold Lister’s ‘chalky mineral-tinged apple and gooseberry aromas, followed by a fresh and dry palate with good depth, then a cracking dry finish with texture and great fruit definition’. Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn enjoyed its ‘floral and tropical notes, good body, grapefruit, peach and melon fruit’, which Typing Room’s Alex Pitt thought led to ‘a fresh and crisp finish, with good length’.

£7.60 Fuller's

As it scored yet another Gold for New Zealand Sauvignon, team leader Martin Lam described this as ‘peachy and aromatic – an atypical style with a ripe and juicy palate, and quite complex, too’, while for Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro it had a ‘very aromatic and perfumed dried-flower nose, round and smooth on the palate with nice freshness, with white flowers and gooseberry emerging on the finish’.

£13.14 Matthew Clark

This Gold winner ticked all the boxes, with ‘a lovely grapefruit nose and some tropical notes, good texture on the palate, bright fruits and a fresh finish’, said an impressed Raphael Thierry of Street XO. Team leader Laurent Richet MS could only agree, extolling its ‘lovely aromatic nose combining exotic fruits and herbaceous notes, kiwi and clementine, passion fruit and green beans’ and finding it ‘a little vegetal on the palate with a note of bitterness in the finish making it more of a food wine’.

£12.29 Liberty Wines

As it took Gold with its ‘flinty, citrus and pineapple nose’, Yauatcha City’s Linh Ziolkowska felt this Sauvignon’s ‘palate of peach, passion fruit, pineapple and grass notes make it good for either drinking on its own or with food’, while Woodhead 17’s James Fryer spoke highly of ‘rich tropical notes, a textural palate, white pepper and grass, with dried mango, passion fruit and a good-length finish’. ‘Perfumed, zesty and rich,’ concluded team leader Nigel Lister.

£10.52 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Judges appreciated this Sauvignon Blanc’s unique style enough to award it a Gold medal, with team leader Sam Caporn MW calling it ‘interesting, with lots of oak and viscosity’ and finding it ‘layered and complex, with spice and ripe fruit’, while fellow team leader Annette Scarfe MW noted its ‘ripe lemon and grapefruit flavours, underpinned by savoury lees notes’. ‘Lots of minerality on the nose, with some smokiness, leading to a clean, fruity palate,’ described an impressed freelance sommelier Julio Iglesias, who added: ‘Superb.’

£11.27 Broadland Wineries

A clear Gold winner, according to our judges. ‘Fresh-cut capsicum is there on the nose without being obtrusive,’ began Woodhead 17’s James Fryer, leading to ‘a savoury palate with green fruit, white pepper and hints of lemon pith, all well integrated’. Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro found it ‘quite intense and balanced, with fresh gooseberry on the nose, then smooth, with light plum and leafy notes on the palate’.

£10.05 Liberty Wines

‘Ripe lemons with baked pink grapefruit on the nose,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, who found this Gold medal wine to be ‘elegant, almost a Sancerre in a ripe year’, while The Ritz London’s Matteo Furlan highlighted a ‘nice leafy nose, pronounced, with a clean palate, good acidity with crisp citrus and a nice long finish’. ‘Complex and versatile, thought Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who suggested pairing it with a salmon fillet.

£14.68 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Taking Gold with its ‘savoury, saline and restrained’ style, according to Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, this Sauvignon Blanc went on to have ‘a bit of weight on the palate, with fresh peach, apple and lemon confit, plus some classic pea-shoot flavours’. Street XO’s Raphael Thierry also found ‘lovely notes of mango and passion fruit on the palate, the fruits persistent and the texture smooth’, while team leader Laurent Richet MS felt it had a ‘juicy mouthfeel that makes it a fun wine by the glass’.

£7.40 Boutinot

Team leader Angela Reddin spoke highly of this deserving Gold medallist’s ‘lime aromas with sherbet characters, and nice spritz in the mouth, with concentrated flavours and a mineral thread’ and thought it was ‘a very long, good wine’. For Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson it had a ‘lovely, lively nose of grass, smoke, citrus and delicious, cool fresh fruit’, and he thought it was ‘bright, but with a lovely texture that will lend itself to food’.

£10.65 Bancroft Wines

Amid some generous praise, this Gold winner stood out for team leader Nigel Lister for its ‘floral, elegant nose and notes of white peach and orchard fruits on the palate’, finding it ‘crisp and elegant in style with a rich seam of fruit and a long finish’, while team leader Andrea Briccarello singled it out for its ‘ripe and creamy notes, good acidity and lots of lime and grapefruit flavours’.

£14.65 Bancroft Wines

‘Green apple and fresh-cut grass in a light and refreshing style with notes of lemon and lime peel’ were, for Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair, the hallmarks of this Gold winner, while Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson found it had an ‘intriguing, smoky, steely nose’, then a ‘tight, zesty and textured palate that’s lively with a bit of grip and spice, citrus and flint complexity, and really long on the finish, too’.

£15.69 Hatch Mansfield

A Gold-worthy Californian Sauvignon Blanc with ‘some pretty florals on the nose, with lime flower and lemongrass flavours, and plenty of depth in the mouth’, described impressed team leader Angela Reddin, while Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen thought it showed ‘elegance, with a creamy texture and a long finish’. ‘Citrus and stone fruit on the nose, and a very well-concentrated palate’ made this ‘a good match for grilled salmon’, according to The Don’s Carlos Ferreira.

£18.65 Berkmann Wine Cellars

One of an impressive pair of Golds for Morgenster, this white blend had a ‘fresh, fragrant nose of summer gardens’, according to Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, who went on to describe a palate that was ‘savoury and complex, with great minerality’. Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico found ‘lime and melon rind on the nose, which opens out on the palate with soft peach, melon and a subtle nuttiness, with fresh acidity but a waxy texture, and a long finish, too, deserving of food’.

£13.85 Enotria&Coe

Judges had nothing but praise for this Gold medallist. Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico was keen on its ‘fresh crushed black and Morello cherry with minty notes on the nose’ leading to a palate that was ‘intense and packed with flavour, with oak spices that don’t overwhelm the fruit, good tannins and acidity to balance the warmth’. Woodhead 17’s James Fryer thought it was ‘big and fun’, with ‘black fruit and pepper, as well as oak and a bacon note on the palate’.

£11.70 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

This great-value Gold had ‘plum, raspberry, mocha and spice notes’, according to team leader Angela Reddin, who went on to describe ‘some barbecue smokiness on a raspberry palate’, while Sumita Sarma of Sumilier found ‘stewed plums in good typical style, with some impressive fruit intensity backed by vanilla, toast and smoke characters, and leading to polished ripe tannins with a spicy finish’, adding that it would be a ‘good crowd-pleaser with roast lamb’.

£6.59 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

‘A good expression of a mid-range Barossa Shiraz,’ began an impressed Cosimo Di Totero of Chiltern Firehouse, who enjoyed this Gold winner’s ‘good balance of black ripe fruits, alcohol and oak flavours’. Team leader Tom Forrest noted its ‘light, leafy, minty character with a dash of peppery spice, some smoke and great length’, while for Woodhead 17’s James Fryer, ‘plum skins and stalk, and dark black fruits’ led to ‘a good streak of fresh acidity with oak spice in the background’.

£15.12 Matthew Clark

Adding a well-deserved Gold to its Bronze medal in this category, Shingleback’s offering was, in a word, ‘exceptional’, according to the WSET’s Mike Best, who further described it as ‘elegant, floral, vibrant and concentrated’. ‘Juicy and mouthwatering with great balance,’ praised team leader Jade Koch, highlighting its ‘sweet vanilla and blackcurrant flavours’, while Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel pointed out ‘notes of chocolate, coffee, spice and a hint of mint in a great wine’.

£21.21 Matthew Clark

This Shiraz/Viognier easily earned its place on the Gold List with an appealing nose of ‘smoke and ripe black fruit’ followed by a ‘lightly jammy palate with notes of vanilla, clove and cinnamon spice’, said team leader Tom Forrest. The Connaught’s Aurel Istrate enjoyed its ‘strawberry/cherry character and smooth tannins’, and with its ‘blackberry, coffee and black pepper on the palate’, according to Andrea Carozzo of The Mount Vineyard, this made an excellent match for lamb dishes.

£11.74 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘Seductive and luscious, a modern and ageworthy, elegant style,’ began an impressed Sumita Sarma of Sumilier as this earned itself a well-deserved Gold, finding plenty going on: ‘Ripe plums, forest floor and black fruit with blueberry, mint, vanilla, eucalyptus, ripe but fine-grained tannins, impressive acidity and balance.’ Typing Room’s Alex Pitt found it ‘very elegant, with plenty of complexity and freshness, with salty, peppered-salami nuances, as well as some dried herbs’.

£27.58 Davy's Wine Merchants

Taking Gold in no small part for its ‘blend of warmth and generosity on the nose’, this was ‘a rich, big wine with beautiful leafy undertones’, praised Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira picked up ‘cigar, leather, chocolate and spicy black olives on the palate’, too. ‘A high concentration of fruit on the palate’ sealed the deal for Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen, who found additional notes of ‘liquorice, rosemary and black pepper, as well as a herbal character’.

£16.20 Liberty Wines

It was ‘elegance, with depth, balance of fruit, spice and weight’ that earned this its Gold medal, according to The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones, who further described it as ‘savoury and meaty’, with team leader Martin Lam also noting that the ‘palate is big, but really good, with fresh acidity bringing balance’. ‘A rich and complex wine,’ added The Mount Vineyard’s Andrea Carozzo, with its ‘toffee, liquorice and coffee on the palate, with a long finish’.

£16.43 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Team leader Tom Forrest praised this Gold winner for its ‘light minty notes and some eucalyptus on the nose, with notes of dark fruit and peppery spice with soft tannins’. Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason found ‘a delicate spice nose opening into ripe, dark plum, berry and chocolate’, and concluded that this was ‘elegant and smooth, with great concentration and balance’, before pronouncing it a perfect accompaniment to chocolate fondant.

£48.23 Enotria&Coe

As this Shiraz earned itself a well-deserved Gold, team leader Annette Scarfe MW praised its ‘sweet, creamy vanilla oak and crowd-pleasing style with lovely structure, and dark chocolate and truffle notes’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira picked up on its ‘complex nose of black fruit and cinnamon, dark cherry and chocolate’. ‘A rich, concentrated palate with blueberries, black pepper and leather’ characterised, for Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen, a ‘very well-balanced wine with long cellaring potential’.

£29.40 Liberty Wines

As this took its rightful place on the Gold podium, Street XO’s Raphael Thierry described a ‘juicy wine displaying plum, raspberry and dried herbs with a mouthwatering finish’, with team leader Jade Koch also noting ‘savoury leather, tobacco, chewy bloody red fruits and a warming finish’. ‘Really overdelivers on price, and good for upmarket bistro dining,’ thought the WSET’s Mike Best, who considered it ‘perfect for matching with smoky, rich flavours’.

£8.99 Tilley's Wines

Completing the hat trick of Gold medals for Kleine Zalze in this year’s competition, this exceptional Stellenbosch Shiraz was described by Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club as having ‘ripe, rich cassis with tobacco aromas, firm tannins with complex, sweet spices and a long finish’, while Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm was equally taken with its ‘medicinal nose, but rich red fruit, good body and herbal, green tea notes, ripe tannins and black pepper finish’.

£20.12 Hatch Mansfield

Elevated to Gold amidst a number of Silver-medal Zinfandels in this category, this was ‘a step up’, began Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, admiring its ‘vanilla and baking spice aromas with mostly red fruits – ripe and sweet’, while team leader Laurent Richet MS felt it was ‘the top end of Zinfandel, with dried hay deliciousness, notes of cigar and bruised blackberry fruits, great length with a touch of warming alcohol’.

£22.91 Matthew Clark

‘Rose perfumed with fresh vanilla aromas, complex toffee and caramel roast notes on the palate,’ began Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club on encountering this deserving Gold winner, with Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm adding his praise for ‘caramel coffee and fudge, tempered by a suggestion of orangey character’. Team leader Angela Reddin further described generous notes of ‘millionaire’s cake and toffee-raisin chocolate bar, with a creamy, sweet palate that’s lasting and lovely, with nuttiness and balance’.

£24.59 Size: 50cl Liberty Wines

Euan McColm of Beaverbrook was taken with this Gold-winning Muscat’s ‘molasses and burnt orange notes, with bonfire ember aromas, raisins and prunes, dates and lingering coffee flavours on the palate’. ‘Deep, balanced, with a lovely savoury side, treacle and balsamic – glass-stainingly good!’ added an appreciative team leader Simon Woods. ‘An amazing, rich nose with plenty of aged characters and some Sichuan pepper, and treacly in the mouth, with good acidity,’ thought team leader Angela Reddin, adding: ‘This is a wine for beside the fire on a cold evening.’

£96.75 Size: 50cl Liberty Wines

This was a clear Gold winner made in a ‘rich and full-bodied style, really delicious’, said Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, who was impressed by its ‘coffee, caramel and spice characters’, with Edgaras Kazokaitis of Roka Aldwych also highlighting ‘bruised caramelised apple and coffee notes’. Petri Pentikainen of Three Chimneys Restaurant added appreciation for ‘raisin, prune and walnut notes, with high acidity making the palate very fresh, with more dried fruit on the long finish’.

£24.11 Size: 75cl Liberty Wines

‘A true gem,’ praised team leader Angela Reddin as this Madeira picked up its Gold medal, describing ‘walnuts, figs, prunes and raisins, and a palate with amazing balance and length’. ‘A fuller style, rich and spicy with big character – good, and very yummy,’ said Andrés Ituarte of Coq d’Argent, while team leader Lionel Periner picked up ‘light toffee and an elegant palate finishing with dates, figs and a note of spice’.

£26.61 Size: 75cl Liberty Wines

Effusive in their praise, judges didn’t hesitate in handing over the Gold here. Finding the nose ‘very spicy with dried fruits, leather, tobacco and cinnamon’, The Don’s Carlos Ferreira admired a palate that was ‘very beautiful, perfectly fresh and balanced’, with team leader Tom Forrest highlighting ‘soft raisin and fig aromas, dates and light caramel notes, smoky coffee and toffee on the finish’. ‘Pretty and balanced, with great fruit, tannin and balance,’ concluded team leader Jade Koch.

£35.42 Size: 75cl Hallgarten & Novum Wines

The Don’s Carlos Ferreira was absorbed in this Gold’s ‘caramel biscuit aromas, dried figs and cherry liqueur notes, and lots more of that caramel biscuit on the palate with cinnamon spice notes’, and further praising it for being ‘very well balanced and creamy in texture’. ‘Dry cherries, pastry and toasted almonds’ made Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston think this the perfect partner for ‘chocolate, almond parfait and cherry sauce’.

£31.90 Size: 75cl Hayward Bros

This outstanding tawny, judges agreed, deserved nothing less than Gold. ‘Beyond complex,’ began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, finding it ‘eternal and astounding, with woody orange peel, caramel, ginger, raisins, toffee – a good rum profile – and smooth, silky, elegant and rounded’. Team leader Lionel Periner couldn’t resist its ‘full, rich, orange peel and Christmas cake, balsamic’ aromas, declaring the palate ‘elegant and perfumed, lighter in style but with beautiful integration: a violin playing quietly, but with feeling’.

£261.11 Size: 37.5cl Quinta da Boeira

Voted a unanimous Gold by our judges, with Vinoteca’s Charlie Young describing aromas of ‘nuts, dried apricots, sweet spices, then good power and acidity on the palate with more finely ground nut notes, followed by loads of dried apricot flavour’. Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn also admired its ‘long, subtle nose of bitter orange and baked plum pudding, earthy complexity on the palate with notes of ceps, saffron and juniper’, recommending it as ‘perfect with a spiced cherry pie’.

£27.50 Size: 75cl Hayward Bros

As this snapped up Gold, team leader Jade Koch found ‘Earl Grey tea aromas, with warm, juicy elegance with sweet tea notes on the palate’, while Vinoteca’s Charlie Young complimented ‘a lovely stoniness to balance the sugar’, following ‘celery and dark plum on the nose, powerful with lovely definition of fruit, and a scented and pure finish’. ‘Very well balanced and fruit forward,’ thought The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, particularly liking ‘spicy cherry, jasmine and mint’.

£18.04 Size: 75cl Atlantico UK, Top Selection

A hit with our judging panel, with team leader Jade Koch saying she ‘could sit with this for hours’, to explore its ‘lighter, hotter fruit and spice and great texture, with delicious sweet tea, honey and oily putty character, fruit and chocolate notes – very moreish’, while for Vinoteca’s Charlie Young it was ‘a quality act, with touches of marzipan, candied red fruit and lovely development of fruit, with the spices beginning to show on the palate’.

£35.45 Size: 75cl Atlantico UK, Top Selection

Judges, unsurprisingly, had no shortage of praise for this Gold winner. For Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor Hotel it stood out for its ‘elegant, clean style and complex oaky length’, while Christoph Hons of Park Chinois highlighted ‘a fine body, good balance of sweetness and smoky herbal flavours’. ‘Supple, with gentle, juicy spice, this is long and generous, with real depth and freshness,’ concluded team leader Simon Woods.

£92.11 Size: 75cl Liberty Wines

‘Expressive nose of vanilla, buttery notes and sweet pastry,’ said Coq d’Argent’s Lazaros Engonopoulos of this impressive Gold winner, going on to describe a ‘generous, toasty palate, baked ripe white fruits and creamy texture with a good finish’. ‘There’s depth and power here, and lots of interest in a great food-matching wine,’ thought Vinoteca’s Charlie Young, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte thought it ‘delicate and pretty, with floral and peach notes, and light woody spices, too’.

£12.27 Matthew Clark

This keenly priced Gold medallist was ‘ripe, gentle and juicy with ripe pear fruit – precise and dry with a slight hint of pumice on the finish’, said an appreciative team leader Simon Woods, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club praised its ‘white flower perfume with light tomato leaf aromas, gentle stone fruit and delicate finish’. The Don’s Carlos Ferreira found the palate ‘fresh and full of fruit, with a touch of salt’, making this ‘the perfect wine for grilled salmon’.

£6.27 Boutinot

A well-deserved Gold medal for Quinta Das Arcas to go with its Silver in the same category, this had ‘a very elegant nose, with an aromatic and complex palate with some creaminess, and a beautifully crisp and friendly finish’, said senior judge Carlos Ferreira. There was plenty going on here for Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm too, who noted ‘mandarin and pineapple, lots of fresh blossom and guava – the complexity of flowers and concentration making it a winner’, while team leader Simon Woods found it a ‘big, rounded, quite fleshy style, with an apple and pear edge and a stony bite’.

£10.58 Bibendum

Flying the flag for the Alentejo on the Gold List, this had a ‘smoky nose and palate, with a touch of pine and mushroomy oak’, began The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, who enjoyed its ‘full body with good presence of dark fruits and good balance and finish’, while the WSET’s Mike Best found it ‘really complex, with wonderful floral and spicy notes, and amazing oak integration’. Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS thought the combination was perfect for serving alongside ‘roast pigeon with Morello cherries’.

£7.50 Sociedade Agricola D Diniz SA

A favourite with our judges, this exceptional Douro wine’s Gold status was beyond question. Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club was impressed with its ‘fresh cassis perfumed with light spice notes’, followed by ‘powerful fruit with spicy richness, complex with a great long finish’, and team leader Simon Woods found it ‘big, deep and dense, polished with vanilla-tinged honey and berry-damson fruit and herbs’. ‘Delicious,’ said Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, describing a ‘pepper, clove and cinnamon blend with a long brambly finish’.

£24.68 Quinta Vale D'Aldeia

Earning its Gold medal in no small part for its excellent value for money, for Yohann Pinol of Wiltons this was ‘dark and dense’ in colour, leading to ‘pleasant notes of plum, blackberry and a rich texture with soft tannins – well balanced with very good length’. ‘Lovely, pure ripe fruit and a nice finish,’ added Vinoteca’s Charlie Young, while Leonie Loudon of Mediterroenean – Wines of the Mediterranean appreciated its ‘lively acidity, with nice balsamic notes and a touch of tarragon’.

£12.50 Oakley Wine Agencies

‘Bold oak and strong, tarry aromas’ were the hallmark of this full-bodied Gold Lister, said team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, who also found ‘firm, dark plums balanced with savoury notes, making for a thumping, black fruit impression: a winter treat’. Similarly impressed fellow team leader Jade Koch spoke highly of its ‘intense plum and cherry nose’ and a balance of ‘oak, tannin, cherries and chocolate’ on the palate.

£9.79 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin was among the impressed team of judges that singled this out for Gold, finding it ‘complex, with earthy, leafy, chunky and quite smoky aromas’ and ‘peppery, ripe and juicy on the palate with chocolatey spiced plum notes’. ‘A nice interplay of juicy fruit with delicate oak,’ said team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, while fellow team leader Jade Koch saw it pairing beautifully with a rack of lamb.

£7.25 DFJ Vinhos, S.A.

As this was elevated to Gold, team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW described it as showing ‘black fruit and tarry aromas, with a palate that is surprisingly delicate’, adding that it was ‘fresh and well balanced, with good layers of fruit and bitter chocolate notes – long and memorable’. Diana Rollan of More than Wines Academy was similarly taken by it, finding ‘nice concentration and aromatics’, and pronouncing it ‘perfect for pulled pork’.

£11.52 DFJ Vinhos, S.A.

This opulent Rhône red was a hit with our judges, who unhesitatingly elevated it to Gold. Team leader Angela Reddin found ‘crushed bramble fruits with Christmas spice and toasty oak, leading to layered complexity in the mouth, with low-key tannins that allow the fruit to shine’, further describing it as ‘balanced, textural, long and elegant’. ‘All there,’ confirmed The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones, describing it as ‘luscious, plump, and built to last’.

£41.17 Hatch Mansfield, Matthew Clark

Chalking up yet another Gold for Colombo, this was ‘herbaceous to start, with thyme aromas joining plums, sour cherries and black olive tapenade’, began Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains, going on to describe ‘a palate bursting with flavours of peppered dark fruit, and complemented by vanilla and sweet wood’. ‘Lifted, with spiced plum and dark chocolate notes – this is a very well-defined wine that will definitely gain in complexity,’ said team leader Angela Reddin.

£23.68 Hatch Mansfield

‘An easy, approachable wine, with ripe fruit and some spice,’ began Jose Luis Hernandez of Hakkasan Hanway Place as this was awarded a well-deserved Gold, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston appreciated its ‘raspberries with a spicy note, dry tannins, and a fruity finish’. ‘Dark red fruits and a savoury character too… lots of what makes the great Rhônes great, but at a fantastic price,’ concluded Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm.

£6.61 Boutinot

Melody Wong of Ten Trinity Square Private Club was taken by this Gold-winning wine’s ‘sweet baking spice aromas leading to blackcurrant notes, along with ripe cherries, together with some fine tannins’, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston described it as ‘full and vibrant, with good balance’. ‘Full of sunshine,’ added Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa, who liked its ‘spice, clove and pepper notes’.

£9.74 Matthew Clark

Judges didn’t hold back in their praise as this rightly took Gold, with Crafthouse’s Andrea Rossi finding it ‘a smooth and elegant wine’ with ‘notes of liquorice and tobacco’, and thinking it showed ‘good potential for ageing’. ‘A bright, sweet, nose with raspberry, mulberry, blueberry and cocoa,’ added team leader Angela Reddin, describing a palate that was ‘laden with fruit and smooth tannins – all at a great price’. ‘Rustic, fruit and earthy,’ summarised Le Gavroche’s Rémi Cousin, adding that it was ‘a wine for food and friends’.

£7.92 Davy's Wine Merchants

‘Excellent. Ripe, dense and concentrated,’ was team leader Nigel Lister’s summary as this took its place on the Gold podium. Aromas of ‘black and blue berries, vanilla spice, black pepper and toasty oak and smoke’ led, according to team leader Tom Forrest, to ‘a creamy palate with black fruit and peppery tannins’. ‘With notes of fennel and cured meat, this tastes like the French countryside,’ added Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm.

£20.67 CAVE DE TAIN

A clear Gold medal winner according to our judges. ‘Black fruit and chocolate on the nose lead to a vibrant palate with more fruit, as well as some spice, and with a long finish supported by some clean tannins,’ said Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth and Simpsons Edgbaston, while Piers Gibson-Birch of Wernher Restaurant at Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa found it ‘ripe and juicy, with charcuterie notes’, leading to the suggestion that this accompany a well-seasoned steak.

£16.37 Berkmann Wine Cellars

‘An excellent example of a northern Rhône wine,’ began an impressed Eva Krenkova of Restaurant Sat Bains, going on to describe this Gold Lister’s ‘mixture of black and pink pepper with a background of dark fruit, and complemented by silky tannins’. Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS further found ‘smoky bacon, iodine and a saltiness, leading to a juicy, savoury and mineral palate’ that made it perfect, he thought, with herb-crusted lamb.

£15.54 Liberty Wines

‘Generous, intense and perfumed, with a big mouthful of spicy, warm sunshine fruit’ was just what it took, for team leader Martin Lam, to elevate this southern Rhône to Gold. Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles added praise for its ‘velvety and quite complex palate, with some cherry fruit’, while Coworth Park Ascot’s Michael Fiducia spoke highly of its ‘bramble fruit, plum, sandalwood and spice, with a soft, subtle palate’.

£24.42 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

This chalked up a Gold medal for Bulgaria with ‘an instant Pinot hit of sour cherries on the nose’, according to team leader Martin Lam, who spoke glowingly of a palate with ‘sweet and sour fruit, with a savoury hint around the edges’. Team leader Nigel Lister described it as having ‘an aromatic nose, with violets, tomato skin, and an earthiness, too’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club found ‘gentle sweet and sour cherries, with smoked, sweet spices, and a light green-olive note too’.

£8.55 Swig Wines

‘Extraordinary,’ began team leader Martin Lam as this took its place on the Gold podium, finding ‘plum fruits, herbs and spice, with some big, structured tannins’. The Don’s Carlos Ferreira was similarly impressed, and thought this had ‘cherry and strawberry notes, as well as some pine’, while The Vine Eno Gastro Pub’s Tatiana Mann appreciated additional aromas of ‘eucalyptus and cedar’, leading to a palate that had ‘richness and ripe tannins’.

£67.60 Arba Wine

‘Plenty of fruit, good, juicy and vibrant,’ began team leader Simon Woods, finding this Gold winner to have ‘lots of power and presence, with ripe melon and peach’, and adding that it was ‘gutsy in style, but fresh, too’, while for Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club it was ‘generous, with tree fruit and peach, nectarine, with spices from the oak and a chewy texture, but lengthy flavour’.

£16.52 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘A complete wine,’ began team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW in her praise, as Ixsir picked up the first of its two medals in this category, finding it ‘impressively ripe and juicy, with floral, fragrant and sumptuous cherry fruit’. Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte highlighted its ‘elegant palate, with a silky but grippy structure, and notes of leather, earth and black pepper, not to mention some dense fruit’, while Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin commended its ‘fine oak and powerful, juicy tannins’.

£20.13 Enotria&Coe

‘Wow – great character, with fresh fruit, but chocolate and spice, too,’ began Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth in his praise of this Gold Lister, proclaiming it ‘overall great value for money’. Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms described ‘pleasant red-berry fruit on the palate, with crushed-rock minerality and fine tannins’, while team leader Martin Lam had only good things to say about its ‘smooth oak-edged fruit, with some grip, too’.

£7.40 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Judges didn’t hold back in their praise for this one, unhesitatingly handing over the Gold. ‘Fresh pear fruit and floral notes on the nose, and a lively palate with a steely mineral finish,’ said Pierre Brunelli of L’Enclume, with Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason finding it ‘light, slightly smoky and saline, fresh and easy-drinking’. Consultant Chantal Serrano thought ‘green bell peppers, apples and pears’ led to a ‘floral, long finish, with great structure’.

£6.46 Matthew Clark

‘A special wine,’ began Vinoteca’s Charlie Young as it took home the Gold, going on to describe ‘orange rind and ginger aromas, a fresh textured palate with lots of complexity and a definite oxidative nature, very much in harmony’. ‘Serious wine,’ nodded Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, agreeing that its ‘complexity reaches further than your average Provence rosé, with lovely smooth straw and geranium notes on the palate and great body’.

£80.43 Bibendum

This sophisticated rosé took Gold amid praise from our judges, with Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn enjoying its ‘rose petal aromas, good bright fruits and fresh acidity, with complexity on the palate’, while Vinoteca’s Charlie Young felt it was ‘long and classy, with a lovely scented nose anchored by red berries, and mineral and textured on the palate’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS found ‘a smoky edge on the aroma’ of this ‘elegant wine, with a creamy texture’.

£13.34 Matthew Clark

This was ‘classic southern-French rosé’, according to Gennaro Carafa of Hedonism Wines, and worthy of its Gold medal for its ‘fragrant and light Mediterranean bouquet’, while Davide Dall’Amico of Royal Automobile Club highlighted some ‘very pronounced aromas of apple, pear, nectarine and a touch of red berry with honeysuckle, followed by quite precise granite minerality and a long finish’. Simone Fadda of Roka Aldwych imagined this working perfectly with ceviche.

£9.68 ADVINI

This was a hit with our judges, who pronounced it worthy of Gold for its ‘intensely aromatic nose led by ripe cantaloupe melon skin and pulp as well as ripe, sweet peach’, according to Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, who described a palate that had ‘more ripe fruit and good concentration’. Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason further described a ‘tropical and creamy character, and juicy fruit – a balanced and fresh wine’.

£10.91 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Morello cherry and orange peel on the nose,’ began Street XO’s Raphael Thierry in his praise of this Gold medal rosé, finding ‘good fruit and a balancing note of bitterness on the palate’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club noted ‘berry juice and light flowers, with rich minerality and complex sweet, sour red fruit’. Team leader Laurent Richet MS felt its ‘punchy blossom nose, strawberry jelly and lovely ripe, fragrant fruit palate’ would be ‘ideal by the pool’, and a good match for raw fish.

£11.80 Bibendum

Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot had praise for this Gold Lister’s ‘elegant, fragrant nose matched by soft elegance on the palate’, with The Don’s Carlos Ferreira highlighting a ‘beautiful nose, with floral and red fruit notes’, while team leader Jade Koch enjoyed its ‘pear drops, spice and minerality’. Diana Rollan of More than Wines Academy thought the ‘fresh raspberry and strawberry on this classic rosé’ made it a great match for salmon or ceviche.

£13.09 Jascots Wine Merchants

Unequivocal in his praise, Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm loved this Gold medallist’s ‘caramel, orange peel and coffee aromas, leading to orange and walnut with toasted almonds on the palate, and a 10-minute finish’, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 highlighted a ‘yeasty and salty fresh nose, and a nutty character with sweet almond on the finish’. Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen added appreciation for its ‘saltiness and flor character, with green apple, walnuts and dried fruit’.

£12.31 Size: 75cl Bibendum

There was no shortage of praise from our judges to accompany this amontillado’s Gold medal. James Fryer of Woodhead 17 enjoyed ‘some raisin in the nose, coffee and toasted almond on the palate, earthy character with green flecks and touches of lemon balm, and super-salty, too’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club described ‘smoked tea aromas with complex lees and caramel, and sour peach, too’. ‘Punchy, tarry and powerful,’ concluded team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW.

£32.64 Size: 50cl Boutinot

Judges heaped praise on this Gold medal winner, with Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club describing a ‘balsamic and perfumed nose, with roasted pine and herbal notes and some sour apricot, all underlined by more gentle herb and spice notes’. Team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, meanwhile, was keen on its ‘elegant, silky, ripe, polished style’, finding it ‘alight with flavour but elegant, with bitter chocolate on the finish’, while Euan McColm of Beaverbrook picked up ‘chocolate, smoke and macadamia on the nose, with marshmallow coming in on the palate with a warm and giving finish’.

£36.99 Size: 50cl Boutinot

This was ‘smoooth’ with three Os, emphasised team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, finding it easily worth Gold, and ‘superbly raisined with glacé cherry notes, gloriously succulent with just a bit of acidity’, while Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm highlighted ‘milk chocolate and figs, fruitcake, coffee and toffee, in a modern, impressive style’. Team leader Laura Rhys MS was impressed, too, finding it ‘intense, sweet and unctuous, with a creamy texture, and juicy, bold notes of prune, raisin and sweet vanilla spice’.

£14.82 Size: 75cl Boutinot

‘Superbly balanced,’ began impressed team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW in her praise of this Gold medallist, describing it as ‘mouthwatering, with notes of roasted lime skins, toasted nuts and punchy freshness’, while senior James Fryer of Woodhead 17 enjoyed its ‘orange peel, wood varnish and chocolate walnut elements with superb bright acids’. ‘Beautiful elegance, spice and weight,’ concluded team leader Laura Rhys MS, but not before recommending a smoked duck croquette match.

£26.81 Size: 75cl Liberty Wines

To go by the comments of our judges, this was never anything but Gold, with Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin, for example, finding it ‘fragrant, zesty and mineral, with some marzipan notes’. ‘Savoury and full, earthy and rich, with soft, gentle fruit and subtle flor,’ said Robert Mason of Cheese at Leadenhall, while Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine felt it was ‘well made, with notes of prickly pear and mahogany’. ‘Ideal with salty cheese or sardines,’ concluded team leader Annette Scarfe MW.

£16.80 Size: 37.5cl Bibendum , Matthew Clark

‘Crystalline and pure,’ began Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin in his praise of this Gold-winning manzanilla, further describing ‘dried walnuts and bitter almond notes with some zesty, fresh lime, too, leading to a fresh, dry and salty finish’. Team leader Lionel Periner, meanwhile, was intrigued by the combination of ‘baked apple, nut and frangipane aromas, yet a dry palate with medium oxidation notes and a lightness on the finish’.

£10.12 Size: 37.5cl Berkmann Wine Cellars

This Gold medallist was made in a ‘fresh and vibrant’ style, according to Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth, with Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason adding praise for its abundance of ‘Bramley apple, citrus, bready yeast and pine flor notes’, and finding it was ultimately ‘long and easy’. An impressed Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine described it as ‘light and refreshing, with passion fruit notes and oxidation, and plenty of personality’.

£10.08 Size: 50cl Top Selection Ltd

When it came to describing this top-class manzanilla as it won a well-deserved Gold, Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth highlighted an ‘oily texture and smoky intensity, but freshness on the palate and great balance overall’, while Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine was very much taken with its ‘vibrant and fresh character, revealing subtle notes of banana, nuts and wood’, adding that ‘the oxidative characteristics take a back seat, yet it’s brilliant!’ £16.11/37.5cl

£16.11 Size: 37.5cl Top Selection Ltd

This drew praise – and a Gold medal – from our judges, with team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW enjoying its ‘lovely aroma, even a touch volatile, with a lifted mid-weight palate, dark tannins and grippy length’, while for Woodhead 17’s James Fryer it was ‘super-dark and earthy, with dusty purple plums and white pepper notes with baking spice and velvety tannins, some bayleaf herbs and meatiness’. Meanwhile Alex Pitt of Typing Room appreciated its ‘tobacco and sweet red fruit characters’.

£10.30 Top Selection Ltd

This Gold medallist’s ‘clean, fresh palate allows the fruit to glow unfettered’, thought team leader Angela Reddin, who appreciated notes of ‘wild flowers, quince and cooked apples’. Street XO’s Raphael Thierry heaped praise on this ‘fragrant, easy-going wine, with a very good aromatic profile, good freshness and a long finish’, while team leader Jade Koch highlighted its ‘intense, oily and rich nose, but lighter pear drops and sliced fresh apple on the palate’.

£9.05 Matthew Clark

Sumita Sarma of Sumilier enjoyed this Gold Lister’s varied dimensions, picking up on its ‘honeysuckle flowers, ripe lemons, passion fruit and mango, and potpourri essence with soft spices’, while finding it had a ‘strong personality, crisp and refreshing acidity, with harmonious integration of acidity and fruits’. ‘Great character, with camomile and stone fruits, and some tropical fruit too,’ thought The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo, appreciating its ‘full body and pronounced intensity’.

£9.47 Berkmann Wine Cellars

This was ‘dark and charismatic’, said Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm, revelling in this Gold Lister’s ‘concentrated bramble fruits and black olives with huge intensity’, adding that it was ‘approachable now, but with great ageing potential’. Team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW concurred: ‘Supple juiciness is the hallmark, plump and fleshy with nicely balanced tannin, and plenty of life ahead.’ ‘Bold and concentrated, but not in your face,’ concluded Typing Room’s Alex Pitt.

£20.15 Top Selection Ltd

Seeing Gold in this Tempranillo’s future, team leader Lionel Periner had praise for its ‘dark fruit, plum, floral and light spice aromas’, finding it ‘well-balanced on the palate and ready to drink’, while for Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason it was ‘very smooth, with good structure, depth and elegance, and aromas of haricot bean, floral dark chocolate and mahogany leading to an equally complex palate’. For team leader Annette Scarfe MW, this all made it an obvious choice for suckling pig.

£18.23 DOMINIO BASCONCILLOS

A wine with a difference, and now with a Gold medal too, this was ‘a brighter style than others, heading towards Bordeaux’, began Joseph Lunn of Suave Wine, highlighting its ‘oak spice and red and black fruit’, while Timothy Connor of Core by Clare Smyth found it ‘great to drink, with bright black fruits, soft spice and herbs, almost like a diluted Antica Formula vermouth – smooth and complex’. ‘A soft, elegant nose, with coffee and liquorice’ led, according to The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo, to ‘bright acidity and a remarkable freshness’.

£23.46 Bibendum

Taking the sole Albariño Gold in the competition, this ‘textbook example’, according to team leader Laura Rhys MS, earned its medal for its ‘attractive floral nose with pear and peach notes, as well as some spice and minerality, and beautiful acid’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira thought it had a ‘very fresh palate and good acidity, with a creamy, oily aftertaste’. Tatiana Mann of The Vine Eno Gastro Pub spoke highly of its ‘spicy stone fruits and very refreshing character’, while Rhys saw it as a perfect partner for seabass ceviche.

£9.87 Matthew Clark

A clear Gold winner, according to Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, describing a wine that was ‘deep and earthy, with mocha and charred-meat aromas, leading to a big, beefy, complex palate’, which led, he thought, to a perfect match for a rack of lamb. A ‘juicy, elegant style’, added team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, who thought this showed ‘dark fruit and fine tannin on a gloriously juicy palate with a long, rasping finish’.

£12.81 Moreno Wines

‘A steak-and-mash wine,’ began Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason in his praise of this Gold winner, going on to describe a wine that was ‘punchy and elegant, with good structure and weight, and notes of plums, cherries, red apples and some sweet spice’. ‘Black fruit pastilles on the nose, black cherry and a juicy, balanced mid-palate,’ added team leader Nigel Lister, with Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club finding ‘fresh cassis and violet aromas, plum-spice and lighter green notes’.

£12.49 House of Townend

The judges thought this Gold Lister had a fresh and uncomplicated style that epitomised the region, summed up by Woodhead 17’s James Fryer as ‘spritzy and prickly, showing lemon rind fruit character balanced by flashy acids, and finishing salty’. ‘Green apple notes, and good concentration that would go well with food,’ thought Simon Cassina of Winexponent, adding that this would be just as well suited to being ‘an aperitif, by the glass’.

£9.95 Liberty Wines

Seeing Gold in this Spanish red, James Franklin of Fenwick loved its ‘cracking nose of ripe, delicate fruits and cured ham, with soft warming spice and jammy rich notes on the palate’, while team leader Sam Caporn MW thought it ‘characterful, with tight black fruit and nice balance, plums, cassis and bramble fruit’. ‘Crushed-velvet tannins, wet earth and leather’ combined with ‘dark fruit and black pepper’ sealed the deal for Woodhead 17’s James Fryer.

£11.77 Bodegas Luzon

A hit with our judges, this Gold winner was praised by Le Cordon Bleu London’s Matthieu Longuère MS for its ‘lovely damson fruit, mouthwatering acidity, really long palate and fresh finish’, describing it as ‘a textbook Reserva’, while The Don’s Carlos Ferreira noted ‘biscuit, toasted oak and black fruits’. Following some ‘bright redcurrant, cedar and tobacco notes’, consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor thought that ‘smooth tannins and great acidity leave you with red apples and blueberries on the finish’.

£14.60 Boutinot

A gran reserva unquestionably worthy of Gold, team leader Laurent Richet MS felt it was a ‘lovely expression of Rioja, with tannin and spices, with beautiful fruit behind and moderate acidity’, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants found lots to talk about: ‘Farmyard, earthy nose with red fruit, caramel and mocha, this is fruit-forward and vibrant on the palate, with velvety tannins, and quite a charred character, although it retains complexity of fruit, and length too.’

£16.85 Boutinot

A ‘modern style’, began Bleeding Heart Group’s Chris Delalonde MS of this striking Rioja, as it took Gold, thinking it revealed ‘a concentrated nose of roasting juices, dark cooked fruit and savouriness, inky earth tones, then a meaty, juicy, mineral mid-palate, textured with elegance and power overall’. The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones was impressed by the ‘balance between richness and farmyard notes, with good integration and a rich finish, with damson and cherry notes’, before suggesting that this would be ideal in a classic pairing with a rack of lamb.

£16.67 Davy's Wine Merchants

A clear Gold winner, this was ‘modern, with lifted ripe fruit as well as leather and undergrowth’, according to team leader Laurent Richet MS, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club was impressed by ‘rich, dark cherry and light green peppers, with firm tannins and complex balsamic notes, as well as some spice and cherry on the long finish’. Melania Bellesini of The Fat Duck enjoyed its ‘soft tannins and simple, balanced style’, and thought it was ‘easy-drinking for a pub list and good with charcuterie’.

£7.57 Boutinot

This Tempranillo Blanco was clearly destined for Gold, offering ‘great value’ and a ‘food-orientated’ style, according to Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason, who revelled in its ‘smoky, nutty tinges, herbal depth of sage, thyme and tarragon, with complexity and good fresh acidity on the palate, texture and an elegant finish’. ‘Distinctive and enjoyable,’ began a similarly impressed Hamish Anderson of Tate Catering, who thought it had a ‘delicious, intensely floral palate, with wild flowers and lemon zest’.

£8.09 Boutinot

A wine of ‘woody, rustic and full-bodied’ character, said The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo as this Rioja took Gold, commenting on its ‘savoury, meaty palate, and firm yet ripe tannins with notes of coffee and chocolate’. Janusz Pawel Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles felt it was ‘intense on the palate, velvety and ripe with good length and elegant, mature fruit flavours’, while Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks thought its ‘perfumed nose with fruit compote’ led to ‘strawberry and nutmeg on the palate, with a pleasing finish’.

£10.33 Davy's Wine Merchants

Judges had nothing but praise for this Gold winner. Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental was impressed by its ‘big fruit extraction, vanilla, tobacco and leathery spice aromas, rounded palate with silky tannins and a lingering aftertaste’, while Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker noted ‘bold, refreshing ripe blueberries, sweet vanilla and powerful cedar wood’. For The Don’s Carlos Ferreira ‘complex notes of pine, eucalyptus, mushroom, leather and black fruit’ and ‘fruit and smoky oak on the palate’ made this ‘a really good wine to serve with roasted pork belly’.

£31.50 Liberty Wines

A ‘big, oaky treat’, began Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin on encountering this Gold winner, thinking it showed ‘spicy pepper, toast and dark chocolate with graphite on the nose, then a juicy, savoury, rounded palate with ripe tannins’, while team leader Simon Woods found it ‘soft, friendly, rounded and earthy, with nice summer pudding fruit’. ‘Gobfuls of delicious fruit,’ added team leader Angela Reddin, describing ‘loganberries, bilberries and raspberries, with an intense, full palate and a lasting finish’.

£16.26 Top Selection Ltd

Scooping up Gold with its ‘typically old-school Rioja elegance’, according to consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor, this was ‘big on plum and dark tree fruit, with moderately toasty oak and a refreshing finish’. Team leader Jade Koch found it ‘engaging and moreish, with blackcurrants and tea on the nose, a drying, oily, warm palate and very juicy on the finish’. ‘A lovely style, with good acidity and structure,’ thought team leader Laurent Richet MS, imagining it perfectly paired with a rib of beef.

£13.40 Matthew Clark, Walker & Wodehouse Wines

This Gold Lister was classically styled, showing ‘concentrated aromas of jammy red and black berries and plum, and some signs of development with firm tannins and well-integrated oak’, said The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club was taken with its ‘complex, fruity and earthy aromas, with some tobacco leaf notes’. Team leader Martin Lam went on to highlight its ‘ripe, generous fruit nose with the palate following through with violets and cherries, and very light oak’.

£8.54 House of Townend

‘Bright citrus notes and lovely elegance’ were just some of the characteristics that earned this blanc de blancs the Gold, according to team leader Laura Rhys MS, who found it ‘autolytic but fresh, with lemon, mandarin and camomile notes’. For team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW this led to a ‘complex palate, with spring flowers, golden fruits, rhubarb and creamy undertones with a punch of acid – long, supple and smooth’.

£39.99 Champagnes & Châteaux

Team leader Martin Lam noted that this Gold-worthy champagne had ‘quite developed autolysis on a more old school nose’, going on to find a ‘rich palate, mouthfilling and quite serious yet with plenty of freshness’, while Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn picked up on its ‘richness of texture, developed background and luscious stone fruit’. ‘Aged notes and a broad, textured palate’ made this perfect, according to Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson, for roast chicken.

£22.13 Castelnau Wine Agencies

A ‘very gastronomic’ style, said Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel of this Gold-winning champagne, finding an ‘elegant, delicate nose with notes of honey, candied lemon and touches of marine flavours, clean on the palate with very fine bubbles’. This had, for Three Chimneys Restaurant’s Petri Pentikainen, ‘a very herbal nose with thyme and grass notes, with minerality on the palate that lingers on the long finish’, leading to the suggestion that this be served with ‘poached langoustine with a herb salad’.

£33.70 Bibendum

‘Wonderful, and bursting with energy,’ said Michael Moore of The London Cookhouse, echoing the appreciation of his fellow judges for this champagne. Royal Automobile Club’s Davide Dall’Amico enjoyed the contrast between a ‘nose of green apple with sweet spices and brioche notes’ and a ‘palate that’s more nutty and spicy, quite smooth with tart apple acidity to sustain the finish’. A combination that led team leader Laura Rhys MS to suggest that this would be perfect with a clam risotto.

£26.30 Bibendum , Enotria&Coe, Matthew Clark

Judges heaped praise on this Gold-winning champagne, with its ‘great complexity of flavours’, according to The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo, who described ‘umami, honey and green apple notes, leading to a creamy palate with gentle herbaceousness, and some nutty, bready, toasty notes’. Gymkhana’s Valentin Radosav enjoyed ‘citrus, apple, plum and white flowers on the nose’, finding that the ‘oak is more present in the mouth, adding body and complexity, but balanced by the fruit and creamy mousse’, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot praised its ‘subtle toasty nuances in a soft, well-made style’.

£102.50 Liberty Wines

Team leader Simon Woods found plenty to be impressed by on encountering this clear candidate for Gold, describing a ‘clean, crisp, juicy, really good honest style that’s toasty with nice balance’, and picking up on this blend’s 70% Seyval Blanc content, he added: ‘Has an almost Sauvignon-like herbal edge.’ ‘Classic in style,’ said Lime Wood Hotel’s Christopher Parker, going on to praise its ‘driven primary orchard fruits and wild orchid hints’.

£10.12 Three Choirs Vineyards Ltd

Judges had no hesitation in awarding this complex sparkling wine a Gold medal. While The Don’s Carlos Ferreira found ‘peachy stone fruit and red apple on the nose, really good balance and a creamy aftertaste’, team leader Angela Reddin enjoyed its ‘light, delicate nose of meadow flowers and oyster shell, with baker’s shop pastries on the palate and a savoury umami finish’. ‘Definitely a food wine,’ summed up team leader Martin Lam, suggesting roast chicken as a good match.

£24.05 Enotria&Coe

‘Lovely by the glass and good value,’ began Matthieu Longuère MS of Le Cordon Bleu London, as this English fizz took Gold, noting its ‘floral, nutty, fruity and elegant nose, and friendly, fresh and quite juicy palate’. The Don’s Carlos Ferreira thought it was ‘a bit spicy with red apple, oak and stone fruits, good balance and finishing long and creamy’. Team leader Martin Lam found it ‘very distinctive, with a creamy, almost honeyed nose, and quite high acidity’.

£16.80 Langham Wine Estate

‘Outstanding,’ began an impressed Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair, who loved this Gold medal winner’s ‘fresh, nutty vanilla aromas, balanced yeast notes with a crispy, buttery palate, long finish and a touch of salinity’, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants went on to highlight its ‘flinty, crushed stone and steely but harmonious nose with lots of iodine, elegant and sumptuous palate, mid-palate intensity and plenty of tangerine, ripe lemon and yuzu fruit, too’.

£36.43 Jascots Wine Merchants

This Gold Lister left an impression on Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, with its ‘iodine, creamy, canteloupe melon rind, lactic, fine and ethereal aromas, voluptuous and succulent balance of citrus and lactic notes on the palate, showing intensity and persistence with a complex finish’, while team leader Jade Koch found it ‘honeyed, long, refreshing and mineral’. ‘A gastronomic wine,’ added team leader Laurent Richet MS, recommending a match with ‘creamy onion soup’.

£21.66 Boutinot

Confirming this Marlborough sparkler’s Gold medal status, Sumita Sarma of Sumilier described ‘punchy acidity with creamy lemon curd as well as some biscuit and toast complexity’. ‘A lovely attack and delicate mousse, ripe lemon notes and well-managed dosage’, not to mention ‘lovely toasty brioche with a citrus core and lemon zest character on the finish’, all made this ‘a match for Chinese dishes with soy sauce’, thought team leader Annette Scarfe MW.

£29.48 Amathus

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

As this was rightfully awarded Gold, team leader Nigel Lister praised ‘crushed red berries and violets on the nose, with a nice mid-palate of succulent fruits and elegant yet lively mousse’, while Andre Luis Martins of Cavalry & Guards Club enjoyed its ‘richness, good balance of sweetness and acidity, sweet Morellos, night flowers and cranberries’. Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte further described ‘loganberries and acacia flowers’ on the complex nose, appreciating ‘delicate bubbles that create a lovely texture’.

£11.82 Liberty Wines

Team leader Martin Lam found this accomplished Gold winner to have ‘attractive aromas of green apple and pear, and a vibrant mousse with more pear on a warmly spiced palate’, while Aurel Istrate of The Connaught found it ‘creamy and doughy on the nose, with acidity integrating well, and crisp and nicely fresh on the finish’. ‘Clean, elegant and refreshing, with citrus, peach and fennel notes,’ concluded Manuel Ribeiro of The Bybrook at The Manor House Hotel.

£7.47 Majestic Commercial

A Gold Lister with a distinctly green fruit style, according to Fenwick’s James Franklin, who picked up ‘chilled Granny Smith apples, greengage and gooseberry’, while Michael Fiducia of Coworth Park Ascot enjoyed its ‘delicate nose of white jasmine and pear, leading to lemon peel and quince fruit on the palate’. Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm was a fan of its ‘tangy, fresh apricot’ notes, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason appreciated its ‘apple notes and good acidity, as well as great balance and length’.

£9.95 Eurowines

Beaverbrook’s Euan McColm was drawn to this Gold medal-winning prosecco’s ‘original flavours’, citing ‘red berries, sweet Sicilian lemon, honeysuckle and appealing balance’, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 enjoyed its ‘pretty floral pear skin nose, like expensive soap, then cooked pear and red apple on the palate, the finish building in intensity’. ‘Balanced, with a palate that’s dry but still fruity, and with some good acidity on the finish,’ added The Don’s Carlos Ferreira.

£8.95 Eurowines

‘An upscale prosecco,’ began Mario Tomekovic of Smiths of Smithfield as this clinched Gold, thinking it showed ‘rich and powerful aromas and a characteristic minerality, subtle yet with a lengthy aftertaste, making it amazingly food-friendly and complex’. ’Very elegant on the nose,’ added The Don’s Carlos Ferreira, who went on to find ‘some citrus and green apple, as well as some spice, and a biscuit note, with good acidity too’.

£22.16 Bibendum

As it snapped up Gold, this was described as a ‘great value for money champagne’ by Adam Michocki of Glasshouse, who admired its ‘complex nose with pronounced intensity of peach, strawberry, biscuit and bread, fruit and acidity well balanced on the palate with delicate mousse’. For Jonathan Kleeman of Four Degree, it was ‘elegant, fresh and well balanced, with soft fruit and some complex mineral notes, too, with an aromatic finish’.

£23.67 Davy's Wine Merchants

This drew praise, and earned itself Gold, for its ‘orange rind and red berry aromas, delicate nature on the palate with a lovely creamy mouthfeel, as well as balanced body, minerality and a bit of brioche’, according to Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, while team leader Laurent Richet MS thought it ‘a serious wine, with yeast, red cherry and red apple notes – perfect with roasted salmon on a bed of sea vegetables’.

£24.56 Jascots Wine Merchants

Judges were generous with their praise as this English rosé was led to the Gold podium. Team leader Tom Forrest liked that it was ‘brisk on the tongue’, noting its ‘partridge eye pink colour, light forest fruit aromas with some mineral, raspberry and strawberry flavours with creamy mousse and biscuit notes, tart raspberry and red cherry on the finish’. For Lazaros Engonopoulos of Coq d’Argent, it would perfectly accompany ‘summer salads and light starters’.

£18.00 Direct Wines, Laithwaite's Wine

This South African rosé earned its Gold medal with ‘a ripe and tangy nose with red berries and cherries’, according to team leader Simon Woods, who also praised its ‘crisp, dry and balanced’ palate. Cosimo Di Totero of Chiltern Firehouse liked its ‘fruity-fresh, red fruit, easy-drinking and balanced’ style, while team leader Tom Forrest found ‘some yeasty aromas, raspberry and strawberry pie, with fresh raspberry on the palate and an elegant mousse’.

£8.58 Distell Europe

‘Tropical, juicy and clean,’ said Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason of this Gold winner, going on to describe it as ‘refreshing and complex’. Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms described ‘both coconut cream and desiccated coconut’. ‘A great wine to match with blue cheese,’ suggested Core by Clare Smyth’s Timothy Connor, while team leader Annette Scarfe MW saw this ‘beautiful, rich style, with loads of delicious vanilla and cream notes’ matching with apple tart.

£22.12 Size: 50cl Southern Wine Roads

Mikolaj Harmider of Adam’s Restaurant liked everything about this Gold winner, from its ‘beautiful golden colour’, to its ‘baked apple, pineapple and spice notes’, while Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte further noted ‘tangerine, mango and dried peel notes, along with some white flowers, leading to a finish that goes on and on’. This all contributed towards making a wine that was, according to team leader Annette Scarfe MW, a perfect match for blue cheese.

£57.32 Size: 37.5cl Enotria&Coe

‘Delicious and complex,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW as this took its rightful place on the Gold podium, further finding ‘delicious apricot notes, with an amazing freshness and acidity’, and recommending it as a good match for ricotta cheese. For Richard Cavagin-Carey of The Harwood Arms, this was ‘big and unctuous on the palate, with ripe mango notes’, while Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason described a ‘tropical, rich and rounded wine, with pineapple and a herbal note’.

£45.34 Size: 75cl Liberty Wines

‘A richer style,’ said Elisa Soggia of Kai Mayfair in praise of this Gold Lister, describing its ‘oaky, creamy, buttery aromas, hints of vanilla and white pepper with stone fruits, pineapple and a bit of mango on the palate’, while Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants noted a ‘bruised oxidative tinge leading to fruit sweetness’, and thought it was ‘round and generous, rustic, with notes of banana skin and ripe tropical fruit’. ‘Complex, intense and elegant,’ said Gabriele Galuppo of Theo Randall at the InterContinental, who thought it would be ‘amazing with roasted salmon’.

£11.99 Sonvino

Chalking up another one for Turkey on the Gold List, this was ‘very fragrant and intense, with blossomy sweet aromas and a touch of peppermint and light lychee’, thought Mattia Mazzi of Lutyens Bar & Restaurants, adding: ‘Very good winemaking, oily texture and medium body, with peppery and spicy notes on a palate that’s ripe and juicy with some help from the oak, and with good minerality and balance’. The Pig Hotel’s Jacopo Mazzeo remarked on an ‘interesting salinity and tomato leaf’ on an otherwise ‘creamy palate’.

£17.92 Try Wines

A Gold to go with Sevilen’s pair of white wine medals. Tate Catering’s Hamish Anderson liked its ‘simple, juicy fruit, with plum, blackberry and gentle spice, in a very well-made and easy style’, while team leader Angela Reddin highlighted ‘dark fruit aromas, raisins and spiced prunes, then a very rich, fruity core on the palate, smooth tannins and just enough punch to show backbone and length’. For Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma, ‘ripe red cherries with vanilla and cinnamon, dusty, grainy tannins and some hints of earthiness, combined with lovely acidity’ sealed the deal.

£8.89 Matthew Clark

Along with his fellow judges, team leader Laurent Richet MS heaped praise on this Gold medallist’s ‘easy, fruity and welcoming’ style, approving of its ‘vibrant aromatic and punchy nose of dark fruit and red flowers’. ‘Light cranberry and currant notes, with light, balanced tannins and a leafy underbrush finish,’ said Coq d’Argent’s Andrés Ituarte, while Sumilier’s Sumita Sarma thought it was a ‘juicy and lovely wine with ripe tannins and a spicy finish’ that made it perfect for roast chicken.

£5.49 Taste Turkey

The ‘minty and black fruit aromas’ of this substantial Gold-winning Cabernet Sauvignon were followed by ‘a palate of fairly heavy tannins that balance the dark fruit, along with some soft acidity, but balanced’, according to Vinoteca’s Charlie Young, while Frédéric Billet of Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa noted ‘elegant red berries on the nose, as well as coffee and leathery notes with black pepper, and good tannins and acidity’.

£8.66 Tees

As this Rhône white took its rightful place on the Gold podium, The Vine Eno Gastro Pub’s Tatiana Mann found it to lie within the ‘sea breeze, chalky, mineral spectrum of aromas’, with a palate that had ‘honey and peaches, and very vibrant acidity, and with some great length, too’. Team leader Martin Lam, meanwhile, spoke of its ‘aromatic and elegant palate, with ripe stone fruits, and just enough acidity’.

£14.70 Hatch Mansfield

‘Vibrant and refreshing, and great value for money!’ began The Vine Eno Gastro Pub’s Tatiana Mann, who appreciated this Gold winner’s ‘beautiful nose of white peach, as well as some spicy and floral notes, leading to a creamy body with ripe fruit’. ‘Long and structured, with some light smokiness alongside good fruit and freshness,’ thought freelance sommelier Julio Iglesias, while team leader Laurent Richet MS saw it perfectly paired with fish or shellfish.

£7.43 Hatch Mansfield