‘So much going on!’ began an impressed Daniel Loughlin of 20 Stories as judges unanimously named this Gold, before going on to describe ‘earthy beetroot, dried roses, cinnamon, salted caramel’ and more, and praising it for its ‘balanced sweetness and fresh acidity’. Team leader Tom Forrest described ‘sweet, herbal fruit notes’ as well as ‘marzipan and toffee’, while Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants found ‘eucalyptus, menthol and sweet spice, with a long finish of cherry and almonds’.

£7.94 Size: 50cl Taste Turkey

For team leader Hamish Anderson this earned its spot on the Gold podium for its ‘beautiful purity and smoky depth, with some tangerine fruit, roasted nuts and soft brown sugar notes’, while fellow team leader Nigel Lister found it ‘excellent, with rich toffee, dark fudge and dark chocolate’. Dave Cushley of Prestonfield House added praise for its ‘honey, dried apricot and orange notes, leading to a chewy, rich palate with good texture and acidity’.

£14.53 Size: 37.5cl ADVINI

This earned praise from judges, and a Gold medal, for its ‘elegant, fruity style, yet with nuttiness, caramel, spice and bitter chocolate, as well as lifted acidity’, according to team leader Nigel Lister, while Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection described notes of ‘green tea leaves and exotic fruits, like ripe mango’. An impressed Janusz Sasiadek of Bottles & Battles went on to find ‘lovely dried fruits and medicinal herbs, with cooked apple too’.

£29.50 Size: 50cl Atlantico UK

This was deserving of Gold, according to team leader Hamish Anderson, for its ‘extraordinary depth and sweetness, yet so balanced, with sweet toffee, spice and clove, and that typical uplifting bite of high acidity’. Ieva Markaityte of Portuguese Concepts spoke highly of its ‘caramel and apricot notes on both the nose and palate, as well as a petrol note’, while Prestonfield House’s Dave Cushley concluded that it was ‘a lovely wine, rich, herbal and spicy’.

£62.48 Size: 37.5cl Liberty Wines

This Gold medal-winning English vermouth featured complex notes of ‘pineapple, lychee, coconut and potpourri’ for Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, while Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants thought its ‘sweetness well balanced, with bruised apples and pears’, describing it as ‘elegant until a punchy finish’. Woodhead 17’s James Fryer went on to praise some ‘herbal and quinine notes, with some grapefruit bitterness’, before declaring it ‘incredibly complex and interesting, and amazing over ice with fresh lemon’.

£14.38 Size: 75cl Sheridan Coopers / The Winehouse, South Downs Cellars

‘A dark, richly seductive wine, with an intense, fragrant nose,’ began Dave Cushley of Prestonfield House as this was awarded a well-deserved Gold medal. Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group found ‘coffee on both the nose and palate, with flavours of mocha and chocolate, dried figs and dates, with a long finish’, while Giuseppe Longobardi of The Cross Kenilworth, Simpsons & Edgbaston appreciated its ‘fresh palate and warm, toffee finish, with toasted nuts’.

£18.66 Size: 50cl Liberty Wines

For Savvas Symeonidis of Gymkhana Restaurant this had ‘a clean taste, with mint and menthol, balanced by sweetness, like French bonbons’. Team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, appreciated its ‘floral, herbal and sweet spice aromas, with sweet orange peel and ginger on the palate’.

£15.45 Size: 75cl Top Selection

Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn found this Spanish vermouth to be ‘alluring, with cinnamon, nutmeg and cola notes’, while team leader Tom Forrest also found ‘some sweet cola’, as well as notes of ‘aniseed and liquorice root’.

£15.45 Size: 75cl Top Selection

Markus Dilger of Dilger Sommelier Selection described notes of ‘citrus, hazelnuts and raisins, with a sweet, herbal character on the palate’, while team leader Hamish Anderson found it ‘perfumed and floral, with some cinnamon and Christmas cake notes too’.

£8.60 Size: 75cl Atlantico UK

‘Expressive notes of coffee beans, ripe fig and caramelised orange zest, with refreshing notes of dry bergamot too,’ began Alan Bednarski of Texture, going on to describe ‘a rich, sweet palate with soy sauce, Christmas spices and a very long finish, with a refreshing citrus aftertaste’.

£18.66 Size: 50cl Liberty Wines

‘Complex layers of cocoa and tonka bean, with hints of burnt vanilla on the nose, with layers of citrus, including ripe orange, underneath,’ began Suave Wine’s Joseph Lunn, who found the palate to have ‘more citrus, with hints of candied pears, and a little banana’.

£64.56 Size: 50cl Liberty Wines

Team leader Hamish Anderson found this to have ‘a huge nose of walnuts, candied orange and caramel’, while fellow team leader Nigel Lister’s first impression was ‘spicy fruit chocolate compote’, further describing ‘dark chocolate with raspberries, and some very rich prune notes, as well as figs and Christmas cake’.

£13.96 Size: 37.5cl Matthew Clark

£12.10 Size: 37.5cl Hard To Find Wines

£16.57 Size: 75cl Cooperativa Agrícola do Funchal, CRL

£14.22 Size: 37.5cl Stone Vine & Sun, Castelnau Wine Agencies