As this was elevated to Gold, Woodhead 17’s James Fryer described an intriguing mix of ‘chocolate and iodine, with some leafy notes in the background, leading to a leathery palate with some dried cranberries and redcurrants’. An impressed Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant further described it as ‘supple and juicy, full bodied and generous – very fresh and drinkable now but will also age’, appreciating its ‘well-integrated palate with lovely harmony and some toasty oak, not to mention mint and forest floor’.

£16.37 Bibendum

This Gold-worthy Grenache impressed judges for its value for money, not to mention a ‘spicy, strawberry nose and light, pretty style’, according to team leader Nigel Lister, while Hakkasan’s Olivier Gasselin described it as ‘fruit driven, with a supple finish’. 67 Pall Mall’s Beatrice Bessi praised its ‘lovely, fresh layers of red fruit, like cherries, raspberries and plums’, while The Harrow at Little Bedwyn’s Sue Jones recommended either ‘caramelised pork or steak tartare’.

£6.08 Les Grands Chais de France

‘Outstanding,’ was Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant’s succinct summary of this impressive addition to the Gold List – one of two for Château Lagrézette this year. Meanwhile Filip Viorel of Benares Restaurant & Bar had praise for its ‘beautiful, elegant nose followed by a rich palate dominated with blackcurrant and almonds, as well as a herbaceous note, with refreshing acidity, too’. ‘A real thinking wine,’ concluded Sean Arthur of Cliveden House.

£25.67 Top Selection

Château Lagrézette’s second Gold in this category was ‘rich and intense, with vanilla and cedar wood, as well as some deep red-fruit flavours and a long, lingering finish’, thought Sean Arthur of Cliveden House, while Filip Viorel of Benares Restaurant & Bar added praise for a ‘great chocolate note with some sour, ripe cherry and cassis – a very complex wine’. ‘This has everything,’ continued an impressed Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant, describing ‘vibrant, small-clustered dark fruits, and a full-bodied palate that’s well balanced’.

£31.73 Top Selection

This substantial, savoury Côtes de Bergerac earned itself a Gold medal for its ‘balsamic, meaty notes and big structure, yet gentle tannins’, according to Melania Bellesini of The Fat Duck, while Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan spoke highly of its ‘animal leather notes and juicy, cooked plums’, further describing it as ‘austere yet moreish’. ‘Very rich,’ added team leader Nigel Lister, who thought a decanter would further ‘unfurl the dense blackcurrant fruit and coffee notes’.

£17.32 Matthew Clark

Taking home not only Gold but a Critics’ Choice award, this drew praise from judges for its ‘cheerful blueberry fruit and a drying lick of spice’, began team leader Jade Koch, who thought it ‘generous without being over the top, with a balanced, considered and thoughtful palate, great minerality and inky length’. Hide Above’s Alonso Abed found it ‘herbal, savoury and full bodied, with some star anise’, while New Street Warehouse’s Tanguy Martin described ‘an explosion of fruit and spices, mixed with the right amount of tannins – great value!’.

£12.49 Enotria&Coe

Judges invariably commented on the great value for money offered by this Gold Lister, which Tanguy Martin of New Street Warehouse described as ‘gamey and savoury’, while team leader Christopher Cooper thought it ‘easy drinking, with creamy red berries and plum fruit, and a lift of violet’, identifying this as a ‘superior house wine or by-the-glass option’. This all led team leader Laurent Richet MS to picture it alongside ‘liver, mash, onion gravy and roasted broccoli’.

£6.45 Boutinot

‘Explosive’, was Tanguy Martin of New Street Warehouse’s first impression of this Gold winner, going on to describe ‘intense, ripe, leathery notes on the nose’, which led to ‘a very generous palate’. Francesca Turra of Mondrian London thought it ‘very spicy with nuts and tobacco notes’, adding that there was ‘fairly high acidity and well-managed tannins’, while Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn found notes of ‘spicy cooked berry fruit – Black Forest gateaux?’.

£13.17 Liberty Wines

This Gold Lister was ‘big, balanced and very well made’, according to team leader Carlos Ferreira, while Matteo Cali of Savoy Grill was taken with its ‘pronounced sweet spice notes on the nose with vanilla and liquorice’, which led to a palate ‘coated with chocolate and blueberry fruit in this chunky red wine’. Team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, described ‘earthy notes, along with coconut and cedar, some dried fruit, and tobacco leaf, too’.

£14.08 Enotria&Coe

‘This is good value for money,’ said Immacolata Cannavo of Hakkasan Mayfair. ‘It’s medium bodied, with a good red fruit character of supple plums; there’s a nice integration between acidity, tannin and alcohol; it’s well made.’

£6.11 Majestic Commercial

Charlie Carter of Ten Green Bottles liked the ‘lifted, herbaceous aromas mixed with smoke black pepper’. He also thought the wine ‘has nice body and flavour concentration and although the tannins are quite stark there is a sense of balance and a very nice finish’.

£17.05 Enotria&Coe

Sean Arthur of Cliveden House found ‘pronounced, interesting vegetal “greenhouse” notes on the nose, with floral rose petal and cigar box hints too; the palate is quite meaty and leathery, complementing the vibrant and supple red fruit flavour.’

£12.73 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

‘Serious stuff,’ said team leader Charlie Young, ‘it needs food and the air from a decanter but that should help bring out the dark, herbaceous aromas, soften the good tannic structure and open the lovely spiced fruit.’

£11.63 Bibendum

Rockliffe Hall’s Daniel Jonberger was impressed: ‘With cherries and a touch of raisin on the nose, this opens to a hugely complex palate that offers spice, tobacco, loganberry and cedar wood; lovely!’

£22.66 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan found a ‘big, concentrated, chunky nose with mint, dense bramble and new oak; the palate is meaty and juicy with tight, precise tannins and a fine texture’. ‘A steak and a decanter would be a good match,’ added CuVée VIII’s Michael Harrison.

£10.79 Direct Wines Production

Heesoo Kang of Flat Three Restaurant found the nose ‘a bit funky, farmyardy, but there’s some good cherry and plum fruit behind it’, adding that ‘the palate has some fairly grippy tannin to keep things fresh’.

£10.18 Bibendum

‘The nose is quite earthy,’ said D&D’s Diana Rollan, ‘with liquorice, garrigue herbs as well as a floral note. A lighter style, more agreeable perhaps, with a final twist of garrigue herbs on the finish.’

£9.11 Bibendum

‘Richly aromatic and luscious,’ said Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, adding: ‘Very perfumed, with good length of dark fruits, garrigue and olive.’

£48.38 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

'This is earthy and gamey with good, dense, dark fruit structure.'
said Sue Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn

£9.07 Enotria&Coe

Team leader Tom Forrest noted: ‘A medium ruby colour with some juicy and jammy red fruit notes and a sprinkle of cinnamon. There’s a creamy vanilla feel with the black fruit palate.’

£8.66 Matthew Clark

£8.66 Enotria&Coe

£15.47 Les Grands Chais de France

£23.57 Domaine of the Bee

£6.11 Majestic Commercial

£12.77 Enotria&Coe

£29.94 Liberty Wines

£8.82 ADVINI

£14.18 Enotria&Coe

£6.22 Davy's Wine Merchants

£11.67 New Generation Wines, New Generation McKinley

£9.12 Bibendum

£16.37 Bibendum

£8.49 Bibendum

£8.30 Les Grands Chais de France

£6.25 Molson Coors

£5.69 Molson Coors

£17.12 Liberty Wines

£15.60 LA CROIX DE SAINT JEAN - DOMAINE CHABBERT

£7.35 Mentzendorff & Co