“As Chaffey Bros added another Gold to its collection of medals, as well as a Food Match trophy, an impressed Charlie Carter of Ten Green Bottles described ‘cassis and menthol notes on the nose, leading to more cassis dominating the palate, with some nice gamey character coming through on the finish, which has notes of black tea, menthol and liquorice’. The River Cafe’s Mattia Mazzi, meanwhile, enjoyed notes of ‘tobacco, as well as sweet-and-savoury fruit compote’, finding it to have ‘good concentration and balance’.”

“With judges like The Gilbert Scott’s Juan Manuel Marcos Perez describing this as ‘outstanding and very complex’, it’s no surprise that this took home not only a Gold medal, but a Critic’s Choice award too. Daniel Nuttall of Adam’s Restaurant described it as ‘juicy and floral, with a good backbone of soft tannin’, while Dario Barbato of Individual Restaurants praised its ‘good structure, with fresh dark fruits’. For Sunaina Sethi of JKS Restaurants, this added up to a perfect match for ‘slow-cooked shoulder of lamb with mash, mushroom and red wine jus’.”

“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!’.”

“This was awarded Gold for its ‘intense flavour, which shows complexity and character’, according to Dario Barbato of Individual Restaurants, who added that it had ‘potential to age’. Gazelle Mayfair’s Romain de Courcy found it to be ‘juicy and aromatic with a gamey note’, while impressed team leader Laura Rhys MS spoke highly of ‘ripe, sweet fruit, like tinned berries, along with some pepper and spice, as well as some dark mineral notes – and good length too’.”

“Taking home not only a Gold medal, but a Food Match award too, this Loire red was ‘earthy and floral, with a touch of cacao’, according to Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, while team leader Nigel Lister appreciated its ‘earthy, farmyard nose and juicy, fleshy black and red fruits’. Beatrice Bessi of 67 Pall Mall thought its ‘complex layers of red berries, leather and liquorice root’ would make this ‘very enjoyable with a puttanesca pasta with burrata’.”

“With generous praise from judges including team leader Charlie Young, who found this ‘endlessly complex, unconventional and delicious’, it’s no surprise that a Critics’ Choice award followed its elevation to Gold. Young described ‘sweet spice and fennel, with ground nuts and sherry notes, as well as cloves and citrus’, while Hakkasan Hanway Place’s Oliver Nagy enjoyed its ‘oxidative style, with crisp apple and citrus, and quite a rich palate, with good acidity and length’.”

“Team leader Lionel Periner had only good things to say about this Gold Lister’s savoury nose of ‘Mediterranean herbs and tomato stew, with red fruits, too’, going on to describe ‘a full-bodied palate with some bramble notes and a touch of smokiness’. The Glasshouse’s Adam Michocki enjoyed notes of ‘wild strawberries, cranberries, raspberries and red cherries, with an earthy, leathery character, too, and firm tannins balanced by refreshing acidity’.”