A NORTH Yorkshire wine merchant has won a gold medal for its house vintage champagne.

Bon Coeur Fine Wines, based in Melsonby in Richmondshire, has received a coveted, international award for its Jacques Boncoeur 2005 Vintage Champagne.

The accolade was awarded by the International Wine Challenge 2017, one of the world’s most influential wine contests which attracts entries from around the world.

The wines are blind-tasted and judged by a panel of six wine experts, including three acclaimed Masters of Wine.

This is the first time Bon Coeur has been awarded gold.

In the tasting notes, the judges noted the wine was: "Elegant, crunchy red fruit, persistent creamy mousse, baked apple, cinnamon on the palate with lovely freshness."

Managing director and founder of Bon Coeur Fine Wines, James Goodhart said: “We are thrilled to have struck gold with our vintage house champagne.

"This is a fiercely fought wine challenge, we were up against some stiff competition, including some of the Grand Marques Champagnes, so for us to win gold in the champagne category is a remarkable achievement.”

The wine is made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, was launched two years ago to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Bon Coeur Fine Wines.

The blend had been specially selected by Mr Goodhart, at the winery and was aged in the bottle for approximately ten years prior to release.

It was a limited edition launch with a few cases still available.