2020 Olifantsberg 'The Lark' Chenin Blanc
£17.95 per bottle

 

An elegant and refined example of South African Chenin Blanc
 
Chenin Blanc is an extremely versatile variety, producing wines that range from the bone dry to sweet and luscious. It originates from the central area of the Loire valley where it is particularly well know for producing Saumur and Vouvray. Over 50% of global plantings though are in South Africa where it is traditionally known as Steen.
 
The dry style of Chenin Blanc is notable for its crisp acidity and its mineral flavours mixed with crisp apple and pear. The South African versions are generally fuller flavoured with many producers using oak

Olifantsberg’s vineyards are located on the slopes of Mt Olifantsberg in the Breedeklof Valley, about 60 miles to the north east of Cape Town.  The Lark Chenin Blanc comes from a 0.6 hectare vineyard and is named after the Red Cappped Lark which is found around the local vineyards.  The wine is fermented primarily in large 500 litre barrels with a smaller proportion in 2000 litre oak foudres. This produces a fine crisp wine with bright stone fruit and citrus flavours.
 
Chenin Blanc goes particularly well with South East Asian cuisine due to its crisp acidity and ripe fruit flavours. Pork chops with apple sauce is also a great match with the fuller South African styles pairing well with roast turkey
 
Available in store and online £17.95. In the lounge for £27.95 (including corkage)

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Cheers!

2020 A Lisa Malbec Bodega Noemia
£30.95 per bottle

 

Celebrate Malbec Day in style with this stylish Patagonian
 
Monday 17th April is world Malbec day so the ideal opportunity to open up this beautiful Malbec from the Patagonia region of Argentina
 
Malbec is a red grape variety that originates from south west France. Once popular in Bordeaux, it has fallen out of fashion there so now the only significant plantings in France are in Cahors (between Bordeaux and Toulouse).
 
Cuttings were taken to Argentina in the mid 19th century and it is there that this grape variety has risen to global prominence. Mendoza, high in the Andes mountain range, is the best known region of Argentina producing full bodied, deep coloured examples. However here at Grand Cru Co we loves the wines of Bodega Noemia from the southerly region of Patagonia

Bodega Noemia was founded in 2001 by Hans Vinding-Diers, a Dane from a family with outstanding wine making pedigree, who discovered an ancient Malbec vineyard close to the Rio Negro and started to make wine from it.  The bodega has now grown to produce two single vineyard Malbec and A Lisa, whose fruit comes from vineyards in the surrounding area.
 
Made from 90% Malbec with Merlot making up the rest of the blend, the A Lisa has a deep colour, with ripe blackberry and sour cherry fruit on the palate and soft well integrated tannins. Delicious now, the wine will also age well over the next decade
 
Argentina is synonymous with steak and this wine would be absolutely perfect  with a high quality steak – the perfect way to celebrate world Malbec day!
In store and online £30.95. Available by the bottle in our lounge for £45.95 (including corkage)

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Cheers!

2021 Gaia Wines Thalassitis Assyrtiko Santorini
£27.95 per bottle

 

A crisp, dry white from the idyllic island of Santorini

The wines of Greece have seen an upsurge in quality over the last few years with the days of taverna Retsina thankfully over. At the forefront of this renaissance are the white wines from Santorini made from its native grape Assyrtiko.
Gaia Wines first released their Santorini wine in 1994 and it has continued to develop in terms of quality since then. The volcanic soils of the island are ideal for grape production and give the Assyrtiko its classic mineral character. The vines used are over 80 years old which also gives the wine greater intensity.

Full bodied with very crisp acidity, this is a benchmark example of Assyrtiko with beautifully balanced flavours of beeswax and lime backed with a steely mineral edge.

An ideal match with grilled seafood and fish, it is also versatile enough to go well with white meats and vegetarian dishes.

Bored of the usual Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc? Give this Greek classic a try

Available online and in store for £27.95. By the bottle in the lounge £37.95 (including corkage). Vegan certified

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Cheers!

2020 Bodega Garzon Tannat de Corte
£14.95 per bottle

 

Celebrate International Tannat day with this classy Uruguayan red.
 
April 14th is international Tannat day so why not crack open a bottle of our own Tannat from the Uruguayan producer Bodega Garzon
 
The Tannat grape variery originates from the south west of France where it is the constituent part of the wines of Madiran, close to the Pyrenees. Basque emigrants took the Tannat to Uruguay and it is now the most widely planted grape variety there.
 
As the name would suggest, Tannat produces wines with a firm tannic structure. The Uruguayan versions are more laid-back than their French counterparts with less astringency making them an ideal introduction to Tannat

Bodega Garzon is situated about 10 miles inland from the Atlantic coast near the famous resort of Punto del Este. The maritime climate  has a moderating climatic influence on the vineyards leading to elegant, well balanced wines.
 
Their Tannat de Corte is their estate wine which is 80% Tannat with small amounts of Marselan, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc complementing it. Ready to drink now, the wine exhibits ripe black fruit with violet notes with smooth tannins.
 
As with many South American wines, the Garzon Tannat is a perfect match for roast red meats and barbeques, as well as hard cheeses and grilled mushrooms.
 
Available in store and online for £14.95 and by the bottle in our lounge for £24.95 (including corkage)

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Cheers!

2016 Vina Ardanza Reserva, La Rioja Alta
£29.95 per bottle

 

Gran Reserva quality at a Reserva price
 
The 2016 Vina Ardanza Reserva has just arrived on our shelves. A firm favourite at Grand Cru Co, Vina Ardanza offers superb value for lovers of old style classic Rioja
 
La Rioja Alta was founded in 1890 in Haro, in the heart of La Rioja, by a group of 5 local families, including the Ardanza family after which Vina Ardanza was named. The first vintage was in 1942 and subsequent vintages have made this the winery’s most famous wine.

Only released in the best vintages, Vina Ardanza is a classic example of traditionally made Rioja. A blend of 80% Tempranillo, Spain’s leading grape variety and 20% Garnacha, the wine exhibits classic fruit flavours of cherry and raspberry with a spicy note of pepper and vanilla due to the 30 months of ageing the wine receives in American oak.
 
The beauty of Rioja is that is ready to drink on release and this wine is not exception. For those of you with space in your cellar though,  this will age beautifully for at least another 10 years so why not buy a case or two to see how it evolves.
 
Perfect with lamb chops, Ardanza is also a great pairing with other roast meats, barbeques and aged cheese
 
The 2016 Vina Ardanza is available in store and online for £29.95. You can also try a bottle in our lounge for £39.95 (including corkage) – it would be delicious with one of our cheese and charcuterie platters!

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Cheers!

It is with great pleasure that I invite you all to our inaugural online wine tasting webinar on Friday 27th of November!



We invite you to our online event where we shall be focusing our attention and tasting skills upon two wines, both of which are examples of beautiful Pinot noir from different countries. It's a simple, 1 hour event where we walk you through the foothills of Burgundy and Monterey with the deep knowledge of our resident fine wine expert Peter, and a helping hand from Andy, too. From the terroir of the areas, to the makers themselves, we will cover everything we can and help you get a deeper understanding of two of our most popular wines.

This time, it consists of...

The wonderful La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir and the famous Rully Rouge by Domaine Drouhin.


La Crema - https://grandcruco.com/wine/usa/la-crema-monterey-pinot-noir-2016-detail

Drouhin Rully Rouge - https://grandcruco.com/wine/france/burgundy/joseph-drouhin-rully-rouge-2017-detail

Both of these wines come in at £22.95 but grabbing a ticket to the event brings it to £40 total which also includes the event itself! All we need to get you invited is an email address so upon making your order we will collect this information and get you booked in. We will be using Microsoft Teams due to its lovely simple layout and ease of approach for all involved so don't be scared, all your need is a computer of any kind. It's nice and easy and if there are any problems we will do what we can to help you fix them before the event starts.

Friday 27th of November
7PM - 8PM
Two beautiful Pinot noirs
£40 per household

There are more than enough spaces to go round, so tell all your friends and family and join us for a lovely easy going evening of wine and laughs. Give us a call on 020 8650 0085, an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or just purchase the ticket from this link: https://grandcruco.com/wine-tasting/public-tastings/gcc-pinot-noir-tasting-webinar-detail

Cheers!