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Not a new one for you today but a beauty for sure. Greywacke are not only an amazing company but they produce some of the best Sauvignon Blanc I have ever come across. You'll see why in a moment!
Greywacke was created in 2009 by Kevin Judd, chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay from its inception for 25 years and instrumental in the international recognition which Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc enjoys now. The name 'Greywacke' was adopted by Kevin for his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura in recognition of the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones in the soils of the vineyard, a sedimentary rock which is widely found in Marlborough. Kevin Judd is also New Zealand's finest wine photographer and has recently published a book 'The Landscape of New Zealand Wine'.
The season kicked off in timely fashion and settled conditions during December allowed a generous crop to set. Extremely low rainfall during the early summer put pressure on water supplies, but rain in early January broke the drought and vineyards flourished as temperatures started to climb above average in the New Year. Considerable thinning was carried out across all varieties to establish ideal cropping levels. Harvest started in mid-March, and in late March northerly airstreams brought a couple of dumps of rain, which put pressure on the harvest and led to remedial canopy and crop management being needed in many vineyards. Temperatures remained well above average and Marlborough’s classic Indian summer made a welcome appearance allowing vineyards to achieve full ripeness. The last sauvignon blanc was hand-picked on April 18 under sunny skies.
Harvested largely by machine during cool night-time conditions, the grapes were picked into half-tonne bins, which were tipped directly into the tank press and lightly pressed. The resulting juice was cold-settled prior to fermentation in stainless steel, primarily using cultured yeast for cool, slow fermentation. A portion was allowed to undergo spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation using slightly warmer temperature regimes.
Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 @ £16.95 - Buy it here!
A delicious fusion of ripe summer fruits and delicate floral perfume, citrus blossom and elderflower entwined with nectarines and white peaches, mandarin and cantaloupe with a twist of lemon. Intensely flavoured, succulent and crisp with a delicate herbal infusion.
Sounds wonderful doesn't it? It really is worth every penny. Cheers!
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The time has come to open the doors to our brand new wine tasting. This time we wanted to do something totally new to the shop and hopefully to many of you as well.
On this occasion our tasting will revolve around the idea of old world against new world. The masters of the old world are very set in their ways but for good reason as their skill has been proven time and time again with long lasting vintages, sky-high critic scores and unmatched provenance but they are being tested by the new kids on the block. New and vibrant styles are coming forward and and beginning to dominate our drinking and with good reason.
We will be tasting the wines in pairs to see if you can find your preference within the differences that the new and old world present. The exact wines are a mystery but the styles or grapes are well known. Beginning with two sparkling wines with amazing profiles and moving into a pair of Rieslings which stand out amazingly from each other but follow the standard rules which the grape dictates. Finishing up we have a pair of awesome Pinot Noirs which really do have a world of difference between them.
This tasting will be a great chance to learn a bit more about wine in a different and interesting way whilst also having a couple of glasses of amazing wine. We will also be holding a small quiz at the end of the night to determine who will be the winner of a beautiful bottle of wine from the shop.
The tasting is going to be held at the shop on Wednesday the 25th of July from 7.30 to 10pm. As our licensing requires us to close the shop by 10pm latest we kindly ask participants to arrive at the shop by 7pm in order to begin on schedule.
All of this will be accompanied by a platter of charcuterie, cheeses, breads and all sorts of other classics at around the half-way point but we must remind you that this will almost certainly not equal a meal!
The cost of a ticket is £35 and can be purchased either by coming to our highstreet shop (open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-8pm) or by paying through Paypal using our website at:
http://www.grandcruco.com/wine-tasting/public-tastings/old-world-vs-new-world-blind-tasting-detail
In order to get yourself booked you can drop us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 020 8650 0085. We will get your place booked but remember we can't hold to a booking for more than five days if payment is not received.
IMPORTANT ! Customers who have purchased tickets online or vouchers which they wish to spend on tickets are kindly asked to confirm ASAP their attendance to the event.
We are looking forward to seeing you there !
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Its back! The Dolcetto D'Alba from G.D. Vajra has made a triumphant return to the shop and oh my are you in for a treat. This stuff was a gem the last time we had it and all of you agreed. Let's have a read shall we?
Aldo Vaira's wines are characterised by pristine flavours and clearly defined perfumes. These characters are attributable to the position of his vineyards at about 400 metres above sea level in the village of Vergne in the commune of Barolo. G.D. Vajra was established in 1972 and named after Aldo's father, Giuseppe Domenico Vajra. Aldo has been gradually increasing the area under vine to 60 hectares, of which 10 are Nebbiolo for Barolo, located in such strategic spots as Bricco delle Viole, Fossati, La Volta and Coste di Vergne. A traditionalist, Aldo adheres to old-style winemaking methods, though blends these with new techniques, such as temperature controlled fermentation, to produce such superbly elegant wines.
Grapes are grown in Vajra's vineyards, located in Coste di Vergne, Fossati and Pascolo in the Barolo region and in the Ravera in Nerollo region. The vines are trained in mixed Guyot system and planting dates range from 1982-2002. The soil is a mix of limestone and marl.
The 2015 harvest started a bit earlier than usual, in the last week of August. The weather pattern of this vintage, with a rainy spring and a dry, sunny summer with good vine health, led to an incredible aromatic complexity in the grapes.
Fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 6-10 days at 30°C with frequent pumping over for maximum extraction of colour and tannin. The wine was aged in stainless steel tanks until the following spring.
G.D Vajra Dolcetto D'Alba 2017 @ £17.95 - Buy it here!
This wine delights with aromas and flavours of violets, red fruits and berries, marasca cherries and hay. Smooth and open on the palate, it is balanced with refined tannins and lifted by a refreshing acidity.
Honestly this stuff is just amazing. Think it'll be here for a while and it'll available to taste so get down here! Cheers!A
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Its been a little break since our last post. The reason for this has been a huge overhaul of our websites photography and information! And soon to come is a lot more too... for now though we have the wonderful Bila-Haut from M. Chapoutier. Let's find out more!
The Chapoutier family can trace their history in the Rhône region back to 1808, but it was in 1879 that Polydor Chapoutier bought his first vineyards and started the actual business. In the mid-20th century Max Chapoutier led the business, until his retirement in 1977, after which his sons Michel Chapoutier and Marc Chapoutier took over. Some years later, during the 1980s, quality improved, under Michel Chapoutier's leadership over the vineyards and winemaking facilities. By the late 1980s, Chapoutier had started to receive considerable international attention for the wines' quality
M. Chapoutier Occultum Lapidem Bila Haut 2013 @ £16.95 - Buy it here!
"In bottle, the 2013 Vignes de Bila Haut checks in as a blend of 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 20% Carignan, from a combination of schist and limestone soils, that spent 12 months in a combination of concrete and stainless-steel tanks. It has great aromatics of dark berry fruits, bouquet garni, pepper and lots of minerality, medium+-bodied richness and depth, and a soft, seamless and even elegant fell on the palate. It’s ready to go now, and will drink nicely for 4-5 years."
91/100 Robert Parker
Even Parker thinks highly of it so maybe you should too! Come and give it a go. Cheers!
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Ooooh a new English sparkling! It's been a while since we've had one of these but now we have 3 gorgeous examples from the guys at Bride Valley. Let's have a little look shall we?
Steven Spurrier and his wife Arabella are behind Bride Valley, located in West Dorset. Steven, while running Les Caves de la Madeleine and L'Academie du Vin in Paris in the 1980s, had soil (chalky) samples from Arabella's 80 hectare estate tested and the results came back: "very similar to Champagne". This is not surprising because the village of Kimmeridge is just 24 miles as the crow flies from Bride Valley. After two decades and three visits from Boisset's sparkling wine expert, Georges Legrand, vines were planted on the best sites in the bowl of the amphitheatre-like estate. Three hectares were planted in 2009, rising to a total of 10 hectares in 2013 when planting was completed.
Bride Valley Brut Reserve English Sparkling 2014 @ £29.95 - Buy it here!
The wonderful silver pallor and delicate, persistent bubbles give this wine instant appeal in the glass. The bouquet is rich in white flowers and white summer fruits such as pear and peach, but with classically English undertones of elderflower and green apples. On the palate, the wine is vivacious but wonderfully subtle, with a minerality and freshness on the finish that will remain while it fills out in bottle over the next 24 months
Only a couple of these for the moment... but definitely getting more in! Cheers!
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After last night's performance we could do with a bit of cheering up as we're going back to an old favourite which we have had for a long long time. Albarino you lovely thing.
Martín Códax was founded in 1986 by a group of winemakers led by 9th generation winemaker Luciano Amodeo. Today it comprises around 2,400 tiny vineyard parcels managed by 550 families in Rías Baixas. It has become the largest producer in Galicia with 450 hectares of vineyard planted with Albariño, representing 13% of the total Rías Baixas DO – which the cooperative was instrumental in creating (in fact the statutes were signed at the winery) and are estate-grown Albariño specialists, conducting ongoing research into the variety. They named the cooperative after the medieval Galician poet and musician Martín Códax, and the winery has strong links to local art and music.
The vineyards are primarily in the Salnés Valley, an average of five kilometres from the sea, ensuring the warm days are moderated by cool nights. The warm temperatures give ripeness and full citrus and apricot fruit, while the colder temperatures at night ensure fresh, pure Albariño aromatics.
Martin Codax, Rias Baixas Albarino 2017 @ £14.95 - Buy it here!
Ripe with citrus and tangerine notes on the nose, with a ripe tropical hint. These are joined by floral aromas with hawthorn, jasmine and orange blossom, and a herbal hay character.
See what I mean? Couldn't get much better than that. Come and see what all the fuss is about! Cheers!
