Why you should join The Laithwaites Wine Club – Vineyard Partners Tasting
Recently, I had the good fortune to taste a case of wines made by the Laithwaites Vineyard Partners thanks to their generosity and, frankly, well-warranted desire to show off how good their partners are. Their direct relationship with these winemakers makes all the difference and has allowed Laithwaites to create phenomenal, exclusive wines that you can help support too. The Laithwaites Wine Club is your opportunity to try popular parcels from their Vineyard partners. Simply use our exclusive Wine Club code from the voucher table to get off to an excellent saving and enjoy the journey.
Here’s just a taste of their quality:
Chateau La Clariere, Bordeaux – This is Laithwaites’ original vineyard partner since 1984 who have since proved that Castillon wines are able to rival their famous St-Emilion neighbour. And what a wine it is. A silky palate with bright red and black fruits mingles among oak spice and cassis notes. The tannins are robust but smooth and lend lovely structure to the wine. This is definitely worth getting your hands on at some point.
Chateau La Clariere Blanc, Bordeaux – This is the white, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris, from their original partner and probably the first white I’ve come across from Castillon. The palate is rounded, and full, coating your mouth with each sip. Yet, the superbly balanced acidity manages to keep it crisp and fresh, giving it brilliant structure. You’ll taste waxy lime skin, beeswax, straw, apricot and peach, wood spice and a little liquorice touch entwining with leesy flavours on the finish. Complex, flavoursome and impressive.
Altos R Pigeage Blanco, Rioja – I’ve had my eye on this wine for some time, so it was excellent to finally get a taste of it. On opening the bottle, I immediately thought that it smelt like quality stuff, and that it was. Oak spice, toast, tangerine, hay, melted butter, stone fruits and cream give a wonderful mix of flavours along with a nice full body, whilst the finish takes on a sherry-like quality with the tang of a bruised apple. It’s like drinking a fine white Burgundy.
Clos de la Vierge, Jurancon – From the small Southern French region of Jurancon, near the Pyrenees, this was a wine I was eager to see the quality behind. And I’d go as far to say that it was the best of the bunch. Intense, pronounced flavours of tangerine, lemon sherbet, peach, blossom and honey worked in tandem around a creamy body. This was a true superstar.
RedHeads 1888 Shiraz, Barossa – Where else can you get great Shiraz if not Barossa Valley? This is the epitome of the style too. Hailing from an 8-hectare vineyard, it’s rich, dark and brooding with a velvety, heady mouthfeel. Black fruits, rich spices and black pepper are tailed by a finish laden with tapenade and liquorice.
Sierra de los Sueños, Calatayud – Another hefty one from Spain this time and made from old Garnacha vines. It’s filled with dark fruits and dried herbs such as thyme, interwoven with oaky notes delivering light spice to the palate. A nice herbal backbone gives it even more complexity. The finish is long, powerful and rewarding.
Hopefully that has given you an idea of the quality and expertise of the producers who Laithwaites work with to make The Wine Club special. Whilst these Vineyard Partner wines are not the one's you'll be receiving through the club, (although you can sign up for these) they are wines made by these guys and more of Laithwaites' winemakers. Thus, they are some of the best and most popular wines at Laithwaites and with good reason! They reward you with their best parcels at their best prices which is hard to say no to.