What we tasted in December 2020

Merry Christmas and thanks for a great turnout for our festive Zoom tasting. We were treated to an effervescent presentation by Duncan Murray or Duncan Murray Wines of Market Harborough. This is certainly a time to support your local wine merchant and Duncan would love to hear from you before the big day.

For more information and to order wines, please contact:
For more information:
Web: duncanmurraywines.co.uk
Email: info@duncanmurraywines.co.uk
Tel: 01858 464935
Facebook: Duncan Murray Wines
Twitter: @DMURRAYWINES

The wines tasted were:

  1. Mustillant Sparkling Muscadet, NV, Loire, France
  2. Villa Wolf Silvaner, Pfalz (Palatinate) 2009
  3. El Abuelo Monastrell-Tempranillo, 2019, Almansa, S. Spain
  4. D’Oliveiras 5 yo medium sweet Madeira ½ bottle, Portugal

 

What we tasted in November 2020

Many thanks for another great turnout for our Zoom tastings. We were treated to a really interesting and spontaneous presentation by Leon Solarski of Leon Solarski Wines and Jonathan Hesford of Domaine Treloar, Roussillon, France.

For more information and to order wines, please contact:
Web: domainetreloar.com
Web: www.leonstolarskiwines.co.uk
Blog: leonstolarski.blogspot.com
Phone: 0794 1850178

Members should contact Leon for discounts on the following wines Domaine Treloar which we tasted. Other bottles are available at a 10% discount on the list price

Daltonien 2019 Côtes Catalanes (white)
Le Ciel Vide 2018 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (red)
Le Rescapé 2016 Côtes Catalanes (red) 

What we tasted in October 2020

Many thanks for a fantastic turn out for the AGM and Member’s tasting.  A number of varied and entertaining presentations from our members over Zoom gave us a wonderful opportunity to try some half bottles from The Wine Society.

WHITE

Solear Manzanilla Barbadillo, Jerez – £5.95 per half bottle

Chateau Bel Air Perponcher Reserve, Bordeaux Blanc 2019 – £5.95 per half bottle

Pinot Gris Classic, Famille Hugel, Alsace 2018 – £7.95 per half bottle

RED

Esporao Monte Velho Tinto, Alentejano, Portugal 2019 – £4.95 per half bottle

Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge Guigal 2016 – £5.95 per half bottle

What we tasted in September 2020

Many thanks to Andrew Hill or George Hill and Co of Loughborough for hosting a Zoom tasting of South African wines.

Details of the wines presented were:

Quando Sauvignon Blanc       

  • The vineyard and winery is owned by the descendants of the original French Bruere family that settled on this property in the 1700’s, Fanus and Martin Bruwer head up family’s wine making business six generations later. 
  • Since we started making wine in 2001 our Sauvignon Blanc has been a real crowd pleaser. It is light green in colour with exotic forthcoming frangipani flower, passionfruit and white peach on the nose. Flinty minerally notes on the pallet follow through with a crisp acidity. Delicious juicy green fruit flavours round it off elegantly.

Jordan Black Magic

  • Gary and Kathy Jordan have been making world-class wines since 1993 on a farm with a history going back over 300 years. He’s a geologist, she’s an economist – together this husband and wife team is a phenomenon. From the Jordan hillside vineyards, one has spectacular panoramic views of Table Mountain, False Bay and Stellenbosch.
  • Their focus is on producing fiercely individual wines that combine the fruity accessibility of the New World with the Classic Elegance of the Old.

False Bay Wild Bunch O V Cinsault

  • Whole Bunch Cinsault Mourvèdre is not cobbled together from off-cuts of leftover red and white wine. Nor is it over-cropped red grapes pressed aggressively to maximise juice yield and confected aromas. The wine comes from low-yielding, coastal vineyards, delicately whole-bunch basket pressed for only the purest juice. A fine wine that happens to be pink.

What we tasted in August 2020

Many thank to John Malpass and John Freeland for presenting the tasting over Zoom.

The wines tasted were:

  1. Wente Vineyards, Morning Fog Estate grown Chardonnay 2018 Livermore Valley, California
  2. California Pinot Noir “Long Barn” 2018

An update

 The current situation and recent activities

We regret that the Grand Union Wine Society was forced to suspend normal monthly tastings following lockdown. We aim to move back to physical tastings as soon as possible but only when it is safe to do so. Membership will continue to be valid until further notice.

Gatherings of 80+ members in our usual venue clearly cannot take place but we remain very active. Our members and Committee are now in direct email communication via a new central contact point and we have been able to continue our Committee business and wine tastings via Zoom.

Recent Zoom tasting have included Languedoc wines from Gilles Cantons (sourced from Duncan Murray Wines of Market Harborough) and an Italian tasting of wines from The Wine Society.  We were pleased to have 25 screens for our first full Zoom tasting involving at least twice that number of members. Members who do not join us online are still able to buy the wines and every member is provided with a copy of the complete presentation. 

We now have an established online system for orders and payments by members and also for distribution of wines thanks to assistance from Committee and Society members who organise pick-up points in Leicester (with some direct deliveries to members outside the city).

Fully illustrated PowerPoint presentations with tasting notes and details of all the wines to be tasted (with details of the winemakers and wine-growing areas) are produced by the Chairman and Secretary and shared with members online. Online discussion during and after the formal presentation and tasting is valued by members who provide feedback. 

We hope that our wine suppliers may be more directly involved in future Zoom tastings and will continue to share PowerPoint presentations and full wine details with members.

Provisional plans for the rest of 2020   

Our monthly Zoom tastings will take place on the 2nd Friday of each month (our usual day) at 7.30 pm.

Full details of wines, prices, distribution, and final arrangements (including Zoom links) will be confirmed directly with members prior to each event. 

We will support our local Wine Merchants at this difficult time and Committee members are working hard to maintain and extend these contacts. 

August 14th  California (Wines from Simon March of Evington’s Wine Merchants, Leicester)
https://www.evingtons-wines.co.uk

September 11th South Africa (Wines from Andrew Hill of George Hill, Loughborough)
https://georgehill.co.uk/

October 9th      Wines from Northern Italy

November 13th  Southern France (Wines from Leon Stolarski Wines)
https://www.leonstolarskiwines.co.uk

December 11th  Christmas event with Duncan Murray
http://www.duncanmurraywines.co.uk

Valued presenters who were in the diary for later this year have agreed that tastings at St James are not currently viable. However these events will be rearranged in 2021 wherever possible.

Be assured that the Grand Union Wine Society Committee will do all we can to continue and extend our range of wine-based activities.

John Malpass, Chairman.

What we tasted in July 2020

Many thanks to John Freehand and John Malpass for presenting an entertaining tasting over Zoom.

The wines presented were:

  1. Greco Basilicata IGT Le Ralle, Alovini 2019
  2. Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore DOC The Wine Society 2018

A message from the committee

Dear members,

We enjoyed a memorable tasting on March 13th.

We were privileged to have a superb range of fine wines and a presenter, Olivier Normand, who came to us all the way from Burgundy despite the Covid19 worries. He gave an excellent, expert presentation based on a lifetime of experience of the area and its fine wines.

We were pleased that a good number of members were able to join us but sorry that quite a few could not. We appreciate the responsible stance taken by those who self-isolated on the basis of possible previous contact and are grateful to those who took the trouble to let us know beforehand.

In the current situation (and after contact with Andrew Hill), we have reluctantly taken the decision to cancel the April tasting. We hope to get Andrew back in the not too distant future.

Given recent pronouncements from Government, it seems likely that our May and Summer tastings will also be threatened. We will keep members informed about the situation as it affects us. 

We hope you all stay healthy and safe.

John Malpass, on behalf of all the GUWS Committee.

What we tasted in March 2020

Many thanks to Olivier Normand and Ellis Wines of Richmond for presenting the wines of Domaine Nathalie & Giles Fèvre and Domaine Lucien Boillot from Burgundy, France. Olivier came to us all the way from Burgundy despite the Covid19 worries. He gave an excellent, expert presentation based on a lifetime of experience of the area and its fine wines.

For more information:
Web: elliswines.co.uk
Web: nathalieetgillesfevre.com

  1. Domaine Nathalie & Giles Fèvre Chablis 2018
  2. Domaine Nathalie & Giles Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru “Fourchaume” 2017
  3. Domaine Nathalie & Giles Fèvre Chablis  1er Cru “Vaulorent” 2017
  4. Domaine Lucien Boillot Volnay 2016
  5. Domaine Lucien Boillot Gevrey Chambertin 2016
  6. Domaine Lucien Boillot Gevrey Chambertin 2017
  7. Domaine Lucien Boillot Volnay 1er Cru “Clos des Angles” 2015
  8. Domaine Lucien Boillot Pommard 1er Cru “Les Fremiers” 2016

Next tasting – Friday 13th March

In March we welcome Olivier Normand of Ellis Wines of Richmond who will be presenting the wines of Fevre and Lucien Boillot from Burgundy, France.

For more information:
Web: elliswines.co.uk

Note that Members are contacted by a member of the Committee each month to commit to attendance at the tasting. Unfortunately, it is not possible for members or guests to simply turn up on the night owing to space limitations and the need to arrange catering in advance.