What we tasted in September 2025

A new light on Laithwaites?

This month we were very glad to welcome Ross Donaldson and his team (Sam and Dan) from the Laithwaites shop in Nottingham. Laithwaites are a hugely successful wine importer, but they also make their own wines, and these are what we tasted today. These wines all come with their own stories, from the original French vineyard taken over by Tom Laithwaite to the vineyard in Windsor Great Park that resulted from customer feedback. The wines were full of interest too.

For more information: https://www.laithwaites.co.uk/jsp/content.jsp?pg=store_nottingham

The wines tasted were:

1. Windsor Great Park Vineyard, sparkling; Berkshire, England, 2019. Chardonnay Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier.

2. Harrow & Hope Blanc de Blancs, sparkling; Marlow, England, 2020. Chardonnay.

3. Château la Clarière blanc; AC Bordeaux, France, 2022. Sauvignon blanc, Sauvignon gris.

4. La Voûte; VDF, Limoux, France, 2024. Chardonnay

5. Château la Clarière rouge; AC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, France, 2022. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc.

6. RedHeads Night of the Living Red; South Australia, 2022. Durif, Shiraz, Touriga Nacional.

7. RedHeads 1888; Barossa Valley, Australia, 2022. Shiraz

8. La Presbytère de la Clarière; AC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, France, 2020. Cabernet Sauvignon.

   
   

   

   
   

Next tasting - Friday 12th September

A new light on Laithwaites?

The Grand Union Wine Society’s September 12th tasting will be: A new light on Laithwaites?

Laithwaites is probably a name that is familiar to many members of our Society, with several of us being regular customers. Since its foundation in 1969 as Bordeaux Direct, this family-run wine merchant has developed a solid reputation for excellent value for money and attentive customer service.

Members may be less familiar with the top-end wines that Laithwaites produce from their own vineyards and wineries; it is these that we will be tasting on the 12th September. Over recent years Laithwaites' holdings have expanded across the globe, from Tony Laithwaite’s original acquisition in Castillon (literally a stone’s throw from the great appellation of St Emilion) to include estates in Bordeaux, the south of France, the Barossa Valley, and in England, where they own estates in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxford, and even a planting in Windsor Great Park.

The tasting will be presented by Ross Donaldson, the Manager of Laithwaites’ Nottingham store, and his team. It will reflect on Laithwaites’ fascinating 50-year history and will showcase the family’s own top-end wines, from elegant English fizz through savoury gems from Bordeaux to bold Aussie reds. It promises to be a great evening, which members and their guests are warmly invited to attend.

Web: https://www.laithwaites.co.uk/jsp/content.jsp?pg=store_nottingham

Please register your intention to attend by paying in the usual manner, as per the attached guidance. It is very helpful to us if you are able to pay by Friday Sept 5th.

I know from personal experience that Laithwaites have wines that are a world away from the bargain bin offerings of their bulk advertising campaigns. I do hope you will come along to discover them.

Finally, September is the annual subscription month. The annual subscription is unchanged at £20 per person. Please could I ask you to pay this now. 

What we tasted in August 2025

In August, after our AGM, we have our annual Member's Tasting, for which we ask members to volunteer a presentation and tasting of one of their favourite wines. It's always a great evening, as it allows us to get to know each other a bit better, and it introduces us to what people are actually drinking. This month, as always, we had a very good range of wines, from English sparkling rosé through to a super-sweet sherry. Thanks to all the volunteers! They are in the picture below.

The wines tasted were:

1. Balflour 1503 Rosé, sparkling; Kent, England, NV. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay. (Majestic)

2. Domaine De La Furonnière; Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, France, 2023. Melon de Bourgogne. (Perfect Cellar)

3. The Society's Sicilian White; Italy, 2024. Grillo, Carricante. (The Wine Society)

4. Casa Silva, DO los Lingues; Valle de Colchagua, Chile, 2021. Carmenere. (Stachells)

5. Rustenburg, John X Merriman; Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2022. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Malbec. (Waitrose)

6. Vasse Felix, Filius; Margaret River, Australia, 2020. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. (Majestic)

7. Williams & Humbert, Don Zoilo 15 year old Pedro Ximénez en rama; Jerez, Spain, NV. (The Wine Society)

   
   

   

   
   

The members presenting (L-R): Chris Lewis, Roland Moss, Margaret Connor, Linda Moss, Andrew Weatherby, Mark Payne, John Freeland, John Malpass.