Wines from Laithwaites

It's been a while since I bought wine from Laithwaites. I often visit their flagship store at London Bridge to browse. It's like an Aladdin's cave given it's size and range of wines. I like the way they have a small selection on tasting. It must help many consumers decide what to buy so an opportunity to taste a selection of their South African wines was a good chance to  catch up with what they are doing.

Two things struck me. 

One was some of the names on the bottles. Rightly or wrongly Laithwaites get associated with unknown producers or wines made solely for them and you are never quite sure who made them or where the grapes are sourced. Contrast that with Marks and Spencer whose own label wines still say who made them. But a number of the bottles I was sent had well known names on them. Bruce Jack for example one of South African's best known and talented winemakers was on one of the chenins.

The other surprise was the enjoyment I got from the whites. Two Chenins gave me a chance to compare a youthful fresh and very drinkable 2011, The Rustler, with a Chenin only a year older, Mont Destin, but which tasted as though it had more than a year's extra development on it probably down to the oak treatment. I'd happily buy them both and they made a good comparison for those who would like to see how one grape can taste so different depending upon its treatment.

The main surprise for me was the pleasure I got from the Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend called Le Geminus. I'm not a huge fan of this blend, steering clear of most  Bordeaux blancs. This was fresh, fruity and vibrant with none of what I call the wet towel effect semillon can add. Really enjoyable and satisfying.

I can see how The Chocolatier Shiraz could be quite a crowd pleaser with the name and the label catching the eye of consumers. Pinotage gets a raw deal often but The Grinder was decent enough with notes of mocha. I'm not a coffee drinker so it would probably only be a one glass bottle for me.

So in addition to this case showing me how Laithwaites source from established and quality names in the wine industry I also thought it showed South African wine in a good light. Here were six wines, mostly from the Western Cape region, but showing in the case of the chenins the range of styles the South Africans can make. Considering all the grape varieties represented in the six bottles and the quality of the wines there was significant variety with the whites especially being of good quality.

As the South African wine advertising strap line goes "Variety is in our nature"