Wine of the Month, December 2022
Château la Croix de Grézard
2018
Lussac-Saint-Émilion
Bordeaux
£15.50 + 100 bonus loyalty points
Christmas and Claret always seem to make a good pair. So we decided that's where we'd go for December's Wine of the Month. The reds of Bordeaux have been favourite wines of Brits ever since Gascony was ruled by English kings in the middle ages. So we're going for a return to tradition and familiar comforts.
At a time of year when it's all about sharing and sociability we've gone for an unashamed crowd-pleaser. This merlot dominated right-bank number is all about ripe fruit and savoury spices equally good alongside the turkey for lunch or when sitting down to watch the inaugural King's Christmas Message. It's from a small estate owned by an Englishman and gives a lot of bang for its buck.
Lussac-Saint-Émilion is in Bordeaux's Right Bank region. Here, where the landscape is made up of rolling limestone hills and clay-rich soils Merlot is the dominant grape (as against Cabernet Sauvignon which rules in the gravelly Left Bank northwest of Bordeaux) and makes wines characterised by a plump, lush fruitiness.
Château la Croix de Grézard is a small 9 hectare estate, typical of the area, and has been owned and run by Englishman Bill Boulter for several years. It's bigger than a boutique operation, but not by much. Bill's not into self-promotion, preferring to let his wines do the talking and over the vintages he's honed his craft, alongside winemaking partner Michel Danlos, to turn out reliably top-quality cuvées. This wine is one that gets consistently good reviews, but still manages to fly under the radar and consequently comes out at a bargain price.
It's a classic Right Bank Claret. Big and bold yet soft and velvety on the palate. It's full of chunky black fruit and savoury spices sitting alongside ripe and refined tannins. Everything you could look for in terms of character and refinement.
Starting on Friday 25th November and throughout December it's available at £15.50 per bottle singly, or as part of a Mixed Six and for every bottle purchased you'll earn a bonus 100 loyalty points as well (that's worth £1.00 on redemption)
We've also got a few magnums of the equally impressive 2016 vintage which make a truly impressive centrepiece on a seasonal groaning board.
Check out the details here
