London Cru teamed up with D&D London to create D&D Cru, a top English still wine aged in Burgundian 1er Cru barrels with a culinary focus. Our main goal was to get London sommeliers excited by English Wine, get their hands in the vineyard, pick the grapes, load the press, and taste the deliciously crisp wine. This was a project aimed at making a lasting visceral experience that highlights the effort that goes into quality English wine.
Our award-winning winemaker Alex Hurley and a hand-picked group of D&D’s top sommeliers came together for this special collaboration. Alex Hurley says: “The king of English still wine is Bacchus - an obvious choice for this project, its fresh citrus notes and punchy aromatics pair so well with English produce. We also aged 23% of the wine for 7 months in used 1er Cru Burgundian barrels which adds a delightful creaminess to the palate and really helped us to create something very gastronomic.”
Diana Rollan the Group Head of Beverage D&D London says “Our sommelier team have had the opportunity to be directly involved in each step of the winemaking process with London Cru, giving us a much deeper connection to English wine. This in turn helps our teams communicate the unique story of a high quality locally made product directly to our guests and supporting our ethos to become more sustainable”.
The D&D Cru Bacchus 2019 is fresh and inviting on the nose with notes of gooseberry, grapefruit, and grassy herbs. The palate has classic English summer flavours of elderflower, layered with citrus and tropical back notes. A lively crisp acidity on a reassuringly robust body from lees aging gives a good balance. We love it with local cheeses and seafood on a warm Summer’s evening.
D&D Cru is currently available across all D&D London restaurants in London.