Wine lovers rejoice, GranMonte’s wines are finally available in Singapore!
GranMonte Estate in Asoke Valley is run by Nikki Lohitnavy, the first and only female winemaker in Thailand. She has been functioning there as General Manager, oenologist and winemaker of the family property since 2009, after finishing her studies in Adelaide. A hallmark achievement, Nikki was the only scholar in the University of Adelaide’s history to graduate with both a bachelor’s degree in Oenology as well as an Honours in Viticulture.
Armed with big dreams and immense drive, she returned home to her family estate in Khao Yai, a non-traditional grape-growing region of tropical Thailand, to apply what she had learnt to develop her own brand of wines. Through employing several new-age winemaking innovations and techniques… It was only a matter of years before she managed to catapult GranMonte and Thai wines onto the world stage.
Asoke Valley
GranMonte Estate sits on the foothills of Khao Yai, Thailand’s third-largest national park. Its elevation, cool climate and calcium-rich red clay are largely similar to the soil conditions in Europe and Australia. Thereby making it a suitable site for grape-growing and winemaking. The wine grapes produced in Asoke Valley include Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Semillon, Verdelho, Durif and Grenache.
Interesting to note that their 2017 Durif took gold at the prestigious Vienna Austrian Wine Challenge in 2019. Their core wines are now exported to Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and even France.
Fruity, Floral Whites
One of the few wines to be shipped into Singapore is their Spring Chenin Blanc 2019. A wine with high acidity and delicate floral aromas, it stands up well on its own and pairs excellently with zesty salads and sweet, umami-dense seafood dishes. This wine is a burst of tropical fruit on the nose, with hints of green melon, lime and young papaya. It drinks crisp and boasts acidity and a refreshing finish. We imagine this would go excellently well with a Thai papaya salad or a seafood dinner.
Robust, Jammy Reds
If you’re looking for a medium-bodied red with soft, well-structured tannins, we recommend their Orient Syrah 2017. Hand-harvested in the cool mornings of February, only grapes that are of optimum ripeness is chosen to achieve a fuller flavour. After harvesting, the Syrah grapes are aged in new and second-year French and American oak barrels for up to twelve months to develop more structure to the tannin profile and to integrate certain oaky characteristics into the wine.
Taste the wine when it’s cold and taste it afterwards when it’s risen to room temperature. The initial sip reveals plenty of oak characteristics underscored by layers of dark cherry, plums and chocolate. After revisiting the wine about 10 – 15 minutes later, we noticed the tannin structure “opening up” more and the flavour becoming richer, revealing a coffee-like bouquet and a fuller mouthfeel.
Food pairing-wise, we’d gladly drag this bottle to Golden Mile Complex to enjoy it with a hearty, meat-forward Mookata dinner. Although we’re sure pairing this with a seared steak would work just as well too!
Interested in procuring GranMonte Estate’s wines? They are currently available on Stellezvine as well as at Laut.
Disclaimer: We were guests of GranMonte, but all opinions remain our own.
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