Charming wine with a sweet and fragrant Grenache nose and palate but still not over the top expressive and actually quite balanced.

We did a quartet of South African wines to go with some grilled Gotland lamb and home made merguez.

The AA Badenhorst Cinsault showed very well after just a little air - with an impressive nose of cinnamon, rose hip, sweet cherries and lots of other pleasant things. Nice balance on the palate with a clean and narrow finish with good acidity. But it was overwhelmed by the grilled meats so maybe I would pair this with something less forceful.

Part of a small South African line up that we enjoyed a long summer evening on the island of Gotland with some grilled meats.

The Savage Red has long been a favourite of mine and something that I know with confidence I can break out at any type of bbq or grilled meats dinner in the summertime with wine friends or innocenti alike.

This time however it felt like it had less body and was expressing a more elegant northern Rhône style of Syrah - also meaning that it’s tightly knit perfume is still some years of cellaring away from full expression. A very nice surprise and possibly a shift in style over the last few years?

Lovely interpretation of the classic Bordeaux white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from this stand out South African winery. Clean, fresh, with a little body on the mid palate that undoubtedly will flesh out over time even more. Great nose that is keeping all the most offensive Sauvignon blanc notes in check and balance by the Semillon. Still some grassy and herbal notes sharp enough to cut through anything but also more depth and complexity that will just increase in weight and perfume over time. Great wine indeed!