Reds

An elegant rendition of this normally unruly varietal. Features raspberry, dark fruit and herbal notes whilst an almost meaty, wild aroma can be detected on the nose. Typical vigour expected from this varietal, with a high concentration of fine tannin and a surprising lightness of touch helped by the lower alcohol.

Country : South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grape: Mourvèdre

ABV: 13.5%

Waterkloof Wine

Living soils and a natural approach to winemaking means that each of the single-varietal wines in the Circumstance range is truly defined by the circumstances influencing the chosen varietal and vineyard blocks, including: soil, aspect, altitude and vintage. The Mourvedre is from a single, windswept, south-facing (less sun exposure) block 250-300m above and a mere 2 miles from The Atlantic. These factors combine to produce low yields, balanced grapes and wines with a true sense of place. Production was a miserly 4 tons per hectare. Mourvedre is one of the few varietals with enough wind-resistance to plant as bush-vine on Waterkloof. Grapes are hand-harvested and brought to the cellar by horses for hand-sorting. Bunches are sorted and whole-bunch fermentation happens spontaneously with wild yeast in large, open-top wooden fermenters. Manual punch-downs or foot-pressing take place 1-2 times per day and the wine is left on skins for 30 days before going through malolactic fermentation in old 600 litre barrels then ageing for 16 months in the same vessels. No fining, just a light filtration. No additions other than sulphur. Vegan friendly, biodynamic wine. 6 barrels made.

Bright purple in colour with a deep violet rim. The nose offers upfront aromas of perfume, violets, glazed gammon, pepper and buchu. The wine presents a smooth entry on the palate, with soft and seamless layers of cloves, nutmeg and warm spices, underpinned by a savoury and meaty finish.

Country: South Africa

Region:  Paarl and Firgrove, Western Cape

Grapes: Shiraz

ABV: 13.5%

The De Grendel Shiraz will marry exceptionally well with pork neck steaks served with a cranberry reduction, a traditional glazed gammon during the festive season and, in particular, with game and venison cuts during the colder winter months.

The fruit was carefully handpicked in three batches, with the first batch ripening in Paarl. It was fermented for two weeks in closed conical shape tanks using the more delicate aerated pump-over method, ensuring softer tannins, delicate spicy flavours and a deep colour. The second and third batches from Firgrove were separately fermented using the pneumatic punch-down method four times a day to produce more robust tannins with excellent structure and concentration. The three batches were then blended and allowed to undergo natural malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks before being racked three times and transferred into Oak barrels. Barrel maturation took place over a period of 13 months in 10% new American Oak, 10% in new French Oak and 80% in second and third fill French Oak barrels. 

Enjoy the Shiraz now or allow it to mature for a further 5 – 8 years.

De Grendel Wine

Aroma begins with a concise array of fragrances that encapsulate the essence of the Japanese term Akemi. Showcasing an elegant profile adorned with delightful floral accents. A velvety smooth texture, and lingering mineral nuances that gracefully persist through its extended and delicate finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Graciano

ABV: 14%

This Rioja winery, Ontañón, has called the wine "Kaori" (meaning "aroma" in Japanese) and is known for its Viura and Tempranillo blends, which are well-suited to Japanese cuisine, especially sushi and sashimi.

Concentrated, complex and rich, oak matured Douro red, made from a blend of selected parcels from the best vineyards on the estate.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: 74% Touriga Nacional, 13% Sousão, 12% Touriga Franca, 1% Fernão Pires

ABV: 13.5%

Packed with dark pastille fruit, this classic Carmenère is aromatic of star anise, hoy sin and salt beef, over a palate that is dark and textural but always juicy. Hugely generous Carmenère that demands a second bottle.

Country: Chile

Region: Wine of Chile

Grapes: Carmenère

ABV:13.5%

 Food match: Sticky BBQ Chinese ribs or chicken

Elegant and complex nose with a good concentration of black fruit, thyme and rosemary with secondary aromas of leather and tobacco leaves. Hints of black fruit jam and liquorice warm, with a long, delicious and persistent finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.5%

Deep ruby velvet in colour with an opulent nose combining red plums, cassis, walnuts and bramble boosted by a distinctive waft of violets. The fruit follows through onto the palate offering a red plum profile with an understated savoury and herbal element on the back palate. A finely tuned acid and wood tannin balance, together with a purity of fruit, distinguish this seamless wine as a great ambassador for Merlot.

Country: South Africa

Region:  Paarl and Firgrove, Western Cape

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Merlot

Food Match: Sunday roast lamb

De Grendel Wine

A wonderful fruity Pinotage with velvety tannins supporting sweet spices and red and black fruit.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Pinotage

ABV: 13.5%

Stellenbosch Vineyards is located on the historic Welmoed farm, which was one of the
first proclaimed farms in Stellenbosch and dates back to 1690.
They produce a range of wines that are true to style, and consistently showcase the
quality and value of South African wine. Stellenbosch Vineyards are a well-versed
negociant, sourcing excellent grapes from various plots around the Cape each year to
supplement their estate grown grapes. Stellenbosch Vineyards is one of South Africa’s
leading exporters, with about 85% of their production heading for foreign shores.
Stellenbosch Vineyards take their corporate social responsibility seriously - they are
Fairtrade certified and are members of the Agricultural Ethical Trade Initiative (WIETA)
and the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA).

Supple and sumptuous, ripe and ridiculously moreish. It's ready to drink Barolo baby!

Awesome aromas of orange skin, ripe plums, and tobacco leaves. Vibrant tannin and acidity. Lovely!

Country: Italy

Region: Piemonte

14% ABV

Grape: Nebbiolo

Inspired by the Australian night, this is darkly appealing, chocolatey Malbec with an abundance of crisp, minerally fruit.

Country: Australia

Region: Victoria

Grape: Malbec 100%

ABV: 14%

Food Match: Great with rich and hearty food. Try me with a rich casserole or roasted Mediterranean vegetables.

Red and black berry fruit flavours, with a touch of vanilla oak. The elegant palate is underpinned by fine tannin and juicy yet subtle fruit.

Country: South Africa

Region: Coastal Region, Western Cape

Grapes: Shiraz, Pinotage, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 0.45%

Reg Holder started his career with vintages in France, Australia and the USA before
returning to South Africa. He then spent 11 years as the winemaker at both Neil Ellis and
Delheim.

In 2015, while his wife was pregnant with their first child, he started experimenting with
de-alcoholised wine for her. When they were expecting their second, in 2017, Reg decided
that he was going to move full time into the Lautus de-alcoholised project.
He uses a state of the art piece of machinery that combines centrifugal force and a
vacuum in order to extract the alcohol while leaving the wines' volatile flavour and
aromatic essence intact.

Unquestionably the best de-alcoholised red wine we have tried!

Full of zest and forward fruity flavours, typical of the Sauvignon grape. Bursting with exotic tropical fruit.

Country: Chile

Region: Central Valley

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

ABV: 13%

Dolomite wines express great purity of fruit and balanced elegance. The nose shows dark and red cherry. Dark berries, spiciness and herbs linger on the palate. The wine has great purity of fruit with a hint of wet-stone minerality and a velvet soft finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Cabernet Franc 90%
Malbec 10%

Kleinboet (‘little brother’) is a Cellar Door all time favourite.  Bright red and purple fruit such as raspberries and blueberries on the nose, savoury notes of dried herbs too. A delicious, rich, bold, earthy, but fruity Bordeaux blend.

Country: South Africa

Region: Sondagskloof, Hemel en Aarde

Grapes: Bordeaux Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec

ABV: 12.5%

You might have heard of the quaint beach town of Hermanus, situated on South Africa’s
famous Whale Coast. Between 1855 and 1902, it was called Hermanuspietersfontein. In
1902, the local postmaster decided to shorten the name of the town to make addressing
letters to the locals easier.

150 years later, the wine farm Hermanuspietersfontein, or HPF for short, craft outstanding wines with a serious sense of place. Their grapes come from Sondagskloof (they produce 90% of WO Sondagskloof wine), which competes with Elgin and the Ceres Plateau for South Africa’s coolest wine growing region. This area is perfectly suited to Bordeaux varietals and, with the exception of Shiraz, is exclusively planted with them.
The Afrikaans wine names might look like a bit of a mouthful, but they are good fun;
Bloos (‘blush’), Kaalvoet Meisie (‘barefoot girl’), Kat Met Die Houtbeen (‘cat with the
wooden leg’), Posmeester (‘postmaster’), Kleinboet (‘little brother’) and Swartskaap
(‘black sheep’).

Deeply varietal nose of dark cherry-chocolate over crushed minerals with a leafy note. The palate is generously laden with dark plum and chocolate notes on a long, velveteen finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Merlot

ABV: 12.5%

Food match: Baked mushroom stuffed with sundried tomato cous cous.

From Paarl vineyards grown on sandy loams, where picking early is crucial to finesse this tricky cultivar’s essential notes of blueberry, bramble and natural leafiness. An accomplished Merlot, correct yet moreish in the glass.

This extraordinary speciality red sparkling wine is based on a cool climate Cabernet-Shiraz blend from vines situated on the Trillians Hills in Clare Valley. It is a deep ruby colour with a lively mousse yet the savoury and plum aromas and subtle tannins give a lasting impression of elegance and well balanced restraint. Can be enjoyed in two ways - a standalone drink with friends or a beautiful accompaniment to a meal.

Country: Australia

Region: Clare Valley

Grapes: Shiraz (86%)
Cabernet Sauvignon (14%)

ABV: 13.%

Food Matches: turkey, veal and duck, pates, barbecued meats and plum pudding. Dark chocolate pudding.

This is a traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape serious and brooding and benefits from a little time to breath and open up. The palate is complex with herby, tapenade flavours and ripe textured tannins balancing the significant 15% alcohol which is expertly managed and integrated.

Country: France

Region: Châteauneuf - du-Pape

ABV: 15%

Grapes: Grenache 65%, Syrah 20%, Mourvedre 10%

This accessible Super Tuscan has an elegant bouquet of leather, black cherries, liquorice and plums leading to a medium to full-bodied palate where ripe red fruit show off the goût de terroir in addition to subtle notes of vanilla and violets, which harmonise and linger, interlacing with the soft tannins and gorgeous silky texture. A firm backbone with perfect integration of acidity and fruit.

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Grapes: Sangiovese 85%
Cabernet Sauvignon 10%
Merlot 5%

ABV: 13%

Food matches: An extremely versatile and food- friendly wine, serve with classic Italian dishes of pasta, risotto, flame-grilled meat, and hard cheeses.

Monte Antico was established in the early 1970s and takes their name from the medieval town of the same name located in Maremma, just a short distance from Montalcino towards the sea.

Rich, ripe, dense and complex. Notes of tobacco, dark chocolate and blackberries. Abundant flavours of dark berries are released alongside earthy and creamy notes that warm the mouth. Stunning wine.

Country: Spain

Region: Aragon

Grapes: Garnacha

ABV: 14%

Food Match: Perfect with herb crusted roast leg of lamb and rosemary potatoes.

A vibrant nose of plum, cherry, violet, sweet spice and dried herbs. The palate has lots of fresh fruit flavours, including sour cherry and plum with refreshing acidity. The youthful fruit combines with spice and bitter chocolate notes giving a wine of depth and personality with a firm, dry and savoury finish - great served with food, perhaps lightly chilled.

Country: Italy

Region: Langhe, Piemonte

Grapes: Dolcetto

ABV: 12%

Food Match: Italian meat based pasta dishes, carpaccio of beef and lightly grilled meats.

The Dolcetto grapes are sourced from Colla's Cascine Drago estate - where the average age of vines is 20 years, planted at around 350m altitude. The grapes are immediately destalked and crushed, and then macerated on the skins for 5-7 days. Malolactic fermentation is completed before winter sets in. The wine stabilises in stainless steel, and then rests for a few months in bottle.

In addition to the black and red fruits also found on the nose there is a complex flavour of sweet spice and minerality followed by a fresh finish.

Country: France

Region: Languedoc, Terrasses du Larzac

Grapes: Carignan, Mourvèdre,  Grenache Noir, Syrah

ABV: 13.5%

Food match: Great with grilled meats and tomato based pasta dishes

Domaine Les Caizergues 

Dark almost black in colour, with an intense dark berry fruit aroma of blackberries. Powerful, concentrated and full bodied. Structured, but smooth and velvety on the palate, combining well the matured fruit and the oak from 3 months ageing in wood. Moreish, elegant and complex, a long finish.

Country: Portugal

Region: Lisbon

Grapes: Alicante Bouschet

ABV: 14.5%

Food: as an aperitif, with tapas, red meat, risotto, paella, spicy food and dry cheeses.

Wowzer! Very special wine this..

Beautiful red shades with purple accents, dark and lustrous. Expressive nose displaying blueberry, red plum, red and sour cherry. In the mouth, the delightful notes of cacao, plums, truffle, coconut and caramel, with a hint of toasted brioche make it very elegant. The palate is fleshy, with good entrance, balanced acidity, firm tannins and a lasting finish.

Country: Argentina

Region: Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza 

Vegan/Vegetarian

Grapes:  100% Malbec

ABV: 15% 

After visiting Argentina in 1989, Californian trail-blazer Paul Hobbs became deeply interested in both the terroir and Argentine culture, noticing the unique potential for Malbec and other varietals in the region. After meeting two kindred spirits, Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud, they founded Viña Cobos in 1997 and since then there has been no looking back.

Smooth with a core of red fruit flavours and sweet spices supported by supple tannins giving structure to wine. The finish is long and smooth with the red cherry and raspberry notes lingering on the palate.

Country: Macedonia

Region: 

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 12.5%

Food match: Roast chicken with all of the trimmings

This wine from North Macedonia is a fresh style of Pinot Noir fermented in steel
at controlled temperatures to preserve the delicate fruits of the variety. pale ruby
red in colour with a soft nose of redcurrants and red cherries. The palate is very
smooth with a core of red fruit flavours and sweet spices supported by supple
tannins giving structure to wine. The finish is long and smooth with the red
cherry and raspberry notes lingering on the palate.

Macedonia has a rich winemaking history, with the oldest archeological findings
dating back to 13 century b.c. Today, Macedonia has around 24,000 ha of
vineyards, the two main varieties grown are Vranec (red) and Smederevka
(white). International grape varieties are being increasingly planted such as;
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir from the red and Chardonnay,
Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc from the white varieties.

A deep and generous Pinot Noir showing ripe fruit flavours of raspberries and wild strawberries, balanced with subtle smoky notes and a deliciously lingering finish.

Very pleasurable on its own, this would nevertheless be superb with oriental duck salads, or light middle eastern lamb dishes.

Country: Chile

Region: Central Valley

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Our Pinot Noir comes from a small Hacienda in The Andes where the 40-60 years old vines enjoy stony soils, glacial streams and pure mountain air. Grapes are harvested during the coolest part of the day to ensure they reach the winery in prime condition. Temperatures are kept fairly low throughout the wine making process, to allow the grapes to express their natural fruit characters. No oak is used.