This is one of my favourite wine discoveries in the last few months, and you will be hard pressed to find anything like it in South Africa.
That’s because it’s a really odd blend for for the region:
- Touriga Nacional – 48%
- Souzão – 48%
- Tinta Barocca 4%
If you recognize none of these varietals, that’s because they’re Portuguese, but apparently do quite well on the Olifants river floodplain.
The wine maker’s tasting notes:
The wine is full bodied with a sweet nose of red and darker summer berries and red fruits. It was made to be enjoyed early, but should improve with age for up to 7 years after release. The wine is ideal to be enjoyed on its own in winter or slightly chilled during summer evenings and will go well with charcuterie, breads and hard cheeses, hearty meat stews or barbecues.
-Gavin Brand
The wine reminded me much more of mushrooms, and a mulchy forest floor, than of summer berries, but that’s just what I tasted.
It’s around R140 a bottle, and you need to really look around to find it, but it’s worth buying a few of them at a time.
You can read more about Cape Rock Wines here.
{Note: This is not a paid review – I just really like this wine.}