Another wine from vineyards on the slopes of the Perdeberg mountain (see Black Rock Chenin in our Fruity white section), this comes from similar small, struggling bush vines which are producing fruit of remarkable quality. The team behind these wines are surely one of the most dynamic in South Africa at the moment, made up of a mix of disparate ingredients with both indigenous and European varieties in the blend. Do have a look at their website at www.thefunwinery.com . They have been instrumental in the current drive towards finding new and better viticultural areas in South Africa – a move which is long overdue – and are the first to really start exploiting the amazing potential of the Swartland. They do a range of wines now but the Black Rock were the ones which really appealed – both for the fact that the fruit is so pure, intense and opulent and for the fact that a sense of South African terroir is retained in the pleasantly rasping, rustic edge.

The varieties for this wine are all fermented separately after the grapes have been meticulously sorted and all unripe, over ripe and rotten berries removed and there is a point at which skins from Viognier are added momentarily – see if you can spot the rich dried apricot notes. You will also find blackberry, dense prune, black pepper, tobacco and raspberry flavours.

Good With

Barbequed meat and vegetables, rich stews, goose and duck, mildly hot meat curries.