Wild House Shiraz 2020

When Winemaker JD Rossouw was asked to craft the first estate branded wines at Wildeberg, he jumped at the chance to work with one of his favourite varieties, Shiraz. He says that "Shiraz will give you totally different flavours depending on where you plant it - closer to the coast in cooler areas gives you spice and cinnamon flavours, whilst more towards the hotter climates you get extracted plum and blackberry flavour."

Wild House Shiraz has a deep garnet colour with plum and blackcurrant on the nose and hints of spice. A modest touch of oak and soft ripe tannins are balanced with a juicy palate and suggestions of dark chocolate and star anise on the lingering finish.

Boutinot have been making wines in South Africa since the early 1990s, when they first searched the land for interesting and lesser known grape varieties and introduced practices such as wild yeast fermentations and non-interventionalist viticulture with their partner growers. Today, they are based in South Africa at Wildeberg (Wild Mountain) on the edge of Franschhoek. Formally an equestrian farm, they were drawn in by the undefinable enegery of the mountainous land, which had never before been planted with vines.

This passion, love of the land and drive to discover is instilled in their winemakers who travel around the Western Cape, teaming up with partners that enable them to make distinctive and high quality wines. Most of Boutinot's grower suppliers are now second and third generation, reinforcing longstanding partnerships and sharing their beliefs in long-term sustainability. It is these partnerships that help to make truly individual wines that champion regionality and old bush vines.