A couple of weeks ago we set up a little challenge: go to a bottle store and find quality reds for under R70. After a trip to Ultra Liquors (a great place for bargains, by the way), we had a stash of reasonably priced reds that were just aching to be tasted. After dutifully doing just that, here are my three highlights from the lot.
Edgebaston The Pepper Pot 2012
This is a feisty blend of 72% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre, 7% Cinsaut, 7% Grenache and 7% Tannat (Tannat is a Bordeaux grape, in case you were wondering). As you might have guessed, this wine is peppery with deep, generous, fruity flavours and a hit of spice. It’s not shy and would be great with a hearty potjie, roast or rack of ribs.
Price: R61.66 a bottle
AA Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend 2012
I just love this wine. Consisting of Cinsault, Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre and Pinotage, it hails from the Swartland and is named after the secateurs (shears) used to prune the estate’s bush vines during winter and then to pick the grapes in summer. Farmed organically according to very old school wine making methods, it’s fabulously inviting: smooth, softly spicy and full of character.
Price: R62.50 a bottle
Ja ja ja, I can hear your exclamations of surprise that I’m reviewing a wine so well known –Â you might think “what-evah”. But don’t knock something just because it doesn’t have a hipster label or a boutique garagiste vibe… there’s something to be said for the grand old dames of SA wine. My dad compares the Baronne to Coca Cola: you know exactly what you’re going to get each time you crack open a bottle. Smooth, full-bodied with deep berry flavours and subtle oak, it’s a reliable favourite.
Price: R45.75 a bottle
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