Here's a wine that quietly rewrites what you think a South African red can be. Most people reach for Cabernet or Pinotage when they want Stellenbosch in a glass, but Cinsault, locally known for decades as Hermitage, has been doing the heavy lifting behind some of the Cape's most celebrated blends. Bellevue have pulled it out of the chorus and given it a starring role, and the result is genuinely lovely.
The nose is lifted and perfumed, raspberry, wild strawberry, a twist of sour cherry, and that faintly earthy beetroot note that good Cinsault always seems to find. It's medium-bodied and silky, with tannins that brush rather than grip, and a refreshing finish that makes the next glass almost inevitable. Fermentation was quick and gentle, with the wine resting on its lees before a stint in French and American oak barrels for shape and subtle depth.
Serve it lightly chilled, half an hour in the fridge is the trick, and watch it transform a summer lunch. It's brilliant with beef carpaccio, lightly seared tuna, charcuterie boards, or a Provençal-style roast chicken. A picnic wine, a barbecue wine, a Friday-night-on-the-patio wine.
For anyone curious about South African Cinsault, or sending a thoughtful bottle to a wine-loving friend back home, this is exactly the kind of discovery that makes a gift land well. Delivered across the UK, ready for whatever the weather gives us.
