DMZ Grenache Noir

£14.99

£19.99 per litre · incl. 20% VAT

In Stock

DeMorgenzon's DMZ range is built on a simple idea: serious wine that doesn't cost the earth. This Grenache Noir delivers exactly that, ripe red plum, white pepper and a whisper of violet, all grown on weathered granite soils high in the Stellenboschkloof Valley. A graceful, food-friendly red that punches well above its price point.

Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.

Region

South Africa

Grape

Grenache

Oak

Gentle oak integration bodes well for a long and graceful bottle maturation of this wine. With the completion of malolactic fermentation, the wine was transferred to small French oak barrels, 3000L foudres and cement tanks where it matured for 12 months before bottling

Drinking Window

Drinks beautifully on release and over the next 3-5 years. Best served slightly cool, around 14-16Â°C.

UK wide delivery

Expert curated

Sourced direct

Our Verdict

We taste a lot of South African Grenache, and DMZ keeps earning its spot in our line-up because it does the hard thing well: real complexity at a genuinely everyday price. The granite soils give it that lifted, peppery brightness we love, and the gentle handling in the cellar, foudres and cement alongside the French oak, keeps the fruit honest. It's the bottle we reach for when we want something interesting but unfussy, and a smart choice for anyone curious about where Cape Grenache is heading. If you enjoy this, the rest of the DeMorgenzon range is well worth exploring.

Tasting Notes

Pour it out and you get a deep purple core that signals intent. The nose leads with ripe red plum and bramble fruit, lifted by white pepper and a quiet floral lift, violets, lavender, a hint of spring blossom giving it real perfume. The palate carries that dark fruit through with cinnamon, clove and a whisper of vanilla spice from gentle oak. Tannins are fine-grained rather than grippy, and the finish lingers savoury and softly peppered, leaving you wanting another sip.

Ripe Red Plum

Generous, juicy red plum and bramble fruit form the heart of the wine, sun-soaked and fleshy, never jammy or heavy.

White Pepper Lift

A clean dusting of white pepper runs from nose to finish, giving the fruit a savoury edge and welcome bite.

Violet & Lavender

Floral aromatics, violets, lavender, spring blossom, bring perfume and elegance, lifting the wine well above everyday drinking.

Warm Baking Spice

Cinnamon, clove and a touch of vanilla from gentle oak ageing add warmth without ever swamping the fruit.

About This Wine

There's a reason Grenache is having a moment among South Africa's most thoughtful winemakers, and this bottle is a brilliant introduction to why. Grown on the weathered granite slopes of the Stellenboschkloof Valley, where the morning sun hits first, this is Grenache with poise, perfumed, lifted, and built around fruit rather than weight.

Pour it and you get a deep purple core, with aromas of ripe red plum and crushed berries lifted by white pepper and a delicate floral edge, think violets, lavender, a hint of spring blossom. The palate carries that fruit forward but layers it with cinnamon, clove and a soft vanilla warmth from twelve months spent in a thoughtful mix of small French oak barrels, large 3000-litre foudres and cement tanks. The oak is felt, never seen.

DeMorgenzon's DMZ range exists to overdeliver, and this is one of the clearer arguments for that approach. It's classic and elegant without being austere, generous without being heavy, exactly the kind of midweek red that quietly upgrades a Tuesday and still has the manners for a dinner party on Saturday.

Serve it slightly cool, around 14–16°C, alongside slow-roasted lamb, herby grilled chicken, a charcuterie board, or a mushroom risotto. We ship across the UK, usually within a couple of working days, and it's a thoughtful, well-priced bottle to send to anyone who likes their reds with a bit of perfume and a lot of personality.

Food Pairing

This is a brilliant Sunday lunch wine. The peppery lift and bright fruit cut through fatty roast lamb or a herb-crusted shoulder of pork, while the soft tannins make it equally happy with charcuterie boards and tomato-rich pasta. Try it slightly cool with a midweek sausage cassoulet, or alongside a board of aged Gouda and quince paste.

—Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic
—Herb-crusted pork loin with roasted root vegetables
—Charcuterie board with cured chorizo and saucisson
—Tomato and beef ragu with fresh tagliatelle
—Aged Gouda with quince paste and walnuts

How to Serve

Temperature

Serve slightly cool, around 14-16°C. Twenty minutes in the fridge before opening keeps the fruit bright.

Decanting

A short decant of 30-40 minutes opens the floral aromatics nicely, but it's not essential. If you prefer, simply pour and let the glass do the work over the first half hour.

Glass

A medium-bowled Burgundy-style glass channels the perfume and lets the white pepper lift come through.

Cellaring

Store on its side in a cool, dark spot between 10-14°C with steady humidity. Best drunk within five years of release while the fruit and florals are at their most expressive.

The Land

Mostly weathered granite soils on estate vineyards, free-draining, mineral-rich, and famously good at producing wines with energy and lift. Granite gives Cape reds a particular kind of vibrancy: youthful vigour and natural exuberance, with fine-grained structure underneath the fruit.

The Winemaking

Hand-harvested fruit is destalked into stainless steel tanks, with a small percentage of whole bunches kept in the mix for added lift and aromatic complexity. Spontaneous fermentation runs cool, between 22 and 27°C, with gentle punch-downs to coax colour and supple tannin from the skins rather than force them. After malolactic, the wine settles into a mix of small French oak barrels, 3000-litre foudres and cement tanks for twelve months, a quietly clever combination that adds texture and seasoning without ever masking the fruit.

About the Producer

South African Red

Alvi's Drift takes its name from a low-water bridge over the Breede River, built back in 1930 thanks to the determination of Albertus Viljoen van der Merwe, Oupa Alvi to the family. The farm has been in the family since 1928, and the original cellar from 1932, concrete fermentation tanks and all, is still part of working life today. The winery is now run by Oupa Alvi's grandson, also Alvi, who trained as a medical doctor before swapping the stethoscope for the cellar. His first bottlings under the family name went out in 2003, and the wines have collected piles of medals at the Veritas Awards ever since. The Signature range is his way of putting genuinely characterful wine within easy reach, great, he likes to say, for the price of good.

Learn More →