£9.29, Noel Young Wines
It can't be that there's more granite than there used to be in the world, so either more growers and winemakers are going in search of it or granite has become fashionable. Doubtless both, but chicken or egg? No matter. Either way, it's increasingly being used in wine names (see Wine of the Week a fortnight ago). In Swartland, one of the most dynamic and exciting of South African wine regions, the granite-rich soils are ideal for Rhône grape varieties and the Swartland Winery has come up with a Mourvèdre/Carignan/Grenache blend that's the Cape answer to a good Côtes du Rhône. And I mean a really good one – a mouthful of juicy, peppery, spiced-cherry and raspberry fruit with a rounded, chocolate-smooth texture and savoury stony-mineral freshness. If you're firing up the barbecue, look no further. As well as being a good partner for red meat, pork and duck, it goes well with vegetable dishes such as caponata and baked and roast vegetable dishes.
Swartland Winery Winemaker's Collection Granite Rock Blend 2014, Swartland, South Africa
£9.29, Noel Young Wines; £9.60, Wine Poole; £53.22 for 6 bottles, Strictly Wine