Night falls and black nightshade (aka Nastergal) blooms, its berries ripen to inky black.  2022 Blend - 31% Tempranillo, 27% Alicante Bouschet, 17% Souzao, 12% Pontac, 6% Tinta Francisca, 6% Touriga Nacional, and 1% Touriga Franca.

Decanter 95 pointer

The winemaking is kept modest and straightforward to allow the combination of cultivars and site to express itself. The grapes were sorted, de-stemmed but not crushed, and fermented separately and without any additions in open top fermenters. Routine punchdowns brought a gentle extraction of color and tannin. The grapes were gently pressed after 10 days on skins and drained to barrel for malolactic fermentation. The grapes matured separately in mainly old 225L French oak barrels for 9 months before blending. The wine was bottled without fining and with a gentle sheet filtration and a small addition of sulfur dioxide.

Tasting Note: Inky black with aromas of blackberry and wild sage with intense cinnamon, and black pepper on the nose. The palate is more-ish, brimming with forest fruits and robust tannins.

ANALYSIS: ALC 14% | TA 5.5g/l | RS 2.7g/l | pH 3.59

Much experimentation goes on in South Africa with red blends but few can match the Iberian Peninsula exoticism of the Nastergal 2022 red blend, made up of 31% Tempranillo, 27% Alicante Bouschet, 17% Souzao, 12% Pontac, 6% Tinta Francisca, 6% Touriga Nacional, and 1% Touriga Franca. A beautifully vibrant red wine with a purple / blue colour of Nastergal jam. The aromatics are rich and detailed showing bold notes salty black liquorice, sweet violets, black cherry compote, baked black plums, sweet molasses, salted caramel and blueberry nuances. The palate flavours are equally rich and expressive, Douro’esque in character with sweet creamy tannins, notes of gingerbread and exotic Christmas spices laced with sappy cedar oak notes and a sweet vanilla pod complexity on the finish. Supremely European in character, this an incredibly enticing creation to drink now and over the next 5 to 8 years. Tapas nibbles are optional!   93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW