Zorgvliet Silver Myn Argentum 2023

Zorgvliet are something of a Bordelaise specialist and this blend of Merlot and Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc is a cracking expression of their craft. The fruit for this is hand harvested and after fermentation went into a mix of small French oak barrels and large 4,500 litre 'foudre' to complete maturation, prior to blending and bottling after 12 months. The result is a dark and brambly wine with a rich palate of ripe plums and a even touch of fruitcake. However, it retains a pleasingly dry feel and doesn't cloy. For a relatively inexpensive wine this has bags of character.

Its richness and ripe flavours make it just great with barbecues red meats or spicy south east Asian dishes.

Zorgvliet (pronounced 'Sorg-fleet') is a small winery in Banghoek, on the Helshoogte Pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek and has been under the ownership of the van der Merwe family since 2002. Their wine maker Bernard Le Roux, is an up and coming talent passionate about the estate's vineyards as well as its cellar. Grapes are grown on the steep slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in vineyards that are among the highest in Stellenbosch. The estate wines are from site-specific single vineyards and are elegant expressions of this unique mountain terroir.