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Percheron Shiraz-Mourvèdre, Swartland 2020

4.040000000 star rating 25 Reviews
2020 is a cracking vintage for this rich and generously fruity South African red with floral perfume enhanced by a sprinkling of spice.
is no longer available
Code: SA16311

Wine characteristics

  • Red Wine
  • Full-bodied
  • Syrah Mourvedre
  • 14.5% Alcohol
  • no oak influence
  • Screwcap
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
Play Video
South Africa buyer Joanna Locke MW on a decade-standing favourite, Percheron Shiraz-Mourvèdre. Video transcript

Video transcript

Percheron Shiraz-Mourvèdre, Swartland 2020 

We’ve been buying this wine from South Africa for over ten years now. It’s called Percheron Shiraz-Mourvèdre, and it’s named after the stunning horse, which was the – truly the workhorse in the vineyards, used for ploughing in days of old. Shiraz and mourvèdre have settled fantastically well in the warmth of the Swartland region, which is very much a mediterranean, dry mediterranean climate, and they produce lovely, sweet fruit – blue/black fruit flavour, very smooth, warm – no oak flavour so it’s just about the fruit here. It also happens to be vegan-friendly, vegetarian, and it’s a wine that is bottled in France – more and more, we’re seeing, for ecological reasons, wine is shipped in volume and then bottled more locally in Europe. And this is one of those examples, bottled under a screwcap. Very easy drink, anytime. 

South Africa

South Africa is undoubtedly one of the world's most dynamic wine producers. Established winemakers re-emerged onto the international scene in the early 1990s, following the demise of the apartheid era, and new wines, wineries, highly qualified winemakers, and even new regions have appeared steadily ever since. This makes South Africa more exciting than ever, but more complicated, too.

Most South African wines are varietally labelled - a key factor in any buying decision. Styles vary of course, and our notes aim to clarify this, but you will probably already know whether you like sauvignon blanc (now among the world's best), chardonnay, riesling, syrah, pinot noir, or cabernet.

South Africa's most famous grapes - white chenin blanc and red pinotage - will be less familiar unless you are already a convert. South African chenins are quite different from those in the Loire - almost always dry, but ripe and full of flavour (often with the complexity that comes from the increasingly...
South Africa is undoubtedly one of the world's most dynamic wine producers. Established winemakers re-emerged onto the international scene in the early 1990s, following the demise of the apartheid era, and new wines, wineries, highly qualified winemakers, and even new regions have appeared steadily ever since. This makes South Africa more exciting than ever, but more complicated, too.

Most South African wines are varietally labelled - a key factor in any buying decision. Styles vary of course, and our notes aim to clarify this, but you will probably already know whether you like sauvignon blanc (now among the world's best), chardonnay, riesling, syrah, pinot noir, or cabernet.

South Africa's most famous grapes - white chenin blanc and red pinotage - will be less familiar unless you are already a convert. South African chenins are quite different from those in the Loire - almost always dry, but ripe and full of flavour (often with the complexity that comes from the increasingly sought-after old-vine fruit and the use of oak). Pinotage, a South African creation, is for many a love-it-or-hate-it grape. Pinotage's 'parents' are pinot noir, which imparts its strawberry aromas and lovely texture in young wines, and more complex, farmyard characteristics in more mature examples, and cinsault, the southern French grape, which adds spice and body. It was developed in South Africa in 1926. Shiraz is now making a name for itself in South Africa with some superb examples bottled varietally and showing characteristics that often places it between the plush New World style pioneered by Australia and classic Rhône balance and elegance.

More significant in South Africa than much of the New World (notably New Zealand and Chile) are blends, which make selection more complicated, as the style of the wine is less easy to anticipate. As in Australia and California, however, many of the best wines here are blends - a sign of maturity in the industry. Bordeaux blends were favoured initially but there are increasing numbers of Rhône and southern French influenced blends, including some eclectic mixes, many of which are among South Africa’s best wines.

The Regions

The vineyards of South Africa are at a latitude of about 35o south, with hot, dry Mediterranean-type summers tempered by oceanic influences in the south, particularly the very cold Benguela Current. Much of the country is mountainous or hilly with a multitude of terroirs for winemakers to play with. Soils are ancient and complex, and many and varied from region to region, and even vineyard to vineyard. Rainfall is very varied from one area to another, largely depending which side of a mountain or range a vineyard lies on, and in some parts irrigation is essential.

South Africa’s rigorous Wine Of Origin scheme demarcates vineyard areas, including some single vineyards, and guarantees the geographical source of the wine much like the old French appellation contrôllée system recently renamed AOP, though there are no controls on yields and grape varieties as there are in France..

Bordeaux-style blends are one of the Stellenbosch region's great strengths. Wines such as Kanonkop's Paul Sauer, Meerlust's Rubicon and Warwick's Trilogy are South African icons, produced over many years, and with proven ageing capacity. The striking Simonsberg mountain names the ward (or area) most highly sought after for these reds, but Stellenbosch produces a wide range of wine styles, from excellent chenin blancs and sauvignons to robust pinotage and Cape Blends.

Paarl is its less-well-known neighbour, also warm, and best known for its robust but smooth reds. Franschhoek is understandably one of the most-visited towns in the Cape (with lots of French Huguenot history and some of the best restaurants in the region). It has a number of famous producers, most notably Boekenhoutskloof, but most do not produce exclusively from Franschhoek fruit. Cape Chamonix is an exception we rate highly, producing a wide range of wine styles from bubbly to cabernet franc led red blend Troika.

The generally warmer Swartland region has been at the forefront of the development of Rhône varietals in South Africa, led by stars such as Eben Sadie, as well as home to some of the best old chenin blanc vines. Further north, and much cooler is Citrusdal, where fresher styles are produced and chenin blanc can achieve real finesse.

The Cape peninsula, to the south of Cape Town itself, is home to Constantia, known for its cooler climate thanks to the influence of the two oceans that almost circle it. Here, sauvignon blanc and the Bordeaux grapes predominate, but there are lovely examples of aromatic varieties too, notably Klein Constantia's elegant riesling and its wonderful sweet muscat Vin de Constance, and the vibrant sauvignon blancs from Cape Point vineyards to the south. Rhône varietals are successful new additions.

Elgin, en route to Hermanus, is another very cool region, very much up-and-coming for sauvignon blanc, as is Elim, which is even further south and the source of our former Exhibition Sauvignon. Robertson is almost due north of Elim, but way inland and far hotter. A small number of family producers manage to make excellent sauvignon here, too, but it is also a good source of chardonnay, increasingly pinot noir, and elegantly styled pinotage and Rhône varietals, not forgetting the excellent fortified muskadels which are unique to the Cape.

The most important factor in deciding whether or not to buy is often the producer's name. This is easily achieved when some of the grandest 'old' names, such as Meerlust, Hamilton Russell, Kanonkop, and Klein Constantia, still rank among the country's best producers. Where it gets trickier is when the winery is new, has no track record, or the winemaker is not a household name.
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Boutinot

Boutinot is an international, UK-based wine business that works with over 150 producers worldwide. It also produces its own ranges of wines by working closely with winemakers in France, Italy and South Africa.

It all began in 1980 with Paul Boutinot, who used to source wines for his father’s restaurant business. He was disappointed with the quality of the trade examples he found, and so he went to France to find higher-quality, better value wines. In 1989, he began blending his own wine at a site just outside the Beaujolais region, and things quickly expanded from there.

In 1993, Boutinot began producing wine with specially sourced, passionate producers in South Africa, and in 2004 Paul Boutinot opened his Waterkloof winery in Stellenbosch. More recently, Boutinot began working with Adria Vini – the leading co-op in Piedmont, Italy – and the company purchased vineyards in the Rhône region in 2010.

Since the beginning, the Boutinot philosophy has been simple: find producers who love what they do, who want to take risks and create new and exciting wines, and develop long-term relationships with them. It likes the terroir to do the talking, so the company works hard to create wines with minimal intervention so the regions’ true characters can shine through. The other main aim is to find value for money at all price points, and in this sense the Percheron range is a particularly good example of Boutinot’s success.

Boutinot’s South African winemakers are involved at all stages of...
Boutinot is an international, UK-based wine business that works with over 150 producers worldwide. It also produces its own ranges of wines by working closely with winemakers in France, Italy and South Africa.

It all began in 1980 with Paul Boutinot, who used to source wines for his father’s restaurant business. He was disappointed with the quality of the trade examples he found, and so he went to France to find higher-quality, better value wines. In 1989, he began blending his own wine at a site just outside the Beaujolais region, and things quickly expanded from there.

In 1993, Boutinot began producing wine with specially sourced, passionate producers in South Africa, and in 2004 Paul Boutinot opened his Waterkloof winery in Stellenbosch. More recently, Boutinot began working with Adria Vini – the leading co-op in Piedmont, Italy – and the company purchased vineyards in the Rhône region in 2010.

Since the beginning, the Boutinot philosophy has been simple: find producers who love what they do, who want to take risks and create new and exciting wines, and develop long-term relationships with them. It likes the terroir to do the talking, so the company works hard to create wines with minimal intervention so the regions’ true characters can shine through. The other main aim is to find value for money at all price points, and in this sense the Percheron range is a particularly good example of Boutinot’s success.

Boutinot’s South African winemakers are involved at all stages of the process from vineyard selection to the final blending. The Percheron range comes from carefully selected sites owned by enlightened growers in the Western Cape region who grow some of the country’s less famous grape varieties: Boutinot’s aim with Percheron is to showcase some of South Africa’s forgotten treasures.

The wines are shipped in technologically advanced bulk containers to France where they are bottled at Boutinot’s own production facility. This saves money for all involved and is more ecologically friendly than shipping glass over long distance.

Percheron Old Vine Cinsault is particularly popular: grown on gnarly 65 year old bush vines, there is little need for crop control because the vines are so old they naturally restrict yields by themselves. The team also doesn’t use irrigation on these vineyards, and all grapes are hand harvested to ensure only the best fruit is selected.
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South Africa Vintage 2020

With such an inauspicious start to an unforgettable year, few even dreamed of such a good 2020 harvest. It was clear that volumes would be down – which can be good for quality, of course – but the weather brought a few early challenges in the vineyards and the grapes’ normally orderly progression to ripeness turned into quite a scramble. But nature has an astonishing way of managing even multiple challenges, smoothing out extremes to allow mother (vine) to give her very best to her offspring (the grapes). The 2020 harvest was a gift to bring smiles to a troubled industry.

The Daily Telegraph

it’s great value – a blend of shiraz and mourvèdre that opens with light, juicy ease before black pepper notes kick in.

- Victoria Moore

The Independent

… truly excellent budget wine … already a firm favourite with WineSociety members … a wonderfully punchy and spicy blend, but beware the 14.5%abv.

- Terry Kirby

midweekwines.co.uk

South Africa’s Covid restrictions and export ban have created a massive wine lake there leaving only limited capacity for the 2021 harvest currently under way. Consequently, wine drinkers...
South Africa’s Covid restrictions and export ban have created a massive wine lake there leaving only limited capacity for the 2021 harvest currently under way. Consequently, wine drinkers are being urged to buy some 2020 wines to “help out”, starting perhaps with this aromatic Western Cape red. [This wine] has rounded but slightly tarry, plum and mulberry flavours accompanied by good acidity and mineral hints yet only minimal tannin – and all encased in a ripe cinnamon and cocoa depth.
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- Brian Elliott

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