Here's another, quite different South African wine this week – mainly 
because the country offers wine lovers such great value. To paraphrase A A Milne, when the reds are good they are very good even if when they are bad they are horrid. This one is very good, relatively inexpensive for the quality, and widely available around the world as you will see from the number of currencies I have been able to cite.
I tasted nearly 70 of South Africa’s top wines the other day and will be publishing my full tasting notes along with UK prices and stockists later in the week. What was clear from the tasting was that South Africa can offer some extremely well made Cabernets and Bordeaux blends that are, unusually, ready to drink. The 2003 vintage was an exceptionally good one for Cape reds and here is impressive proof.
I would decant this wine to let it stretch itself a little (although it was delicious straight from the bottle) and possibly serve it blind to your most bordeaux-loving friends any time over the next two or three years.
You can buy it in the UK for £13.49 from AG Wines (www.agwines.com) and £14.50 from Berry Bros (www.bbr.com).
