Boutinot South Africa is driven by their passion for discovery and desire to capture the real essence of South Africa in every bottle. It was the simple love of Loire Chenin Blanc that first led them to South Africa in 1994, where they pioneered the wild ferment style that has now been adopted by many producers in this region.

Since then, they have been exploring the country’s amazing vineyards to make fabulous wines from specific sites and plots that scream location, location, terroir. Their home-grown South African winemaking team of JD Rossouw and Ryno Booysen drive the energy and enthusiasm for expressing the loveliest wines from their country, along with Samantha Bailey’s expertise in finesse. The key is knowing the characteristics of each plot, understanding the benefits each cultivar can bring, breaking rules and pushing boundaries.

No irrigation is used on the vineyards and very little crop control is needed due to the age of the vines naturally restricting yield. All grapes are harvested by hand. Cinsault has bewilderingly been overlooked for so long in the Cape but is a grape variety we have proudly been championing for years – so it’s great that this voice of the Cape’s cool Atlantic vineyards is finally finding favour with wine drinkers. The vines are mostly 40-year-old bush vines from hidden corners of the Cape. The climate is perfect for viticulture with the low rainfall in summer months, tempered by cool afternoon breezes and the cold winters allowing the vines to rest and to build up reserves. All grapes are picked by hand at optimal ripeness.

Crushed for flavour, not colour, this 40-year-old unirrigated bush vine wine sucks only from the rocks underground. Bright, expressive, and gently savoury on the nose. Along with its blushing hue, the palate rewards with fresh pomegranate flavour and acidity, savoury gamey notes, and a bright, beating heart of cherry ripe fruit.

Delicious slightly chilled, this Cinsault’s bright, earthy notes and acidity marries beautifully with Asian duck dishes, pork belly, stir-fried beef and indeed carpaccio of tuna, beef, or game.