AA Badenhorst Kalmoesfontein Family Red Blend

Grenache (aka Garnacha) is a black grape variety that has been championed by the French in the Southern Rhône Valley, however its original home is in Spain. It typically has high levels of sugar (and therefore alcohol) and low acidity. Due to its thin skins, Grenache’s tannins tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum, making way for all the juicy red fruit flavours (strawberry, plum, red cherry).

Grenache is often blended with other grape varieties, such as Syrah in France and Tempranillo in Spain. Many are unoaked, but high-quality wines are matured in barrels to add complexity. These will happily age in-bottle developing meaty, earthy flavours over time. You’ll also find Grenache in a lot of rosé wines.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône is probably the most highly prized Grenache, where you can expect more smoky herbal notes in the wine. Spanish Garnacha contributes fresh fruit to the wines of Rioja and Navarra, but the most powerful and full-bodied Garnacha-based wines can be found in Priorat.

A rich, powerful, and sometimes meaty red wine that originated in the Rhône Valley of France. Syrah is the most planted grape of Australia, where they call it Shiraz, and the Barossa Valley is home to some of the oldest Syrah vines.

Syrah is responsible for some of the darkest full-bodied red wines in the world, and it has dark fruit flavours that go from sweet blueberry to savoury black olive. Grown across the globe, it can be used as a single variety or as part of a blend.

Old World Syrahs from Italy and France tend to have more acidity and earthy-herbaceous aromas. New World-styled Syrah wines from Australia, The U.S. and South America usually have more fruit-driven characteristics with lots of spice. 

Some of the most famous (and most expensive) Syrah is from the 340+ acre Northern Rhône appellation called Hermitage. Elsewhere in the Rhône, you'll mostly find it blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre (GSM Blend).