B Vintners, Red Blend, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2021

Producer Profile

B Vintners is a joint venture between Bruwer Raats, owner and winemaker of Raats Family Wines and his cousin, Gavin Bruwer Slabbert, who joined Bruwer as winemaker and viticulturist in 2009.

B Vintners focus on creating a small collection of single vineyard, hand-crafted wines; the first being the Muscat d’ Alexandria 2014 from a tiny vineyard in Helderberg. Minimal intervention, with an organic attitude towards the winemaking results in wines that are textural and complex.

Viticulture

This is not just your standard partnership. Instead of owning their own vineyards, the B’s (Bruwer & Bruwer) source grapes from different locations best suited to each variety, opting to create working relationships with similar minded people in the industry who believe in their avant-garde winemaking approach.

Winemaking

After fermentation the wine is aged in used 300L French Oak barrels for 12 months.

Oak Ageing

Time: 12 Months
Type: 300 Litre French Oak
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: None

Tasting Note

The blend combination of the wine makes it unique to South Africa – Grenache, Syrah and Pinotage. The Grenache gives florals and freshness, Syrah its characteristic spice and structure and the Pinotage gives fruit depth to the wine. Made from younger planted Grenache and Pinotage in combination with some of higher lying Syrah, this special South African red blend gives ample enjoyment but is a wine that will reward a bit of cellaring.

Food Matching

Wild mushroom risotto or pan roasted duck breast.