A wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing
The Darling Hills are legendary for their ability to deliver some fairly fancy cinsauts. Duncan Savage, Donovan Rall, Francois Haasbroek and Natte Valleij all form part of the supremely pedigreed Darling Hills Cinsaut Sorority. But for all the Cinsaut celebrity in Darling, there is something almost unnervingly concentrated about this Groenekloof bottling.

There is a common practise of bleeding a fraction of the free run juice off – that part which is first to come out of the press, before much colour and tannin are extracted, and this is done in order to further concentrate the juice that is left behind, but winemaker Warren Ellis assures me that this doesn’t happen here. Tasting notes are attached, but honestly, you’ll have to taste it, and experience this vinifical anomaly for yourself to see what I’m on about. Also “vinifical” is a word that I just made up.
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👃🏼Vanguard carries a pronounced Omar-shariff-sized nose of red cherry, fresh leather, vanilla, black plum, white pepper & lavender. There is none of the prettiness South Africa’s lighter-styled cinsauts. Instead this guy channels the spirit of a Syrah in a most comprehensive way.
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👄 Palate is medium-weighted, with a pleasant mix of ripe plums, oaky vanilla, and slightly more savoury leather elements. There is also a sense of Tannins are fine on the tail end, but not absent. Structure sufficient to support the lingering cherry and white pepper elements.
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🔬100% Cinsaut. Wine of Origin Darling. Grapes are innoculated and fermented in Stainless Steel tanks. They also enjoy a post fermentation maceration, before being pressed off into 500-litre oak barrels (20% new), where they stayed for a rather lengthy 17 months. 

💰 R320.00 (as of February 2022)