VAT 16 by Flagstone 2017

At 16% Vol the wine’s name speaks for itself. It certainly provides a warming, supple mouthful of fruit whenever you might need one! It’s a special wine that winemaker Gerhardt Swart usually reserves as a blending component for his Flagstone range of wines. At 16%, you could imagine it would add some heft, but because it's high grown, the fruit has a lovely edge of freshness too. On a recent visit, our buyer Kirsten tasted it and loved it so much, she persuaded Gerhardt to hold some back and bottle it pure. It's made largely from Grenache, a Rhône grape not widely seen in the Cape, but likely to soon. All fruit, no oak, this juicy Grenache with a portion of Cinsault is great on its own or with sausages and mash or a spicy bean casserole.