The Liberator Episode 11 ‘Homage to Catalonia’ Viura 2016 Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

The Liberator is the work of Richard Kelley MW, widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading authorities on South African wine. He tracks down one-off parcels and forgotten lots from the Cape’s finest cellars and bottles them as numbered episodes, each with a comic-strip label and a story to tell. He lived and worked in the Cape through the industry’s post-apartheid renaissance, which is how he came by the access these bottlings depend on.

Episode 11 is his nod to Spain. Viura, also known as Macabeo, is the white grape behind much of white Rioja and Cava, and it is a genuine rarity in South Africa. This single-varietal bottling was drawn from a parcel at Solms Delta in Franschhoek, exactly the kind of curiosity Kelley set out to rescue. Its comic-strip label and Orwellian title are part of the fun, but the wine underneath is a serious rarity.

The wine is from the 2016 vintage and sits at 13.5% alcohol. As with every Liberator release it was a one-time bottling, so it will not be repeated from one year to the next.

Expect fresh acidity and a bright, citrus-led palate, with lemon and green apple lifted by subtle floral hints. It is clean and refreshing rather than weighty, the sort of white built for easy, sociable drinking.

For anyone who enjoys white Rioja or an unusual Mediterranean white, this is a fun discovery. Serve it well chilled as an aperitif, or alongside grilled fish, seafood and lighter tapas-style plates on a warm evening.