The Liberator Episode 32 ‘Opposites Attract’ Shiraz Red Blend 2019 Constantia, Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

Richard Kelley MW spent years living and working in the Cape before creating The Liberator, his project for rescuing one-off wines and bottling them as numbered episodes. He runs the importer Dreyfus Ashby alongside his wife Rebekah, which is where these wines find their UK home. He spent the best part of a decade in the Cape and built the relationships that let him bottle one-off wines like this one.

Episode 32, Opposites Attract, is a red blend from Eagles’ Nest in cool Constantia. Shiraz leads at around 71%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc filling in the frame, a mix of grapes and roles that gives the wine its name. Constantia, cooled by sea breezes, lends the fruit a leafy freshness rarely found in warmer sites.

The wine is from the 2019 vintage and a moderate 14% alcohol. As with every Liberator release it was bottled once and will not be repeated, so it captures a single Constantia parcel from that year.

Expect dark berry fruit with a leafy, herbal edge and a firm, structured palate, the cooler climate keeping everything fresh and savoury rather than jammy. There is real grip here for the table, and a little to gain from time in the cellar.

If you enjoy cool-climate Syrah or a structured Cape red blend, this is well worth a look. It comes into its own with roast lamb, grilled beef, venison or a mature hard cheese, and benefits from a decant. A red made for the dinner table.