McFarlane Tuesday’s Child Cinsault 2021

Earlier this year, I asked members what new wines they’d like me to bring in.

When lots of people came back wanting lower alcohol reds, I immediately thought of Cinsault.

It's an underrated grape that’s used as a blender in southern French reds.

In Châteauneuf-du-Pape it adds brightness and charm, and helps keep the alcohol down.

When I was down in South Africa a few years back, every top winemaker seemed to be making a Cinsault.

Mainly for drinking around the braai with their friends.

There’s something about its bright colour, intense red fruit, and gentle spiciness which makes it so lip-smackingly delicious, especially with food.

A good one will remind you of a very light and very good Burgundy.

This is a blend of old vine Stellenbosch and Breedekloof fruit, and shows exactly why Cinsault is on the rise.

Breedekloof is a known as a mass-producing area for port-style wines, but you do get the odd gem of a vineyard starting to produce great wines in their own right.

Alex fermented the grapes here whole-bunch for extra texture - and she ended up 'gobsmacked' how aromatic and bright the wine turned out.

She then added a parcel of Stellenbosch fruit for a bit of structure and deep red cherry flavour.

This is one for the fine Burgundy fans. Pinot-like elegance at just 11.5% alcohol - the holy grail!