It’s lovely that regulars to the shop are beginning to recognise and appreciate the series of Liberator Wines within our South Africa section. No one in the world knows more about the South African wine scene than our friend Rick Kelly, aka ‘The Liberator’. It is the belief of Rick that beyond the periphery of South Africa’s conventional vineyard regions lie great vinous treasures, resigned to anonymity ; forgotten, abandoned or simply undiscovered. So it’s therefore up to our intrepid Cape Crusader to seek them out and ‘Liberate’ these precious parcels. Mainly released as small batch limited bottlings or ‘Episodes’ with some as small as a single barrel (such as recent release Episode 14 ‘The Wendy House’ Chenin Blanc). Episode 7 ‘Swartland Revolution’ has been incredibly popular and there’s still some left of this brilliant Cinsault Cabernet blend but my current Wine of the Week is a Liberator that’s neither an Episode or a Special Release but one that is sustainable, repeatable and created to be enjoyed copiously in the knowledge that it is not subject to the finite quantities imposed by The Liberator Episodes. The Liberator ‘Francophile’ Syrah (£10). Rick has commissioned the making of this vibrant young Syrah to the genius winemaking skills of Carl Van der Merwe of top Stellenbosch producer DeMorgenzon. Full of vibrant red-black fruit and with an aromatic nose reminiscent of Crozes-Hermitage, the result is a thrilling young red that is free of the constraints and manipulated flavour profile that come with barrel-ageing. This is a very pure and naked example of the Syrah grape and is dangerously drinkable.
See the Wine HERE
