Darling Cellars, The Capeman SMG Red Blend, 2022
Darling Cellars, The Capeman SMG Red Blend, 2022
- Red Still
- 75.0cl
- 14.0%
- Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan
This is a beautifully balanced, easy-drinking red with plenty of character. Made from dry-farmed bush vines, it delivers vibrant flavours of red plum, cherry, and a touch of crushed black pepper.
The blend—42% Shiraz, 30% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, and 14% Carignan—gives it real Rhône-style charm, but with an extra hit of sunny ripeness. Smooth, juicy, and with a lingering finish, it’s a crowd-pleaser through and through.
- ❖ ABV: 14.0%
Grapes
Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan
Vintage report
Darling sits on South Africa's west coast, cooled by the Benguela Current rolling in off the Atlantic, and 2022 gave the region a season that played to those strengths. The Western Cape broadly experienced warm, dry conditions through the growing season, with good winter rainfall providing a solid foundation before a largely settled summer. Darling's coastal position moderated the heat well enough to preserve freshness, and the dry conditions kept disease pressure low — always a boon in a region where Chenin Blanc and Syrah do their best work when the vines can focus rather than fight.
The wines that came out of 2022 have real substance to them: Syrah with genuine depth and dark-fruited intensity, Chenin with the kind of textural grip and savoury length that reminds you why this corner of the Cape deserves more attention than it gets. These are not wines built for immediate, unthinking pleasure — there is structure here that rewards patience. Most are drinking well now with a bit of air, but the better examples will continue to develop until 2027 or beyond.
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Twenty years in hospitality later, after curating the wine list for Manchester’s first Neapolitan pizza restaurant, and running a natural wine bar, Jen made the move to the other side of the table.