Swartland wine explained through three bottles

Carignan on decomposed granite

Carignan is a red grape that does well in warmth, and the Swartland's dry heat suits it. Decomposed granite, the region's other signature soil, drains fast, so the roots have to dig and the vines give modest yields of small berries. The Carignan comes from a single vineyard on granite, on breeze-cooled hillsides around Malmesbury.

In the glass the fruit is red and bright, dried cranberry and raspberry, with a graphite note on the finish that comes from that mineral ground. It is rich and smooth, with tannins that hold the fruit in shape and stay approachable. You can open it now, and it has the structure to keep for a few more years, during which the fruit turns softer and more savoury.

Herby pork and beef meatballs in tomato sauce suit it, and so does mushroom risotto with roasted vegetables, which makes it a useful bottle when one person at the table skips meat.

Mourvèdre, koffieklip and Spice Route

Koffieklip means 'coffee stone', a hard, iron-rich rock that holds heat and pushes roots further down. Spice Route grows its Mourvèdre on koffieklip and on Oakleaf, a sandy loam over decomposed granite. Charles Back, already established at Fairview in Paarl, bought the farm, Klein Amoskuil, when it was an old tobacco property near Malmesbury and the Swartland was known for bulk wine and brandy grapes. The first cellar was the farm's converted tobacco-drying shed, and Spice Route is now credited as one of the producers who put the region on the fine wine map.

Spice Route Swartland Mourvedre is hand-picked, then fermented in open concrete kuipe, the traditional South African fermenting tank, with the skins punched down by hand. After about a week on skins it goes into seasoned French and American barrels, with a small part aged in qvevri, clay amphorae that give a rounder middle to the palate. The wine is dense and savoury, with a tang of red fruit keeping it lively. Our Mourvèdre grape guide explains the variety itself.

Oxtail stew with red wine and root vegetables is the natural partner, and roast duck with thyme and dark cherry jus picks up the fruit. Of the three, this is the one to keep. Over four to six years in a cellar the meaty notes deepen, the tannins soften and the red fruit moves towards dried cherry and leather.

Where to start with Swartland wines

For a first bottle, choose the Carignan. The granite and sea breeze show in its bright red fruit and graphite finish, and the small berries give it the region's concentration alongside its freshness. Pick the Aloe Tree Shiraz instead for a weeknight dinner of sausages or stew, where its soft tannins and ripe fruit suit plain cooking, and save the Mourvèdre for a long Sunday braise or for putting away.

The Aloe Tree Shiraz fits any night of the week, served at 17°C, and every other region we stock is in the full range. For Swartland itself, the order we would suggest starts with the Carignan alongside tomato meatballs and ends with the Mourvèdre, kept back for an oxtail stew that has spent the afternoon in a low oven.