The Chocolate Block Half Bottles
£17.49
£23.32 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 6 bottles available
Multiple Tim Atkin SA Special Report listings
Boekenhoutskloof's iconic Swartland blend in a perfectly sized half bottle, Syrah-led, deeply perfumed, and unmistakably South African. Blackberry, lavender and cacao-dusted tannins in 375ml of pure pleasure. Ideal for solo dinners, a glass each over a midweek meal, or slipping into a gift hamper. UK delivery to your door.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
Our Verdict
We list The Chocolate Block in every format we can get our hands on, and the half bottle is the one we quietly recommend most. It's the same serious wine, Marc Kent's Swartland masterpiece, all perfume and structure and dark-fruit swagger, just sized for a Tuesday rather than a dinner party. Perfect for solo drinkers who refuse to compromise, couples sharing one good glass each, or anyone building a gift hamper that needs a wine with genuine pedigree. If you love this, the full 750ml and the magnums are worth a look too. A small-format pour with no small-format compromises.
Tasting Notes
A dark, brooding nose: blackberry and bramble lifted by lavender, with savoury whispers of cured meat and damp earth giving it real depth. The palate doesn't hold back, a compote of blueberry, ripe plum, blackcurrant and cherry rolls through, framed by cocoa-dusted tannins that add grip without harshness. Cumin, white pepper and liquorice flicker on a long, velvety finish. Powerful but poised, structured enough to command attention, refined enough to reward slow sipping.
About This Wine
Some wines need an occasion. This one creates one, even at half the size. The Chocolate Block is Boekenhoutskloof's flagship blend and one of the most loved South African reds on the planet, and here it comes in a 375ml format that's made for nights when you don't need a full bottle but absolutely deserve a great glass. Syrah leads the charge, fleshed out with Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier from the Swartland's wild, sun-soaked vineyards. Expect a brooding nose of blackberry, bramble and lavender, with a savoury whisper of cured meat and garrigue. The palate is a generous compote of blueberry, ripe plum and black cherry, framed by those famously cacao-powdery tannins that give the wine its name. Cumin, white pepper and liquorice trail across a velvety finish. It's powerful and structured, yet poised, the kind of wine that improves the longer you sit with it. Matured in a thoughtful combination of large French oak foudres and barriques (with new oak reserved for the Cabernet), the wine carries its complexity lightly. Pour it with a slow-braised lamb shank, a rare-cooked rib-eye, or a slab of mature Gouda. The half bottle is perfect for a quiet supper for two, a thoughtful stocking-filler for a South African expat, or a gentle introduction for someone who's never tried this cult Swartland blend. We ship across the UK, usually within a couple of working days.
Food Pairing
This wants something with char and richness. A rare ribeye with peppercorn sauce is the obvious move, but it shines just as brightly with a slow-cooked lamb shank, sticky with rosemary and red wine. For a Sunday lunch, try it with venison stew or a herb-crusted roast beef. Vegetarians, reach for a mushroom and chestnut Wellington.
- —Rare ribeye with crushed black peppercorn sauce
- —Slow-cooked lamb shank with rosemary and red wine
- —Venison and juniper stew
- —Mushroom and chestnut Wellington
- —Aged Cheddar with quince paste
How to Serve
Decanting
Worth a decant of thirty to forty-five minutes when young. The tannins soften with a little air, and the lavender and dark fruit aromatics really start to lift. A wide-bottomed decanter does the job nicely.
Ageing & Cellaring
Drinking beautifully now, but no rush. The cocoa-fine tannins and bright acidity will carry it well, in the 375ml half-bottle format, expect another four to six years of graceful development as the fruit softens into something more savoury and the earthy notes deepen.
The Land
The bulk of the fruit comes from two estate farms, Porseleinberg and Goldmine, where schist and granite soils on warm Swartland slopes push the vines to dig deep. Bush-vine Grenache on Porseleinberg adds brightness and texture; the surrounding Syrah brings the dark, peppery weight that anchors the blend.
The Winemaking
A Syrah-led blend joined by Grenache, Cinsault and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, each variety handled to play to its strengths. Syrah and Cinsault settle into a mix of seasoned 2,500-litre French oak foudres and barriques, letting the fruit breathe without picking up obvious oak. Grenache rests in seasoned 600-litre demi-muids, preserving its lift and brightness. Only the Cabernet sees new French oak barriques, lending backbone and a whisper of cedar. Élevage runs roughly 12 to 14 months, tailored parcel by parcel.
The Swartland Region
Swartland, 'the black land' in Afrikaans, named for the renosterbos that darkens after rain, rolls out north of Cape Town across the hills around Malmesbury and Riebeek-Kasteel. It's hot, dry, and stubbornly characterful: a place of old bush vines, granite and koffieklip soils, and a community of growers who've made it the most quietly thrilling corner of South African wine. Concentration, freshness, and a wild streak you don't find elsewhere, that's Swartland in a glass.
About the Producer
Boekenhoutskloof
Boekenhoutskloof sits at the head of the Franschhoek Valley on a farm first granted in 1776, named for the indigenous Cape beech trees in the ravine behind it. The modern estate was reborn in 1993, when seven partners bought the property and set about rebuilding it, those are the seven Cape Dutch chairs you see on the label. Marc Kent took over the cellar in 1994 and turned Boekenhoutskloof into one of South Africa's most influential producers, picking up Diners Club Winemaker of the Year along the way. Gottfried Mocke now leads the winemaking. The Chocolate Block, first made in 2002, has become the estate's calling card, and a wine that introduced thousands of UK drinkers to what the Cape can really do.