Wild House Shiraz
£9.49
£12.65 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Out of Stock
Here's an everyday South African Shiraz that punches well above its modest price. Hand-harvested from the sun-warmed slopes of Paarl, with a touch of Franschhoek fruit for spice and edge, it delivers ripe black cherry, smoke and a whisper of dark chocolate. Generous, fresh and built for the braai. Delivered to your door across the UK.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
Our Verdict
We keep coming back to Wild House Shiraz because it does something genuinely hard: it tastes like a far more serious wine than its price tag suggests. There's real Paarl character here, that smoky black fruit and mineral lift, with just enough French oak to add polish rather than weight. It's the bottle we reach for when friends turn up unannounced and the coals are already lit. Perfect for anyone who wants honest, food-friendly South African Shiraz without the fuss. Stock moves quickly at this price, so don't dawdle if you're tempted. If you enjoy it, explore more of our Boutinot range.
Tasting Notes
A generous, fruit-forward Shiraz that leads with summer pudding and ripe black cherry, lifted by a raspberry note that keeps it bright rather than heavy. The palate fills out with rich black fruits and a savoury wisp of smoke, plus a suggestion of dark chocolate and star anise that adds intrigue without weighing things down. A touch of vanilla from time in French oak rounds the edges. Youthful acidity and ripe, balanced tannins carry a fresh finish with real depth, so it stays drinkable glass after glass.
About This Wine
If you've ever wanted to taste the Cape on a Tuesday night without thinking twice about the price, this is your bottle. Wild House Shiraz comes from Boutinot's South African team, the people who first arrived in 1994 chasing great Chenin and ended up pioneering the wild ferment style now copied across the country. They know these vineyards plot by plot, and it shows. Most of the fruit is hand-picked from the trellised Shiraz vineyards of Paarl, where warm days and sandy, granite-derived soils give wines real generosity and a fine seam of minerality. A small splash of cooler Franschhoek fruit adds spice and a bit of welcome edge. The wine ferments naturally in stainless steel, with half then going through malolactic in 300 and 600 litre French oak barrels, a tenth of them new. That gentle oak handling rounds it out without ever stealing the show. Expect inviting aromas of ripe black cherry, summer pudding and vanilla, then a palate of rich black fruit, smoke and a suggestion of dark chocolate and star anise. Fresh acidity and ripe, balanced tannins keep the finish lively. This wants a braai, a Sunday roast, or sticky barbecued ribs once the British summer finally turns up. It also makes a thoughtful, easy gift for any South African expat missing home, delivered anywhere in the UK.
Food Pairing
This is a braai wine to its core, so think charred and smoky. It comes alive next to lamb chops off the coals, sticky barbecue ribs, or boerewors with a charred crust. The fresh acidity cuts through fat beautifully, making it just as happy with a Sunday roast of beef or a deeply savoury mushroom stroganoff on a cold British evening.
- —Barbecued lamb chops with rosemary and garlic
- —Sticky slow-cooked pork ribs
- —Grilled boerewors with chakalaka
- —Roast beef with all the trimmings
- —Mushroom and thyme stroganoff
How to Serve
Decanting
No need to decant for hours, but half an hour in a jug or open bottle lets the smoky, spiced notes unfurl and the ripe fruit show at its most generous.
Ageing & Cellaring
Drink this one young. It is built as a fruit-forward, everyday red made for enjoyment now rather than the cellar, and that bright, juicy character is exactly the point. Open it over the next couple of years while the fruit is at its most generous.
The Land
The backbone comes from trellised Shiraz vineyards on the sandy, granite-derived soils around Paarl, which give the wine its generous fruit and a fine seam of minerality. A small Franschhoek component, grown in that cooler mountain-ringed valley, adds a touch of spice and lift, sharpening the finish without losing the warmth.
The Winemaking
The fruit is hand-harvested and sorted, then left to ferment naturally in stainless steel, letting wild yeasts set the tone rather than a cultured strain. Half the blend then goes through malolactic fermentation in 300 and 600 litre French oak barrels, only a tenth of them new. It is a light touch by design: enough oak to round the edges and add a whisper of vanilla and spice, never enough to bury the bright black fruit. The result is a Shiraz built for freshness and easy enjoyment.
About the Producer
Boutinot
Paul Boutinot spent years searching the world for a site that could make wine on his terms. He found it on the Schapenberg, a windswept ridge above Somerset West looking out over False Bay and the Atlantic. From day one Waterkloof was farmed organically, with biodynamic conversion following soon after. Cattle, sheep and goats roam the estate producing compost and grazing cover crops, and draught horses do the work tractors usually do, keeping the soil loose and alive. Cellarmaster Nadia Barnard, who joined at the very beginning and now runs the cellar, takes those naturally balanced grapes and gives them as little intervention as possible. It's farming as philosophy, and you can taste it.