Lo & Behold Shiraz Mourvedre Carignan
£12.99
£17.32 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 4 bottles available
A Rhône-style red from high in the Citrusdal mountains, where old bush vines and cool nights work their quiet magic. Shiraz brings the pepper, Mourvèdre the dark, brooding fruit, Carignan the perfume. Bold but balanced, food-friendly to its core, and ridiculous value at this price. Your new midweek hero.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Our Verdict
We love a wine that overdelivers, and this one practically shouts about it. Piekenierskloof is one of the Cape's most exciting high-altitude pockets, and you can taste it here: there's a freshness and lift you simply don't get from blends at this price point. We'd put this on the table for a midweek pizza night, a casual supper with friends, or as the friendly, unfussy red at a barbecue. If you've enjoyed southern Rhône blends from Côtes du Rhône Villages but fancy something with a bit more sunshine in the glass, this is a brilliant place to start. Stocks are limited, so don't dawdle.
Tasting Notes
Fresh, ripe fruit and a lift of white pepper greet the nose, with Mourvèdre pushing a darker, brooding core beneath the classic Shiraz signature. The Carignan adds a fragrant top note, almost floral, while a flash of red-fruit vibrancy keeps everything bright. The palate is medium to full-bodied, layered with dark plum, raspberry, and a savoury, herbal undertow. Six months of French oak on the Shiraz adds a whisper of warmth without weight, and the finish lingers on peppery spice and crushed berries.
About This Wine
Here's a wine that punches well above its weight. The Lo & Behold blend comes from Piekenierskloof, a wild, windswept plateau 650 metres up in the Citrusdal mountains, where vines as old as 25 years cling to sandstone soils and ripen slowly through long, sun-soaked days and properly cool nights. That altitude is everything: it's what gives this wine its lift, its freshness, its sense of life. Shiraz leads with classic black pepper and ripe, juicy fruit. Mourvèdre, the Rhône's secret weapon, layers in dark plum and a savoury, almost gamey depth. Carignan adds a lifted, floral fragrance that stops the whole thing from getting too serious. Each variety is fermented separately. The Shiraz spends six months in French oak through malolactic, while the others rest in stainless steel to keep their fruit pure and bright. Then it's all blended together. Lo and behold: a Rhône-style red with genuine character. Reach for this with a pepperoni pizza fresh from the oven, a bowl of slow-cooked lamb ragu over pappardelle, or a chargrilled lamb chop with rosemary. It's the kind of bottle that makes a Tuesday feel like the weekend. Delivered to your door anywhere in the UK. A safe, generous choice for anyone who loves a Rhône blend but wants to see what South Africa does with the formula.
Food Pairing
This is a proper food wine. It loves a wood-fired pizza topped with Italian sausage, or a rich Mediterranean pasta heavy on tomato, garlic, and herbs. Best of all is lamb stew, slow-cooked with rosemary and red wine; the wine's pepper and dark fruit meet the meat halfway. A platter of charcuterie and aged hard cheeses also works beautifully on a quiet evening.
- —Wood-fired pizza with Italian sausage and rocket
- —Slow-cooked lamb stew with rosemary and root vegetables
- —Mediterranean pasta with tomato, olives, and capers
- —Charcuterie board with aged Manchego and salami
- —Grilled lamb cutlets with herby couscous
How to Serve
Decanting
Worth a 20 to 30 minute decant. The Mourvèdre core takes a moment to unfurl, and a little air really lets the pepper and floral notes settle into the darker fruit.
Ageing & Cellaring
Drinking beautifully now and built to hold for another 3 to 5 years. Expect the youthful pepper and bright fruit to soften into something more savoury and integrated over time, with the Mourvèdre's structure mellowing as the wine relaxes.
The Land
Dry-land bush vines, some up to 25 years old, root into sandy loam and sandstone soils at 650 to 700 metres. That altitude is the key. Cool mountain nights claw back the heat of the day, stretching ripening out and locking in aromatic lift, structure, and the bright-edged fruit that defines Piekenierskloof reds.
The Winemaking
Each variety walks its own path before joining the blend. The Shiraz spends six months in French oak through malolactic fermentation, picking up a whisper of spice and softening its edges without losing its pepper. Mourvèdre and Carignan, meanwhile, are fermented and aged in stainless steel for six months, keeping their fruit pure and their personalities intact. Only then are they brought together. It's a patient approach that lets each grape have its say before they harmonise in the bottle.
About the Producer
Piekenierskloof Wine Company
Piekenierskloof Wine Company takes its name from the plateau it calls home, a high-altitude pocket in the Citrusdal Mountains about 50km north of Swartland. The Piekeniers were Dutch soldiers sent from the Cape centuries ago to explore the Olifants River region; today their name marks one of South Africa's most quietly important wine zones. Under winemaker Hendrien Vercueil, the team specialises in Rhône-style wines built around the area's old, ungrafted bush vines. Some of these were planted back in the 1950s and still produce small, intense bunches that give Piekenierskloof's wines their distinctive depth and authenticity. This is a producer that lets the place do the talking.