The Tin Mine Red
£17.49
£23.32 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 6 bottles available
A Stellenbosch red with quiet confidence and serious pedigree. The Tin Mine Red is Zevenwacht's expressive, food-friendly blend, built on cool maritime breezes and decomposed granite soils, layered with dark fruit and savoury spice. If you want a Cape red that punches well above its price tag, this is your bottle.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Our Verdict
We picked up the Tin Mine Red expecting a solid weeknight Stellenbosch red, and instead found ourselves opening a second bottle to make sure we hadn't imagined the first. There's a savoury, almost graphite-like seriousness running through it that you usually find at twice the price. It's the bottle we reach for when we want something dependable but interesting, perfect for the curious drinker who's bored of supermarket Malbec and ready to explore the Cape. Stock comes in modest parcels from Zevenwacht, so when it's on the shelf, we'd grab it.
Tasting Notes
A Stellenbosch Bordeaux-style blend that leans into structure rather than show. Dark cassis and black plum lead the nose, threaded with cedar, graphite and a whisper of pencil shaving from oak ageing. The palate is firm and sinewy, blackcurrant and mulberry framed by fine-grained, savoury tannins, lifted by the cool maritime freshness Bottelary is known for. The finish is long, dry and graphite-edged, the kind that lingers on the gums and asks for another sip.
About This Wine
Some wines shout. The Tin Mine Red prefers to draw you in. Zevenwacht's red blend has been a quiet favourite among Stellenbosch insiders for years, and once you've poured a glass you'll understand why, there's a poise and confidence here that says everything without raising its voice. The nose opens with dark plum, blackcurrant and a curl of woodsmoke, backed by cedar, dried herbs and a flick of black pepper. On the palate it's medium-to-full bodied, with ripe but firm tannins, a savoury graphite edge and a long, mineral finish that keeps pulling you back to the glass. The vineyards sit on the Polkadraai Hills, where decomposed granite soils and cooling breezes off Table Bay and False Bay give the wine its trademark freshness, generous Cape fruit, but never jammy. This is a brilliant Sunday roast wine. Try it with a slow-braised lamb shoulder, a rare ribeye and chips, or a sharp aged Cheddar at the end of dinner. It'll also drink beautifully now or reward five to eight years tucked away in the cupboard under the stairs. Delivered to your door anywhere in the UK, gift-wrapped if you'd like. A thoughtful bottle for the South African expat missing the Cape, or for any red wine lover who appreciates a wine that overdelivers without making a fuss.
Food Pairing
This wants red meat and time at the table. A rare-cooked ribeye with peppercorn sauce is the obvious move, but it really sings alongside a slow-braised lamb shank or a Sunday roast of rosemary-studded sirloin. For something lighter, try it with a mushroom and thyme tart or a hunk of mature Cheddar with quince paste.
- —Rare-cooked ribeye with peppercorn sauce
- —Slow-braised lamb shank with root vegetables
- —Sunday roast sirloin with rosemary and garlic
- —Wild mushroom and thyme tart
- —Mature Cheddar with quince paste
How to Serve
Decanting
Give this an hour in a decanter when young. The tannins are firm on opening and need air to relax, while the cedar and dark fruit aromatics need time to lift and unfurl.
Ageing & Cellaring
Drinks well on release but rewards another five to eight years in a cool, dark cupboard. Expect the firmer tannins to soften, the primary blackcurrant fruit to give way to leather, tobacco and dried herb, and the cedar-graphite character to step further forward.
The Land
The vineyards climb the south and south-west facing slopes of the Ribbokrant, sheltered from afternoon heat by the Bottelary Hills. Soils are varied and well-drained, the aspect cool, and the influence of two nearby bays softens every ripening day, exactly the kind of site where red varieties build flavour without losing freshness.
About the Producer
Zevenwacht
Zevenwacht, 'Seven Expectations' in old Dutch, has roots that reach deep into Stellenbosch's three-century wine story, and you can feel that lineage in every bottle. The Johnson family took the reins of the estate in 1992 and have spent the years since building on those foundations: tending 100 hectares of carefully chosen vineyards, restoring the historic farm, and investing in the people who work the land. Winemaker Hagen Viljoen sits at the heart of it all, balancing the old ways with a quiet willingness to embrace what modern cellars can offer. The result is a house style that feels both classic and alive, finely crafted, elegant, never showy.