Sestien Wind Cellars, Western Cape (South Africa) Grenache 2024 ($25)

This bottling shows a middle-of-the-road expression for the variety, and it’s a surprise to me to see that it comes from South Africa, which in turn makes me wonder why it’s perhaps the only such example that I’ve tasted. It’s seamlessly structured, with a supple grip, lively ripe strawberry, cherry and rich oak spice that linger through a long finish. A dash of pepper keeps it bright throughout, and it’ll have you sipping repeatedly. A steal at twenty-five bucks!
95 Rich Cook