2022 Kalmoesfontein Red Blend, AA Badenhorst Family Wines

• Style: Brooding, concentrated South African red blend
• Taste: Black cherry, white pepper, lavender and dark berries with dry savoury length
• Food: BBQ & grilled dishes; stews & braises; game & venison; roast dinners; beef & steak
• Occasion: Sunday lunch; date night
• Serve: 14% ABV, drink now or age; serve with proper meals

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Dark, concentrated and built for the table. Brooding aromas of black cherry, white pepper and anise unfold into a perfumed lift that prevents heaviness. On the palate, genuine density emerges through lavender-tinged dark berry fruit and blackcurrant, finishing dry and savoury with integrated rather than aggressive tannins. Restrained at 14% alcohol, structured enough to age, and compelling enough to drink now.

The Winery — A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines

Founded in 2008 by Adi Badenhorst and his cousin Hein on Kalmoesfontein farm in Paardeberg, the winery sources from old bush vines planted between the 1950s and 1970s rooted in granite and iron-rich koffieklip soils. The 2022 vintage faced heat waves during harvest, but mature vines with deeper root systems delivered healthy, concentrated fruit. Winemaking is unhurried and minimal-intervention: hand-harvesting, overnight cooling, whole-bunch foot-stomping into concrete and wooden vessels, then three to six months of skin contact with twice-daily pigeage using minimal sulphur. This extended maceration builds the textural depth and tannin architecture that defines the finished wine. The blend of Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro, Cinsault and Tinta Barroca expresses true site character rather than chasing fashion.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Drink this with grilled game, slow-cooked beef stews, roasted lamb with mustard, or aged cheddar. The wine sits comfortably alongside the rest of our South African reds and marks Badenhorst as one of the region's most thoughtful voices. Explore the cellar with our Syrah & Shiraz selection for wines that share this Mediterranean spice and black fruit character, though often tempered by cooler maritime influence. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly.