About the wine
Richard's medium bodied Syrah is his homage to the Rhone
- Syrah and Shiraz are planted in a multitude of different countries these days, however for me true Syrah can be found in the Northern Rhone. The idea behind The Cutler Syrah was to tip my hat to the Rhone style, whilst at the same time show the unique characteristics of Elgin and Elim in South Africa.
- I have made this wine from parcels usually reserved for more expensive wines. Luckily as I know the grower well, I have managed to secure them for a keen price so that the Angels can benefit from an excellent wine at a great price.
- Last year has been hailed as one of the best vintages of modern times, the grape bunches were the healthiest many farmers had ever seen! As the grapes have had a chance to fully ripen, you're left with a wine that has delicious red plum and black berry fruit, with black and white pepper and a crushed velvet texture that will drink well now and for a few years yet.
Richard Kershaw, Winemaker
Best before
Drink now until 2023
Serving advice
Serve at 16-18°C. Open/Decant 30 minutes before serving
Food match
My personal pairings would include grilled lamb chops with fennel, Lamb shawarma or a Greek gyros with tzatziki sauce; charcoal-grilled pork shoulder with fresh herbs and garlic would work a charm and for the more adventurous perhaps pork with a black bean chilli in which the fruitiness of the wine tames the heat in the chilli and the mid palate is juicy enough to link to the pork. Going posh you could try a juniper and pepper crusted venison served in a red wine sauce, more recently I tried it with beef shank (or Italian wild boar meat sauce if you can find) with pasta strips (pappardelle) and mint. Here in South Africa, we get some great lamb that is more on the gamey side. Try leg of lamb rubbed in paprika, ground cardamom and chilli powder roasted with garlic cloves and rosemary works a treat.
On the other hand a regular hamburger is an absolute winner. If you go for a topping, the acidity in the wine will work with the sweeter toppings better: ketchup, sweet relish, caramelized onions.
For the vegetarian dishes brined or grilled aubergine works well as does a vegetarian lasagne and of course you could do a nut roast and veggie burger. In the pasta department, tomato-based sauces can work but I think some herbs like thyme are also needed, garlic and a smidgeon of chilli. Many Middle Eastern dishes would also work well with the fruitier Cutler Syrah. Asian foods such as duck pair well with the peppery notes of the Syrah but the wines comes alive with some Szechuan pepper whilst the sweetness of hoisin sauce will match the acidity to a tee.
Contains sulphites
Always check the label
South Africa
Western Cape
Syrah | Shiraz
Smooth Red
13.5% ABV
75cl
Vegan
Vegetarian
Wine profile
Meet the winemaker - Richard Kershaw
- He's a tip-off from Rod and Richard proved he is seriously wine savvy when he became a Master of Wine. Not bad for a man from Sheffield!
- Angel funding gave Richard the jump his one-man business needed, allowing him to tap into South Africa's huge potential to make spectacular wines without hiking up the price.
- Unlike the show-off wineries in South Africa, Richard dreams of owning a shed to make wine in. So you're not paying for fancy cellar doors, marble floors, and Michelin-starred restaurants. Just raw winemaking talent, great grapes, and a shed.
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