The Week Wine Club: Try something different from Swig, our January wine partner

(Image credit: Bigstock)

published 20 January 2017

Wine lovers tend to be set in their ways: once they discover what they prefer in terms of grapes or regions, they stick within those parameters. I’m as guilty of this as the next person. That’s why we should all be grateful for wine merchants like Robin Davis at Swig. He has made it his lifelong passion to hunt down obscure wines that excite his palate and are properly priced. I love all of these wines from South Africa, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal and France, but especially the Soli pinot noir and the Papegaai white. It is stimulating to explore the new frontiers of wine making – and all of these delightful wines are generously priced, at less than what is available elsewhere in the market.

As usual a mixed case of my selection is available, which includes two bottles of each of the wines. The Week Wines price: £124.00, usually £161.80. Click here to order. Also available are 12 bottle cases of each of the wines. All are at an exclusive price for readers of The Week and with free UK mainland delivery. Terms & conditions apply.

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There is a remarkable freshness and vitality to this Rhone-varietal wine, from Swartland, the most recently developed wine region just north of Paarl in South Africa. The vineyards are more than 40 years old, having been abandoned in the post-apartheid era and only now being nurtured back to life. The grape composition is nearly half each of shiraz and grenache, with a dash of cinsault. It is perfect right now for casual drinking, ideally with robust meat dishes. It is named Secateurs because the grower believes these are the most important implements for the evolution of his vines. The Week Wines price: £119.40, usually £150.00. Click here to order

I never thought I would ever enjoy any table wine with 15% alcohol, but this Portuguese one has tipped the balance. It is the brainchild of brother-and-sister team António and Joana Maçanita, both of whom have experience in Bordeaux and Australia. Despite its high percentage, there is nothing spirit-like about the taste, though it’s not for the faint-hearted. The density is reminiscent of port, with hints of dried prunes and raisins, and it will still evolve for several more years yet. It would go well with any powerfully flavoured dish or strong cheese. The Week Wines price: £155.40, usually £198.00. Click here to order

I admit this doesn’t sound like a sane choice – a Bulgarian pinot noir? However, it exudes gentleness and elegant fruit. Strangely, this pinot noir is reminiscent of Château Rayas, the most refined and exotic Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Some may find it too delicate at first, but give it an hour or so to breathe, and you will be amazed at its complexity and sophistication. A steal at the price. The Week Wines price: £114.00, usually £150.00. Click here to order

Adi Badenhorst is one of the most charismatic wine-makers in Swartland, and this wine is named after the Cape Parrot (Papegaai) – an endangered species that Adi is trying to rescue. The mixture of grapes here makes this sound like the most cosmopolitan wine imaginable: chenin, chardonnay and viognier. However, it is packed with luscious fruit with just a shimmer of acid at the very end, which enhances the experience. Any fish dish would go well with this. The Week Wines price: £107.40, usually £143.40. Click here to order

This is a highly enjoyable version of macabeo – a fashionable grape from northern Spain and the Pyrenean vineyards of the western Roussillon. It is full flavoured but has a pleasant herbal, citric and grassy taste, and lasts surprisingly long after opening. The vineyards are at an altitude of 600m in the oldest denomination in Aragón, near Zaragoza. Perfectly enjoyable drunk by itself, and ideal if you desire something more full bodied and complex than sauvignon blanc. The Week Wines price: £95.40, usually £119.40. Click here to order

This is an exciting new dry white Bordeaux that actually comes from the sweet wine Sauternes region. Several well-known Sauternes, including Rayne-Vigneau, Clos Haut-Peyraguey and La Tour Blanche, surround the ten acres of vineyards. Wine-maker Cyril de Romance and his family have a long association with Bordeaux, and they are determined to create “daring and unusual wines” in the style of white Burgundy. This one is 90% sémillon – which has a delightful honeyed flavour over time – plus 10% sauvignon blanc to add backbone. Less than 1,000 cases are made of this gem, which will definitely gain in popularity once it is better known. Perfect by itself or with most varieties of fish. The Week Wines price: £152.40, usually £210.00. Click here to order

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