Skip to content
Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2022 Kalmoesfontein Red Blend, AA Badenhorst Family Wines Wine Republic

2022 Kalmoesfontein Red Blend, AA Badenhorst Family Wines

Swartland, South Africa

Swartland after dark.

This is a red with shadows, spice and serious allure. Built from 33% Shiraz, 25% Grenache, 16% Mataro, 14% Cinsault and 12% Tinta Barroca, it opens with brooding aromas of black cherry, cracked pepper and liquorice, then drifts into perfume, lavender and that lovely dark-fruited, herbal complexity that feels unmistakably Swartland. The palate is dense and layered, with black berry fruit, savoury spice and a fine thread of freshness keeping everything lifted. There is weight here, but also real poise, with tannins spread beautifully through the wine and a dry, confident finish that lingers on blackcurrant, spice and warm stone. It feels wild in spirit, but beautifully put together.

For when: the fire is lit, the food is slow-cooked, and the conversation has properly settled in.
Pairs with: lamb shoulder, smoky aubergine, braised beef, barbecue dishes, or aged hard cheeses.
If this wine were a person: dark shirt, dusty boots, magnetic energy, and just a little bit mysterious.

The fruit comes from small parcels on Kalmoesfontein and Jakkalsfontein in the Paardeberg, where dry-farmed bush vines rooted in granite soils bring both depth and character to the blend. The 2022 wine was matured for around 20 months in old French oak foudres and 500-litre barrels, a gentle approach that adds shape and texture without polishing away the wine’s natural personality. It is a wonderful expression of Adi Badenhorst’s style, old-vine Swartland fruit, hands-off winemaking, and a red that feels both rugged and refined.

Whats in the bottle
33% Shiraz, 25% Grenache, 16% Mataro, 14% Cinsault and 12% Tinta Barroca

£33.50 - £33.50
£33.50
£33.50 - £33.50
£33.50
Availability:
In stock

A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines is one of the names most closely associated with the modern rise of the Swartland, yet its roots feel deeply tied to an older, more instinctive South African wine culture. Based at Kalmoesfontein on the Paardeberg, the estate was founded by Adi Badenhorst and has become known for wines that are full of life, texture and an unmistakable sense of place. The farm is home to old bush vines, many planted in the 1950s and 1960s, spread across varied slopes and rooted in decomposed granite, quartz and iron-rich koffieklip soils, all of which contribute to the fragrance, savoury detail and natural tension that run through the range.

What makes Badenhorst so compelling is the way these wines balance freedom with precision. Farming is hands-on and largely biological in outlook, with unirrigated bush vines and a strong emphasis on preserving the individuality of each parcel. In the cellar, the approach is deliberately unforced, favouring traditional methods and gentle handling over polish for polish’s sake. That philosophy gives the wines their hallmark character, expressive, textural and often slightly wild around the edges, but always anchored by purity and purpose.

From the brilliantly drinkable Secateurs range to the more layered and age-worthy bottlings from Kalmoesfontein itself, A.A. Badenhorst has helped redefine what Swartland can be: not just fashionable, but profound. These are wines that celebrate old vineyards, Mediterranean varieties and the raw beauty of the Cape, all seen through the lens of a grower who trusts both the land and his own instincts.

All vineyard parcels are hand-harvested together on the same day, sorted in the vineyard, and cooled overnight in a refrigerated room. The following day, the grapes are transferred to concrete and wooden fermentation vessels. Around 40% of the fruit is destemmed, and minimal sulphur is added. Whole bunches are foot stomped to release juice and initiate natural fermentation. Fermentation is carried out with twice-daily pigeage, and the grapes in closed concrete tanks remain on their skins for three to six months before pressing. This extended maceration builds texture, tannin integration, and aromatic complexity.