Soft, supple and oozing luscious dark-red fruit, Merlot on form is very hard to beat. Carcassonne's Domaine Fonces Grives boasts top Spanish Silver and you'll taste the show-stopping pedigrees of Chile's Los Rosales and Groenendal Vineyards from the Cape. Merlot's classic partner is Cabernet Sauvignon - Rusty Goat is a fine example - but we doubt you've seen it partnered with Hungarian grape Kekfrankos before. Your case is closed by Pigassou ... a rich, Merlot based favourite from the foothills of the Pyrennees.

A case of bold, fruit-packed reds, ripened to perfection under the hot African sun. Star of the case is customer favourite Groote Kaap, a barnstorming 15% Cabernet from Montagu in the Western Cape. The Rustler is a prime example of Pinotage, South Africa's berry-rich native red and to finish you've a South African take on southern French Mourvedre, brimming with blackberry and black pepper.

Ask anyone in the know who the most charismatic, innovative man in South African wine is today, and Charles Back's name will come up. Voted the second most influential man in the industry (behind a certain Mr Mandela!), he is one of country's undisputed winemaking legends. We're thrilled to have secured this gorgeous wine - a delicious testament to his appetite for the unusual. Grenache is rare in South Africa, and only a small volume is currently produced. Taste this trendsetting wine and you'll see why this can't be the case forever. Six Hats is an exceptional, intense effort - and it's Fair Trade too! The Six Hats project seeks to highlight the various roles of everyone involved in wine farming. The hats indicate partnership, change, potential, equity, dignity and sustainability - the six cornerstones of Back and his team's philosophy. The wine had the chance to strut its stuff next to its peers in October 2010 at a Fair Trade tasting. Decanter magazine's Tastings Director Christelle Guibert was impressed, calling it a wine "I would gladly drink on a regular basis ... packed with juicy red fruit." It certainly is that: its gorgeous, sweet black fruits leap from the glass and make it an irresistibly refreshing proposition ... but its peppery complexity and power means it'll also stand up to some of the richest food on your table!

Full-flavoured, spicy and powerful ... one sip shows why Shiraz is so popular. And Shiraz has the Aussies to thank for its global appeal, with premium wines like Warburn Estate's Barossa Shiraz and Chain of Ponds from McLaren Vale. South Africa's The Chocolatier has wonderful chocolate notes, while Spain's Gran Bombero is a pure, old-vine Garnacha of astonishing complexity. You'll love how Shiraz marries to Cabernet in Talking Heads and Carignan in a fruit-packed blend from the Angove family. Order now and save #16!

Bruce Jack is one of the most passionate, innovative and contagiously enthusiastic winemakers you'll ever meet. No wonder his wines are always so thrilling to taste. He was awarded South Africa's 'Winemaker of the Year' in 2009 and his cellar, Flagstone, based in a former dynamite factory just 400 metres from the sea in Stellenbosch, scooped 'Winery of the Year' in 2008. Bruce believes in handcrafted wines that capture the essence of the vineyard, that don't 'stress to impress' - which is why he loves Pinotage, a uniquely South African variety that delivers a full whack of fruity depth supported by gentle tannins. Velvety and weighty, this red requires hearty fare as accompaniment - roast beef or lamb, game sausages or moussaka perhaps.

Bruce Jack is one of the most contagiously enthusiastic winemakers you'll ever meet. He was declared South Africa's 'Winemaker of the Year 2009' and his cellar, based in a former dynamite factory just 400 metres from the sea, scooped 'Winery of the Year' in 2008. Rules don't sit happily with Bruce, so no surprise here that he's blending a whole menage of grapes - Bordeaux varieties with the Rhone's Syrah and South Africa's very own Pinotage - to make a most unique, big flavour statement wine! Thanks to Bruce's 100%-gravity-fed winery, the wine has a wonderfully silky texture. This red is best with food, so crack open a bottle with a large steak, a hearty stew, tomato and garlic sauced pasta, or a moussaka-style dish.

Our customers were ahead of the curve in their appreciation of inky black Durif. You all seem to love the concentrated plum and blackcurrant to be found in gems like The Show Stopper, The Boxer and new star from the Cape, The Back Road. Durif and Shiraz make a fine partnership as you can taste in The Black Stump, new luxury gem Both Barrels and the lavish example from Australia's De Bortoli family.

Wellington, in South Africa's Cape region, has excellent soils and climate - which is why you'll find so many vine nurseries there. Planted over 300 years ago, the vines at Groenendal are some of the oldest in the region. The owners, originally from France's Loire region, used to vinify their own grapes, but more recently have begun sending them to the nearby Bovlei winery, where winemaker Frank Meaker takes control. Frank's grandfather Paul Sauer was the founder of the famous Kanonkop Estate, and Frank knows just when to harvest to catch the fruit at perfect ripeness - important in warm vintages like 2011. With classic plum and cherry flavours, this smooth, powerful Merlot will make a fine partner to roast lamb, duck or spicy pork dishes.

A cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, Pinotage is unique to South Africa, but was neglected in favour of international stars until recently. Today, however, it is "the talk of the party" (Tim Atkin MW). Drakenskloof was made by Paarl born Anton Swarts at one of South Africa's top award winning wineries, Spier, founded in 1692 near Stellenbosch. The estate not only boasts a rich wine heritage, but within the domaine there is also a hotel, restaurant and cheetah reserve! Anton aged the wine in a combination of American and French oak, which has allowed gently smoky tannins to support the ripe berry flavours. Soft enough to be enjoyed on its own, this red is versatile with food, too - lamb or pork and chorizo casserole perhaps.