The Cape red blend is one of the most dynamic wine categories in the Southern Hemisphere. Liberated from the strict rules of Bordeaux and Burgundy, South African winemakers blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot with Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Durif and more — creating wines of extraordinary complexity at prices impossible to match anywhere in the Old World. This collection gathers six of the very best into a single case. Zevenwacht’s Tin Mine Red was rated in the Top 10 of the Prescient Signature Red Blend Report 2024. The Cipher The Unbroken Red Blend 2020 – Stellenbosch scored 95 points from a world-ranked critic — unlabelled to bring it to you at a fraction of its usual price. Groenland’s Antoinette Marie won Michelangelo Gold and Veritas. Stettyn Guardian carries a Vivino 4.0/5 and multi-award pedigree. This is a serious collection for serious red wine drinkers.
The Cape Red Blend Story
The Cape red blend has no rules — and that’s the point. Where Bordeaux is governed by centuries of regulation and Burgundy by the single grape, the Cape is free. Free to blend Cabernet Sauvignon with Mourvèdre, Shiraz with Merlot, or add a little Durif or Grenache where the vineyard demands it. The result, at its best, is a wine that draws on the full diversity of the Cape’s varied terroirs — from the warm red soils of Stellenbosch and the clay-limestone of Bottelary Hills to the cooler coastal slopes overlooking False Bay.
South African red blending has been accelerating in quality for over a decade. The Prescient Signature Red Blend Report — South Africa’s most thorough annual tasting of the category — regularly places Cape blends alongside the world’s finest. At every price point, the Cape punches above its weight. This collection is proof.
What’s in the Box
Zevenwacht Tin Mine Red 2021
A rich, complex Stellenbosch blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Grenache from one of the Cape’s most trusted estates. Rated in the Top 10 of the Prescient Signature Red Blend Report 2024 — the Cape’s most respected annual red blend tasting — this is a wine that consistently over-delivers. Deep, structured and beautifully balanced.
Stettyn Guardian Red Blend 2024
Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Durif in one glass — dark fruit, serious spice and the structure that rewards time in the decanter. Multi-award-winning and carrying a Vivino 4.0/5, the Guardian is Stettyn’s statement red: the one you bring when you want to impress.
Maasbaai Cape Reserve Red Blend 2023
A bold yet elegant Cape red, balancing blackberry, cassis and violets with subtle cocoa notes and smooth structure. Maasbaai is a coastal producer that punches well above its weight. The Cape Reserve Red Blend 2023 is polished enough for the dinner table and characterful enough to stand alone.
The Cipher The Unbroken Red Blend 2020 – Stellenbosch
Ninety-five points from a world-ranked critic — and unlabelled, so you get it at a fraction of the usual price. A Bordeaux-style blend from a cult Stellenbosch estate that normally retails well above what we’re offering it for here. Rich, structured and cellar-worthy, this is the wine in the case that will surprise you most.
Red Blend 2020 — Stellenbosch
An elite unlabelled Red Blend from a top Stellenbosch estate, grown on dramatic Koffieklip soils. Rich, structured and deeply complex — normally reserved for the estate’s own label, available exclusively through Vinty at maximum value.
Groenland Antoinette Marie 2020
Named after winemaker Kosie Steenkamp’s daughters, the Antoinette Marie is the most personal wine on the Groenland estate — and one of its finest. A Bordeaux-style blend with rich dark fruit, chocolate and vanilla, it has won Michelangelo Gold, Veritas and Gourmet Festival awards. Heart and substance in equal measure.
How They’re Made
Cape red blends are hand-harvested and sorted variety by variety before separate fermentation. Bordeaux-style blends use Cabernet Sauvignon as the structural backbone — firm tannins, black fruit — with Merlot or Petit Verdot adding flesh and perfume. Rhône varieties like Shiraz and Mourvèdre contribute dark spice, body and Mediterranean character. After fermentation, each variety is aged separately in French or American oak for 12 to 24 months — older barrels preferred to avoid over-wooding — before the winemaker blends to the final house style. The best Cape red blends go through extensive barrel trials before the blend is fixed.
Food & Wine
- Zevenwacht Tin Mine Red 2021: Slow-braised lamb shoulder or beef short ribs with roasted winter vegetables.
- Stettyn Guardian Red Blend 2024: Rich venison stew or spiced boerewors with chakalaka on the braai.
- Maasbaai Cape Reserve Red Blend 2023: Grilled lamb chops with rosemary, or a platter of aged hard cheese.
- The Cipher The Unbroken Red Blend 2020 – Stellenbosch: A Cape Malay lamb bredie, or slow-roasted leg of lamb with all the trimmings.
- Red Blend 2020 — Stellenbosch: Dark chocolate-dusted beef ribs or a mature Cheddar with quince paste.
- Groenland Antoinette Marie 2020: Beef fillet with mushroom sauce, or a classic Sunday roast.
Awards & Recognition
- Zevenwacht Tin Mine Red 2021: Top 10 — Prescient Signature Red Blend Report 2024
- The Cipher The Unbroken Red Blend 2020 – Stellenbosch: 95 points (world-ranked critic)
- Groenland Antoinette Marie 2020: Michelangelo Gold | Veritas Award | Gourmet Festival Award
- Stettyn Guardian Red Blend 2024: Vivino 4.0/5 | Multi-award-winning
The Cape Red Blend Collection is a curated tour through some of the most exciting red wine territory in the Southern Hemisphere — six wines, six stories, one case. Available at Vinty.
