Boschkloof syrah 2019: £15.99, Naked Wines

If you love discovering smaller wineries and up-and-coming winemakers, this is a must-try bottle. Reenen Borman is a muchpraised young winemaker whose red wines have already attracted huge critical praise. His Boschkloof estate near Stellenbosch is a real family affair too, with his dad looking after the grapes and his mum and wife working in the office. Ninety per cent of their wine is sold to restaurants and bars around the world, so Covid hit hard until Naked Wines bought half the winery’s annual production to enable them to carry on making vino.

We’re very glad they did, as we couldn’t get enough of this smooth-as-silk syrah, which has a peppery fruitiness, defined tannins and a balanced acidity that isn’t too heavy but has plenty of depth. We’d recommend opening it half an hour before you want to drink it, to taste it at its best.

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Make this the summer you choose something a little more interesting than the usual pinot grigio and give this unwooded chardonnay a try. Rustenberg is already renowned for its topnotch chardonnay but this is their first unoaked one, so ideal if you’re not keen on woody whites.

Without the oak, the real character of the chardonnay grapes shines through, making this wine pop with clean citrus flavours and fruity notes of pineapple and grapefruit. It’s much crisper and more refined than the hearty, creamy chardonnay you might be used to, so would work a treat with summer dishes such as salads, barbequed prawns or even chicken kebabs.

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