(2013) Spice route was in fact the Swartland pioneer, when Charles Back of Fairview estate in Paarl launched the label in the late 1990s, with a young Eben Sadie as winemaker. This is made from several varieties, but mainly Syrah (36%) and Mourvèdre (26%), a heady 14.5% abv blend, the components aged individually in a mix of American and French oak casks before final assemblage. It has a rich, thick, plum, blackcurrant and spicy nose, little hints of menthol and sweet earth adding complexity. On the palate it delivers a huge flood of sweet, ripe, glossy black fruit, that washes across the tongue before the kick of spice and pepper punches in. With chocolate-rich tannins and a rasp of plum-skin acidity, this is long, robust and satisfying with spices dominating the finish.