Oak Valley Estates Pinot Noir 2013
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With vineyards 500m above sea level, the high altitude, cool south-easterly winds, cloud cover and cold winters make Elgin the coolest wine region in South Africa. This cool climate allows for the gradual ripening of grapes, creating wines of delicacy, freshness, flavour and balance.
Towering above the vineyard is the Groenlandberg mountain with its highest peak of 1,181m. The Groenlandberg slows down ripening even further by casting its shadow over the vines and directing cold air down the valley at night. The mission at Oak Valley is to produce world-class cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that speak to our unique terroir.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
This high-elevation, cool-climate district, nestled into the ancient sandstone Hottentots Holland Mountains, traditionally was apple orchard land. Today Elgin is also a source of exceptional Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir.