Winemaker Notes
Made in an elegant and traditional style, this Pinotage shows vibrant fruity notes of fresh cherry, and raspberry, with a hint of vanilla given by the oak aging. The palate exhibits savory tannins with ample fruit and a lingering finish. A small addition of Cinsault enhances the aromas and adds to the elegance of this delicate Pinotage.
Blend: 88% Pinotage, 9% Cinsault, 3% Shiraz
This wine can be enjoyed with traditional South African dishes such as roasted Karoo lamb or Springbok pie, or even served slightly chilled with Cape Malay curried fish.
Vegan
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is ripe and fruit-forward upfront, with abundant aromas of brambly berry and cherry that are partnered with delicate scents of violet and baking spice. The texture is smooth as silk, with medium acidity and fine tannins that are soft yet lend ample structure to the palate. It's pristine and laser focused, with great purity and a fresh red-berry flavor that endures on the finish.
Editor's Choice
South Africa’s signature grape, Pinotage is a distinctively earthy and rustic variety. In 1924 viticulturists crossed finicky Pinot Noir and productive, heat-tolerant Cinsault, and created a variety both darker and bolder than either of its parents! Today it is popular in South Africa both as a single varietal wine and in Cape blends. Somm Secret—The name “Pinotage” is a subtle portmanteau. The Pinot part is obvious, but the second half is a bit confusing. In the early 1900s, Cinsault was known in South Africa as “Hermitage”—hence Pinotage.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.