Winemaker Notes
Layers of mulberries, red currants, raspberries and cherries are complimented by chocolate and tobacco on the nose. Pure red fruit follows through onto the palate. Long, perfumed and juicy finish. Elegant and sophisticated wine.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bursting with a lively, fruit-driven expression and covered with delicate oak tones, the 2018 Tarentaalsdraai Pinotage offers up dusty blackberries, dark cherry skin, black raspberry and dusty roses and violets. Medium-bodied, the palate is full of flavor, offering a balanced structure with integrated tannins, as flavors of dusty plums, cinnamon-covered cherries and redcurrants sway across the mid-palate. The lingering finish continues to evolve with persistence and will remain food friendly for years to come. Only 13 barrels were produced. This is a well-made Pinotage.
Rating: 90+
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.
Within the Breede River Valley in South Africa, Robertson is a warm and dry winegrowing region notable for its white wines. The region is home to an increasing number of estates and cooperatives.
GTSTV11309_2018 Item# 1040671