Winemaker Notes
From low yielding, dry farmed grapes, this wine was made with minimal intervention. Fermented in open tanks with only natural yeast and punched down by hand, it spent 14 months in the barrel before bottling. Intense, spicy, red berries and plums are supported by a touch of toasty oak.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a lively Pinotage made with fruit from the Swartland and Paarl regions. It starts with a nose of pink peppercorn and other spices. The juicy palate exhibits a good concentration of blackberry and raspberries. Hints of peppercorn and toasted oak linger in the aftertaste.
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.
Literally meaning "the black land," Swartland takes its name from the endangered, indigenous "renosterbos" (translating to rhino bush), which used to be plentiful enough to turn the entire landscape a dark color certain during times of year. The district, attracting some of the most adventurous and least interventionist winemakers, excels in robust and full-bodied reds as well as quality fortified wines.