Winemaker Notes
This wine has a bright crimson color with delicate earthy aromas and red anddark berry flavors. On the palate, these notes are joined by savory hints, a touchof oak, and a long, lingering finish.
Its natural acidity pairs well with a variety of dishes, including game fish, gamebirds, venison, grilled beef, and strong, hard cheese.
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Vegan-Friendly
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Paul Clüver 2023 Elgin Estate Pinot Noir shows more richness than the Village bottling, yet it remains lean-bodied, with freshness clearly in focus. Cold-soaked and fermented with whole berries in a combination of wooden vats and stainless steel, the wine is matured for 12 months in 300-liter French oak barrels of varying ages. Burgundian clones planted on Bokkeveld shale contribute purity and precision, resulting in a poised, transparent expression.
Within this unique environment exists virgin land some 400-500m above sea level with a variety of soils, aspects and microclimates. The high, cool Elgin Mountain plateau, with its close proximity to the sea and protection by the mountins, is idealy situated for the production of premium varietal wines. this provides the ideal environment for slower ripening grapes of finess and delicacy that characterise Paul Cluver Wines.
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.