Wildekrans Barrel Select Reserve Pinotage 2013
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After trying many different crops, it became obvious that Wildekrans was an ideal spot to grow grapes. The prevailing south-easter and long, dry summers kept the grapes dry and free from fungal diseases. The lean harsh soils produced grapes with small berries that resulted in flavourful wines with the Wildekrans' cool climate aromatic profile.
Today Wildekrans consists of 50 hectares of grapes all planted in a clay rich subsoil mixed with a top soil of stone and sand which ensures well structured subtle white wines with great acidity and balance and full, rich, earthy red wines with silky tannins. Add to this the meticulous cellar care (sensible management and cellar design) as well as excellent vineyard care (early morning harvesting, closeness of cellar to vineyards, canopy management and strict yield control) it is inevitable that great wines will be produced. Only grapes planted and raised on Wildekrans under the watchful eye of a specialist vineyard team are selected for the cellar then the best of the best wines are selected to be bottled under the Wildekrans label.
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.
A relatively cool, maritime climate area, Walker Bay includes three important wards: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. These sites benefit from the cooling ocean winds and are reputed for the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinotage.