The Pinotage variety is
somewhat maligned in the wine world, and unfairly so. It was created by Viticulture Professor
Perold of Stellenbosch University in South Africa in 1925 by crossing
Cinsault, which was known as ‘Hermitage’ with Pinot Noir to capture the best
qualities of both, thus the portmanteau ‘Pinotage’. Ideally, the wine should have structure with
perfume. Some commentators reckon the
cross captured the least favourable aspects of both, as the wine can be weak
and carry less than noble aromas and flavours of sour game with acetone. The variety has never taken the wine world’s
imagination nor taken hold outside of South Africa. Brazil,
Canada, Israel, parts of the U.S.
have plantings, and significantly for the variety, New Zealand has 74 ha. It remains an important variety for South Africa,
its 6,500 ha comprising just over 6% of the total plantings. The variety is now emerging as South Africa’s ‘signature’ wine, very much as
Zinfandel has for California and Malbec for Argentina. Considerable work with the variety has
improved the breed and the latest releases show the distinctive bramble, smoke
and earthy aromas and flavours which seem to be the core of its personality,
with supple, refined tannin extraction.
While not a classical wine next to the likes of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Pinot Noir and Syrah, the variety can make deliciously intriguing and
flavourful drinking with supple structure.
We offer two Pinotage wines which demonstrate why it has become South Africa’s
signature red:
Kanonkop Stellenbosch Pinotage 2008
The name Kanonkop refers
to a cannon that was sited on a hilltop (“kopje”) to signal to farmers the
arrival of sailing ships so they could sell their produce. The Kanonkop estate, regarded as a ‘first
growth’ estate of South Africa
is in its fourth generation of ownership with 100 ha of vines on the lower
slopes of Simonsberg
Mountain. Pinotage makes up half of the plantings, the
vines among the first commercial plantings in South Africa and are now 56-60
y.o. With this resource, Kanonkop is
seen as arguably the world’s best producer of the variety. Winemaking is traditional, with fermentation
in low, open top concrete vats with two hourly plunging of the cap. Fermentation up to 29°C and skin contact for
three and a half days has resulted in a wine at 14.0% alc. The wine was then aged 15 months in 70% new
French barriques. Deep ruby red in
colour, this is perfectly expressed Pinotage varietal character on bouquet with
its ripe and savoury-smoky red berryfruit aromas. The wine is a full-bodied one, but
sensationally smooth and balanced, with deliciously sweet dark red fruit and
savoury plum flavours providing richness, yet refined by supple, rounded
tannins. There are subtle smoke, dried
herb and game elements that are revealed with air time. The impression is to drink this now and over
the next 7-10 years, but Kanonkop’s track record suggests that the wine will
keep near two decades.
Kaapzicht ‘Steytler’ Stellenbosch Pinotage 2006
Kaapzicht means ‘Cape View’
and refers to the superb panorama from the hills of the 190 ha estate over
Capetown and Table
Mountain. The Steytler family have owned the estate for
three generations and have the highest quality aspirations resulting in only
30% of their grape production being bottled under their own label. The ‘Steytler’ label
is the top of the range with strict barrel selection being the basis for
quality. This wine is made from fruit
from 35 y.o. bush vines, fermented to 14.3% alc and aged 20 months in 100% new
Taransaud French oak barrels. Very dark,
deep, purple hued red in colour, this has an intense bouquet of dark berry
fruits and spicy new oak backed by smoky, savoury varietal nuances. On palate,
the fruit sweetness and ripeness are features. Red and black berry fruits,
smoke, spices and leather are matched by powerful oak and plenty of
fine-grained tannins. This is a fully ripened, firmly structured and very much
an international, modern-styled beauty that will age 8-10 years easily. Already a multi-award winner, the Decanter
World Wine Awards saw it take trophies for Top South African Single Varietal
Red and Best International Single Red Varietal over £10.00. The wine showed extremely well at our tasting
of Serious South African Wines in May. (Click here to read the review.)