The pinotage grape turns 100 years old this year, as we note in another post. This is obviously a good reason to celebrate with a glass (and maybe discover that old story about “bakelite” or smokiness is no longer true, if ever it was):
- Steytler Pinotage 2021, Kaapzicht, elegant, flavourful, rich in style with freshness
- Pinotage 2003 L’Avenir, Stellenbosch, shows that pinotage can age well, excellent with good acidity, full-bodied, very well-balanced, lovely mouthfeel with some ripe plum, slight vanilla notes at the end
- Diemersdal Estate Pinotage Reserve 2021, fresh acidity, some oak and caramel
- Rijk’s Private Cellar Pinotage 2018, Tulbagh, good, some oak, lots of fruit, fresh, some tannin at the end
- The Owl Post Pinotage 2018 Neethlingshof Short Story Collection, Stellenbosch, typical pinotage, lots of black fruit, slight astringency at the end, delicious
- Kaapzicht Pinotage 2018, excellent, a lot of freshness, balanced
Pinotage was actually given a green light in France as a permitted grape and allowed to be planted in 2012 but as far as we know no one has yet done it.
Travel: Come on a wine tour to South Africa with BKWine. 2025 tour soon to be launched.
See: See pictures and videos from South Africa 2024 in the wine tours Facebook group.
