Cellar Selection Pinotage 2019 6x75cl

• 75cl bottle

As always this is a very elegant expression of Pinotage. The fruit expression is of wild berries and show a lot of juicy ripe fruit on the palate with lovely floral notes on the finish. The elegant tannin structure will allow the wine to mature well over the next 5 - 8 years.

Vineyards

The grapes for this blend come primarily from the Stellenbosch area and are usually augmented with selected parcels from other regions. 2018 was yet again a very dry season and a relatively warm winter. This posed a few problems that the winemaking team had to manage carefully in the winery and at blending. That said, the dry conditions meant that the fruit was exceptionally healthy and with careful viticulture we still managed to obtain even ripening of the grapes and very good physiological ripeness at harvest

Vintage

After the hat-trick of dry winter seasons (2015-2017) unfortunately 2018 proved to be not much different but was better than the 3 preceding seasons. This carried over into our growing season and meant that we had a very small crop, albeit of pleasing quality. The winter proved to be warm and rather inconsistent. The inconsistent weather was present throughout the growing season and even into the harvest period. The dry and warm conditions were alleviated to some extent by some healthy late spring rains, however, this did lead to increased disease pressure during this period and meant the viticulture team really had to be careful in their management of our vineyards to ensure healthy grapes to the winery. Having achieved this we saw some really good natural acidities and great balance in our wines. The reds came in later than normal, largely owing to relatively cool conditions in the later half of the season. This coupled with a significant rain event mid-March meant that we achieved physiological ripeness at lower sugar levels than normal and have produced, what we believe to be, some of the most elegant and balanced red wines in recent memory. Our Cabernets in particular show both density and vibrancy that has us very excited about their future. Another challenging season for the team that has, however, delivered some extremely exciting wines that will be a joy to drink over many years to come.

Winemaking

After picking, the grapes were destemmed only and transferred to tank for 'whole berry' fermentation. Half of the wine was fermented in open cement tanks with regular punch downs and pump overs to extract tannin and colour. The remaining half was fermented in closed stainless steel tank and pumped over every 8 hours. The wines were pressed before complete alcoholic fermentation to ensure soft tannins and avoid any over extraction. The wine was matured in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels for 12 months

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted Red Meats
• Grilled and Roasted White Meats
• Pizza/Pasta
• Casseroles/Stews
• Oriental

This wine is delightful on its own but can be successfully paired with lovely roast chicken or even light Thai curry!