Mhudi Pinotage 2006
The wine has a rich purple colour, showing youth. This is a new-style Pinotage with subtle oak spice, plums and vanilla on the nose with soft tannins on the palate.
variety : Pinotage [ Pinotage ]
winemaker : _
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis :
type : Red wooded
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
ageing : The wine is well balanced and can be enjoyed now with the potential to age for a further 5 years.
in the vineyard : M’hudi, meaning “harvesterâ€, is inspired by a great African story. That of a bold and graceful woman who flees from her village to recreate life in a turbulent and unfamiliar environment. It is really a story of South Africa today and into the future.
It symbolises the journey of the Rangaka family from their home near Mafeking via Johannesburg to a wine farm in Stellenbosch. In search of a better life they ended up as Villiera’s neighbours with a dream to make a name for themselves in the wine business. We welcomed them and left them to discover the joys of wine farming, but soon realised that they were indeed in unfamiliar territory.
Guidance was required and we were prepared to provide it, beginning in the vineyard and culminating in a range of wines under their brand. We are also in the process of mentoring Tseliso Rangaka in the art of winemaking. Our aim is to fast track them to self sufficient status.
about the harvest: As South Africa’s unique variety, Pinotage had to be part of the M’hudi range. Koelenhof is well suited to the cultivation of Pinotage and the grapes were sourced in the area.
in the cellar : Classic production techniques were employed beginning with the crushing and destalking of fully ripe fruit. Yeast was added and fermentation proceeded, going up to 30°C at the start. Regular pumpovers and early pressing resulted in good colour and soft tannins. Malolactic fermentation proceeded immediately after the completion of primary fermentation. After a second racking the wine was transferred to a mix of American and French oak barrels for maturation over a 12 month period.