Colour: Dark ruby.
Nose: Concentration of sweet, ripe, red fruit and red cherry flavours on the nose with hints of vanilla and cinnamon.
Taste: A rich fruity character fills the mouth, backed by silky tannins and raspberry and red cherry flavours.
Serve with smoked snoek and korrelkonfyt (grape jam), venison or pork fillets wrapped in bacon, Irish stew and mild Gouda.
variety : Pinotage [ 100% Pinotage ]
winemaker : Martin Moore & Wilhelm Coetzee
wine of origin : Durbanville Hills
analysis : alc : 14.34 % vol rs : 2.0 g/l pH : 3.63 ta : 5.8 g/l
type : Red style : Dry wooded
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Vineyard Consultant : Drikus Heyns
The grapes for this wine were selected from a 10-year-old vineyard, located on the sunny, northwest - facing vineyards of the farm Ongegund and a small portion from 20 year old vines from Maastricht inside the valley.
Nine leading vineyard owners in the Durbanville district joined forces with Distell to create Durbanville Hills with the aim of promoting the regional individuality of this prime wine-growing area. The striking Durbanville Hills cellar sits proudly atop a series of rolling hills with magnificent views of Table Mountain and Table Bay - the very geography that lies at the heart of what makes the wines so unique. The Durbanville ward is officially considered one of the Cape's two coolest wine regions, thanks to the sea breezes that drift inland from False Bay and Table Bay and the late afternoon mists that bathe the slopes. These conditions are ideal for the slow ripening of the grapes, allowing them to develop their full flavoured and intense character. Grapes are sourced only from the shareholder growers, all of whom farm within the limited appellation of Durbanville. Meticulous crop control applied to these vineyards further limits yields and promotes concentration of varietal flavour, encouraging a process of natural selection. Cellarmaster Martin Moore uses highly advanced cellar technology to ensure optimal extraction of colour and flavour.
Sustainable practices includes the maintaining of the International Environmental Standard ISO 140001, treating of waste water back to irrigation quality and all vineyards subscribing to IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) growing practices, designed to sustain natural resources. In addition the farmers protect 210ha of endangered Renosterveld as part of the Biodiversity Wine Initiative (BWI).
in the cellar : We approach the making of our Pinotage with the greatest care, gently handling the grapes with the utmost tenderness. The must was fermented on the skins in closed stainless steel tanks until almost dry (50g per litre of sugar left). At this stage the wine and skins were separated to allow fermentation to finish in stainless steel tanks. Maximum fruit, colour and tannin extraction from the skins was made possible through soft computer-regulated pump- over cycles. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured for 12 months in small oak, using a combination of new and second-fill French oak.