variety : Pinotage [ 100% Pinotage ]
winemaker : Werner Engelbrecht
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.5 % vol rs : 2.2 g/l pH : 3.27 ta : 4.5 g/l
type : Red style : Dry
pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Cork
in the vineyard :
Extensive experience in working with the Pinotage grape, provided us with the knowledge to bring out the best in the varietal and that is to work with low yielding, old untrellised bush vines. This approach seems to change a grape that is more beast than beauty into something special. We know that Pinotage will never be a sleek sauve international red, but it allows us to get that very authentic flavour that smacks of the earth, from grapes that will deliver that taste to you in the way that no other will. Those stunted plantings that look like twisted bonsai proved to have the stuff of greatness. Fruit so dense that it needs the tough love of open fermenters to dispel the volatile esters. Since there is no old-world style to emulate, our journey with Pinotage has very much been an adventure.
Although we are aware of the fact that Pinotage seems to do equally well in cooler areas, our own experience has been more positive, working in the warmer areas of the Coastal Region. We have identified a few 30 year and older blocks of unirrigated bush vine in the Paarl region for our False Bay Pinotage. What attracted us to these vineyards were the very small berries with a great degree of concentration.
THE 2011/2012 GROWING SEASON
Winter seems to be the foundation on which every new season is build. It sets up the vines for the coming growing season and its effects can be felt though out the growing season. We experienced very cold weather in the early part of winter, which allowed for even bud break in Spring. Vines did bud a bit earlier than normal due to the warmer weather experienced during the latter part of winter. Rainfall was very low during the winter period which is always a problem in areas where we rely on winter rains for our dams as well as to fill up the ground water levels. The dry conditions followed through into summer with a smaller crop the result. Very warm weather in early January caused sunburn in dry land areas and had a negative effect on the size of the crop. Fortunately the warm spell was followed by cooler temperatures for the rest of the ripening period. Grapes could ripen properly and harvest started about 2 weeks later than normal due to the cool growing conditions during the final ripening period.
in the cellar : After de-stemming, berries were fermented in stainless steel tanks. With the onset of fermentation, we rack all the juice from the skins once a day. It is then pumped back over the skins after an hour. This is combined with a pump over once a day until fermentation is complete. Fermentation takes place at temperatures of 26 to 30 degrees at the height of fermentation. The wine was drained from the skins after fermentation is completed. No press juice is added to the wine. The wine is aged a large oak vats for 8 months, which tempers the Pinatage tannins and adds more complexity.