KWV The Mentors Pinotage 2011

This is a modern styled Pinotage that shows elegance and finesse. Aromas of mocha, strawberries, violets and fruitcake are in harmony with dark chocolate and strawberry flavours on the palate. The wine is soft and juicy with velvety tannins and a lingering, seamless finish.

Winemaker’s comment:
The wine truly displays the wonderful character of Pinotage. With the abundance of fresh fruit complemented by layers of different aromas and flavours, a perfectly balanced and rounded wine can be achieved that showcases the best qualities of this South African varietal.

Enjoy this wine with a variety of meat casseroles, roasted game, Cape Malay curry dishes, cheddar and even blue cheese.

variety : Pinotage [ 100% Pinotage ]

winery : The Mentors

winemaker : The Winemaking Team

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 14.4 % vol rs : 2.7 g/l pH : 3.39 ta : 5.83 g/l

type : Red body : Full wooded

pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Cork

AWARDS

Double Gold - Veritas Wine Awards 2013
Gold - International Wine and Spirits Competition 2013
Runner Up - Absa Top 10 2013
Silver - Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2013
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards 2013

ageing : This wine can be enjoyed now or but will also cellar well for the next four to six years. br /

in the vineyard : Vineyards:
90% Stellenbosch, 10% Paarl

Soil in the Western Cape comprises ancient (350 million to 500 million years old) weathered soils of alluvial and volcanic origin. The alluvial soils are from both glacial and marine deposits. Some of the origins of the weathered soils are Table Mountain Sandstone, Granite and Malmesbury Shale. These have eroded over millennia and are now generally clay rich loam soils, which are most desirable for their ability to retain water for plant during summer months.

Vintage conditions:
The 2011 harvest in the Western Cape was warmer and dryer than normal, resulting in lower yields, smaller bunches and consequently riper flavours. These seasonal conditions produced sound, fully ripe and healthy grapes with resultant wines rich, soft and generous in flavour.

Treatment in vineyard:
Pinotage is a tough varietal - the tougher the conditions, the more concentrated the fruit. The specially selected bush vine vineyards that delivered the grapes for this wine are farmed dry land. Bush vine Pinotage that is farmed dry land is known to deliver top quality, as is the case with these vineyards.

about the harvest: Machine and hand.

in the cellar : Wine making:
A three-step selection process ensured that only the best quality fruit was chosen for fermentation. The process of selective picking in the vineyard followed by both bunch and berry selection on the sorting table in The Mentors cellar is strictly followed. The cuvée was inoculated after three days of cold soaking. Fermentation at 26oC took place over four days. The wine was pressed before alcoholic fermentation was completed, to prevent the extraction of hard and dry tannins. The wine matured in barrel for 16 months.

Maturation:
The wine was matured for 18 months in oak barrels - 85% of French origin and 15% American. A 70% portion of the barrels was first-fill.

Total production:
5 200 Bottles

Bottling date:
January 2013

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