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Bellingham The Bernard Series Bush Vine Pinotage Limited Release 2021

The wine shows the finer side of Pinotage expressing hints of its parent varieties – Pinot Noir and Cinsault’s characteristic red fruit profile. The bright cherry, plum and raspberry fruit, with a hint of spice and dark chocolate on the nose follows through to the palate, with a purity and freshness that lingers. The tannins are refined with a savoury touch. The wine is well-balanced in terms of both fullness and freshness.

variety : Pinotage [ 100% Pinotage ]
winery : Bellingham Wines
winemaker : Richard Duckitt
wine of origin : Coastal Region
analysis : alc : 14.22 % vol  rs : 2.91 g/l  pH : 3.65  ta : 5.62 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full  taste : Fruity   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

The Bernard Series was named after Bernard Podlashuk, maverick winemaker, and visionary co-founder of the Bellingham brand. Never satisfied with ordinary, he is recognised for his daring vision and unabated drive that helped place South African wine on the map. The legend of his tenacity and innovative flair lives on through the Bernard series, Bellingham’s premium range of hand-crafted wines.
in the vineyard : The Bernard Series Pinotage vineyards are situated in South Africa’s cool climate growing regions, influenced by the nearby Atlantic Ocean sea-breezes. After years of experimentation, it was found that these sites have better phenolic or tannin ripeness due to the longer and slower ripening process associated with cool climates. The grapes from these vineyards are concentrated and retain their natural acidity, producing wines that have bright red fruit, with ripe and silky tannins whilst remaining elegant and fresh.
80% from Darling and 20% from Stellenbosch
about the harvest: All individual "Bernard" lots are harvested separately. The two regional sites were hand-picked in the early mornings, with the Darling vineyard block beingharvested roughly two weeks later than the Stellenbosch lot.
in the cellar : Fermentation took place in open-top concrete tanks and were treated with a combination of pumpovers and hand punch-downs every 3 hours. The wines are made with minimal intervention in the most natural and authentic way possible. These Pinotage fermentations were quick and pressing took place after a maximum of 5 days on the grape skins.

Thereafter the wines were racked directly into barrel for malolactic fermentation. Once this process was complete, the wines were tasted, and racked together being “blended” into the final "Bernard blend".

Once blended, the wine was returned to barrel for an additional 12 months of aging. The wines undertake a second racking during the total 14-month aging period, with an average of 40% New French oak barrels.
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Bellingham The Bernard Series Bush Vine Pinotage Limited Release 2021
Pinotage