Since L’Avenir joined the Laroche family of wineries and thus gained the benefit of their international distribution network, worldwide demand for their Pinotage has soared by 50%. “I am installing drip irrigation,” said Tinus, “because we cannot afford anymore to lose half our crop due to heat waves.” To help meet popular demand a new range, Pinotage by L’Avenir, produced from grapes sourced from other farms, will be introduced,.
And the neighbouring Sentinel farm has been acquired. Sentinels' distinctive castle building that looks down on the R44 just north of Stellenbosch will eventually become – after remodelling – the L’Avenir tasting room and function centre.
Tinus is currently in the midst of the vintage (picture right – Tinus checking grape ripeness).
It will be a difficult task, for I’d be happy to see any one of the barrels of 2006 Pinotages I tasted from this week to be selected. I'd like to thank Tinus for letting me taste the new vintage and maturing cellar wines and allowing me to accompany him to the vineyards at such a busy time.
I need your help. I have a bottle of Bellevue pinotage 1999 750ml/grown on Morkel estate. What is the value in Canadian dollars and when is it ideally drinkable?
ReplyDeleteI would think the Bellevue is ready to drink now. This is a quite interesting bottling but I doubt there is enough in the market place to have a price track record. However email me for a suggestion
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