09 July 2010

The Den Joins Painted Wolf


Seems only yesterday that Jeremy Borg launched his new Painted Wolf wine range and now a second label has joined the portfolio.


The Den Pinotage 2009 is immediately attractive with a bright luscious spicyness, good body and length. Clean modern winemaking at its best delivering a wine with character and interest which is just delicious. It's enjoyable drinking now.


Painted Wolf 'The Den'
Pinotage 2009
14% abv WO Coastal

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous23:59

    Hi Peter,

    I understand the Den is a mix of pinotage and shiraz. I see a lot of pinotages seem to be going away from the funky, rubber/tar taste of your traditional pinotage--which I love--much as the Den above. If I could ask your opinion, what do you think are the best "traditional (rubber/tar) pinotages" available?

    Thanks,
    -Dave

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  2. Hi Dave

    The entire ‘rubber’ issue is a mystery. It can and does affect any variety grown/made anywhere and some people are very sensitive to it while others don’t notice it.

    South African reds got severley criticised for this taste a few years ago – and because few had tasted Pinotage from elsewhere it got attached by some as a descriptor of the variety.

    It seems to be a winery problem – although the scientific panel researching the issue haven’t made their final report yet – maybe an extreme form of Brettanomyces.

    However modern winemaking methods and a thorough cleaning of wineries seems to have reduced its appearance, and I am glad.
    I don’t think any winemaker wants their wines to taste like rubber and I don’t know of any like that on sale now.

    The most traditionally made Pinotage that I know of are those from Jacobsdal. Owner/winemaker Cornelis Dumas grows unirrigated bush vines, makes the wines in the same old cellar his grandfather built and slowly ferments using only wild yeasts.

    For a detailed look at the ‘rubber’ issue, and a chapter following Cornelis making Pinotage his old-fashioned ways, see my book PINOTAGE.

    Cheers

    Peter

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