31 October 2012

Two 2013 Platter 5 Star Pinotages


In the just just released  2013 Platter Guide to South African wine,  two Pinotages  have achhived the top  5 Star rating.

They are  


Cape Chamonix Greywacke Pinotage 2010

Kanonkop Estate Pinotage  2010



Cape Chamonix won the Winery of the Year award.

 Congrats to both.

See all the winners at http://www.wineonaplatter.com/blog/post/8740


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Pinotage 'can change the way you see the world'

Bruce Jack says says of Pinotage "...when exceptional, the wine will stay with you forever, because when made correctly, it is one of the most delicious, complex wines imaginable."  

The following eloquent section of from his article about the making of Flagstones new premium barrel selection Pinotage Reserve 'Time, Manner, Place' 2010.

We love the variety. Like its mother, Pinot Noir, only a few examples of Pinotage can be life-changing for the drinker. But when exceptional, the wine will stay with you forever, because when made correctly, it is one of the most delicious, complex wines imaginable.

Pinotage, the grape, has received completely unjustifiable bad press. On average one can taste just as many disappointing Pinot Noirs while visiting Burgundy, but no one blames the grape. You’ll sooner be told the reason a wine is bad, is because the grower’s wife had an affair with the neighbour, than there is any fault with Pinot Noir, the grape.

Yet, when encountering a bad Pinotage, the grape is always blamed. Why is this? Is it because Pinotage is a South African creation, and most of the critics are European-obsessed? Who knows... What we do know is that Pinotage can be beautiful, but like Pinot Noir, this isn’t easy to achieve.

And when it is disappointing, first blame everything else, but don’t blame the grape. If you do, you should also dismiss Cabernet Franc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Monastrell, Grenache and all the thousands of other varieties that also produce disappointing to average wines, but when elevated through winecraft to something magnificent, can change the way you see the world. 
 
 Read Bruce's full item here  http://flagstonewines.com/blog/flagstone-time-manner-place-pinotage-reserve-the-process

21 October 2012

Can Pinotage age? You bet!


Professor Mike Veseth, who blogs as The Wine Economist, attended a Pinotage seminar at Cape Wine 2012 where he tasted old Pinotages starting with a 1964 Lanzerac bottling, which he found ‘still had a lot to say’.

He writes



... if the question is whether Pinotage can age (as Old World wines are supposed to do), the answer is very clearly yes it can. These particular older vintages have evolved into quite fascinating creatures — interesting enough to make a fan of old Burgundies stop and think. Another eye-opening experience.

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06 October 2012

Pinotage at AWS 2012 Conference



Just a month to go and I’m preparing my Pinotage presentation for the 2012 National Conference of the American Wine Society in Portland, Oregon on 9 November.

I’ve only a short time for the seminar and I want to use it to give the facts and demolish some myths. 

But the really important thing is to let people taste good Pinotage for themselves. There’s no point in just telling people how it tastes because that’s not going to change any pre-conceptions: the evidence will be in their glasses.

I am grateful to the following  South Africa, California and Virginia wineries for generously supplying wines for event.


  • Beyerskloof   ‘Diesel’ 2009
  • Fairview 2010
  • Fort Ross ‘Estate’ 2007 (California)
  • Loma Prieta ‘Amorosa Vineyard’ 2010 (California)
  • Lovingston ‘Gilberts Vineyard’ 2011 (Virginia)
  • Silkbush  ‘Lions Drift’ 2009
  • Simonsig 2009
  • Simonsig ‘Redhill’ 2009


Shortly after booking opened I heard from AWS there were 66 Update - Latest figures show 77 people booked for the seminar at that time but maximum capacity is 90.

There is an amazing breadth of wines to taste and I doubt such a line up has ever happened before

If you can, I hope to see you there.

(this post updated on 19 Oct 2012)

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