Pinotage Jam and Scones

Scones are a Sunday treat here at Pinotage Towers. And what better topping than Pinotage jam?

I find it strange that grape jam is not more common. I am not aware of any being available in the UK. In South Africa you can buy Hanepoot jam, made from those large golden intensely sweet Muscat grapes used for making dessert wines.

Ripe Pinotage grapes are also quite sweet, and this jam comes from Beyerskloof Winery. Owner Beyers Truter has been incorporating Pinotage in many foods, sausages, ice-cream, yoghurts, meat sauces etc. See Red Leaf and Green Pinotage.

So, what is it like? On opening it has a lumpy texture from the berries and a dark, browny black colour which doesn't look too appetising. The nose is not sweet like other jams -- ahh I get it! Some wines we call 'jammy', and this jam is definitely 'winey'.

Spread on the opened scone -- broken open where the side of the rising scone has fractured -- take a quick photo (see picture right) and take a bite. Umm, tastes good. There is a winery grapiness, it is not overly sweet. Definitely an adult jam, and I am thinking that it maybe good as an accompanient to savoury dishes, such as bobotie or with turkey instead of red-currant sauce.

Unfortunately Pinotage jam is currently available only from the winery, but scones are easy and quick to make.

My scone recipe takes about 20 minutes to make and 20-25 minutes to cook

Ingredients

225g/8oz self raising flour
Pinch of salt
55g/2oz butter
Handful of sultanas
150ml/5fl oz milk



Method
1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter to get a bread crumb-like texture.
3. Sprinkle in the sultanas and stir them through, there should be plenty so add more if you want as they are the only sweetening* in the scones.
4. Mix in milk to get a soft dough
5. Turn on to a floured board and knead for a few minutes
6. Gently roll out to 2.5cm/1in thick – making them too thin is the biggest cause of disappointment.
7. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on a baking sheet. Knead remaining dough, roll out and stamp out more scones till all used. Cutting the edges helps the dough rise.
8. . Bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and top is firm.
9. Place on a wire rack and serve with butter and good jam and cream to taste.

Eat while hot. They also freeze well; defrost before use and warm

*With the sultanas and sweet jam topping I think it is totally unnecessary to also add sugar to the scone

(Note: Scone is pronounced skoan (to rhyme with loan) or skon (to rhyme with ‘on’ – in Pinotage Towers those from the north say skon and those from the south say skoan. Thus both are correct.)

Horton Virginia Pinotage

I reported in December (see here) that Horton Vineyards in Virginia USA was going to release a varietal Pinotage in 2007.

I am indebted to Dezel of Virginia Wine Spot for permission to quote from his tasting notes for this wine, and the use of his photo of the bottle.

Dezel says

"The wine is accessible and done in a fruit forward style displaying a brilliant deep ruby color. On the nose are enticing red berry fruit aromas, mild spice and soft cocoa hints. The aromas follow through on the palate with an abundance of upfront fresh red berry fruit flavors, namely raspberry. Well balanced and substantial, 17% of Tannat is added and provides a solid tannic structure that comes across on the taste as velvety. This wine for me is of an easy drinking, fresh fruit style that is thinly framed in soft spicy oak with a medium length finish.

In closing friends, this is a nicely made wine, however not the rustic, bramble berry and smoky characteristics found in quintessential South African Pinotage. Perhaps Pinotage is indeed suited to its native South African terrior to capture its true expressionism. But, lets not be fooled, this Virginia Pinotage is a very good wine that I recommend readers seek out. This is a rare find in Virginia and exemplifies what the grape can do in Virginia’s soil and climate. Try this on its own or with red meat dishes, spicy foods and even traditional barbecue."

Thanks Dezel. I look forward to being able to taste the wine myself.

Pinotage = Pinot Noir x Sancerre?

I can't resist mentioning another vidcast merchant. Vinappris, based in Birmingham, UK, sell wine through their satellite TV channel and simulcast broadcast on their website. (pictured right Managing Director/Presenter Steve Bennett)

Vinappris currently list the following Pinotages - False Bay 2006 (£7) Spier Private Collection 2004 (£15) Keerweder Estate 2003 (£17) and Graham Beck Old Road 2001 (£19).

The shows are professionally put together, cutting between studio presenters tasting and talking about the wines and filmed inserts from vineyards and wineries around the world.

But on their website background country information they state:

"South Africa also holds an international attention seeker, pinotage, the indigenous grape variety to this picturesque country. Found nowhere else on earth it creates some fantastic well balanced reds. Pinotage is a cross between two different grape varieties, moulding and creating the best of both worlds. Pinot Noir and Sancerre, Pinot Noir offers the delicate flavours of red berry’s, strawberry, raspberry, an elegant wine which is beautifully complex. Sancerre offers body and strength and even a little spice. Combined, these two grape varieties move into new territory, creating a world class grape known as pinotage. "

I cannot disagree with their conclusion, but can only repeat what I said here - its time to stop talking about Pinotages parentage -- even when you can get it correct.

(Update on 30 April -- Following the comment by Julian Twaites, Head of Purchasing at Vinappris, to this item, the Vinappris site has been updated and all references to Pinotage parentage has been removed)

A 1970's Banana Metal Band?

A 1970's rock group -- a heavy metal banana band -- that is what Gary Vaynerchuk of WineLibraryTV.com (pictured right) likened to Kanonkop 2004 Pinotage.

For the first time in his vidcasts, he tasted four bottles of the same wine to experience the differences that opening times and decanting made.

And the wine he chose was the same wine he raved about in yesterdays episode, Kanonkop 2004 Pinotage.

Today he first tasted the bottle he'd opened 24 hours earlier which he has used in the previous tasting. Then he compared two Kanonkop 2004's that he had opened 5 hours previously; one had been decanted while the other had been left in the bottle. The fourth was opened on camera and tasted immediately.

To find out what he discovered, sit back and let Gary's enthusiasm take you away.

Kanonkop - "Polished Pinotage"

Gary Vaynerchuk (pictured right) of WineLibraryTV.com isn’t a big Pinotage fan, but he says of Kanonkop Pinotage 2004 "This wine is rocking".

In his 218th on-line video tasting 'vidcast', first shown on 17 April, he features South Africa, with two whites and two reds including the Kanonkop.

Gary says of it "Dark colour. Hint of banana on nose (really cool!) surrounded by amount of rusty old beer cans, rusty nail, rusty aluminium. Nose now getting really outrageous tremendous banana. This is a clean cut, polished Pinotage.

I like this wine, beautiful red cabbage profile, oil & vinegar & olives. Bananas are jumping, (I Iove bananas, structured like Bordeaux, terroir driven, this is essential class Pinotage. Comes from granite soil, you’re getting some of this. Its really polished, but young, need another three years. Now getting dark liquorice flavour, gets olive & smoky on finish.

I highly recommend it, I’m giving it 91 points. If you like extremely well polished and intriguing wines, seek this bottle out.

See Gary nose, taste and enthuse about Kanonkop Pinotage 2004 by clicking on the image below:

The other wines were

• Black Rock White 2004


• Tokara Chardonnay 2004


• Rustenberg John X Merriman 2003 - corked.

See the entire vidcast at http://tv.winelibrary.com/2007/04/17/south-african-wines-episode-218/

Lunch, Pinotages
- and More at Neethlingshof Estate

I am lazy; I don’t like to work but I quite like watching others doing so, thus lunch at Neethlingshof Estate was particularly enjoyable. Not only were a team of gardeners being industrious in the flowerbeds but every now and again a tractor towing a grape hopper passed the restaurant veranda under me (see picture right to be unloaded into the de-stemmer almost opposite.

On one side of the courtyard is the old manor house with the Lord Neethling restaurant (see picture below left) and facing it on the other side is the winery building and tasting room. And every now again during harvest visitors and tour groups are scattered by the need to tractor in freshly gathered grapes. The restaurant serves a good Escalope of Veal Milanese – a dish to which I am very partial and which just suited a bottle of Neethlingshof 2002 Pinotage (95 rand). I found this wine a little too tannic at first; it definitely needed food, though as time went on it opened up delivering some bright berry flavours.

I’d met Neethlingshof’s winemaker, De Wet Viljoen at a party a few days and when I said I was coming for lunch he insisted I ask for him when I arrived which I did, only to be told that no one of that name worked there. “But he is your winemaker!” I exclaimed. It was then I had some help on my slow and stumbling path to speaking Afrikaans and learned to say D’Vet Vill –Yo – en.

De Wet is one of the nicest people in the business and a good friend of Pinotage, and he offered to organise a tasting of Pinotage from the Cape Legends portfolio. Cape Legends markets fourteen brands from eleven wineries. Each winery operates as a separate company, some are part owned by Cape Legends' owner Distell, some are privately owned with only Plaisir de Merle being completely owned.

The Tasting

De Wet and Carlen Groenewald (Cape Legends European Business Manager) had lined up the following six wines:

Hill & Dale 2005 WO Stellenbosch

Soft ripe plum and berry fruits, immediately appealing, some very soft tannins and a tangy finish.

Hill & Dale (Hillandale was the name of a real farm) is made by Stellenzicht’s winemaker Guy Webber using fruit that didn’t end up in Neethlingshof and Stellenzicht.

Jacobsdal 2004 Estate WO Stellenbosch 14.5%abv

Good deep colour, firm bodied black cherry flavours, drying finish.

I noticed the label had a new logo on it saying ‘Naturally Fermented’. “Yes, they use only natural yeast fermentation at Jacobsdal” said Carlen. “It is a winery I have always wanted to visit”, I said, “but they are not open to the public.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” replied Carlen. And she did – but that is another story.

Neethlingshof 2002 Estate WO Stellenbosch 15%abv

This wine was fuller bodied and rounder with more fruit flavours than the one I had with lunch at the Neethlingshof restaurant. “It is cooler and has been open longer” explained DeWet. But it still dried the mouth with some firm tannins on the finish. Definitely needs food.

Stellenzicht Golden Triangle 2005 14.5%abv

Deep garnet colour, silky and spicy front palate with some wood underneath. Umm, this is quite complex; a moreish wine.


Tukulu 2004 WO Darling

Bright dark red colour, purple rim, looks quite young. Very sweet upfront strawberry and cherry flavours. Mouth filling, great structure and balanced tannins with a medium finish.


Neethlingshof Lord Neethling 2001 ‘Limited Release’ Estate WO Stellenbosch 14.5%abv

Bright dark red colour, wooded nose, there’s berry fruits and a sweet feel but a firm middle and a wooded finish.

Thanks to De Wet (pictured right) I was also able to taste, prior to release.

Neethlingshof Lord Neethling 2005 ‘Limited Release’ Estate WO Stellenbosch

Wow, wonderful deep fruit flavours and soft soft tannins, great depth and complexity, this is a super wine that just begs to be drunk.

Many thanks to Carlen and De Wet.

Frozen Wine

I very rarely have the problem of left-over-wine. But I am frequently asked by others what to do with wine left in the bottle. My usual answer is to stick the cork back in the bottle and keep the bottle upright in the fridge door. It’ll be OK for a day or so, and for some red wines maybe longer.

However I took the opportunity this trip to the Cape to experiment with freezing wine. I was ordering a bottle of wine at lunch, consuming a glass or so, and taking the bottle with me. But by dinner time I frequently had another ‘must open’ bottle.

So into the freezer compartment of the fridge went some lunchtime bottles. A couple of weeks later I moved them to the fridge door in the morning to thaw during the day, and I opened them in the evening to taste. (photo left - the bottle is upright, the wine is frozen)

First was a white wine, Simonsig 2006 Verdelho*. When I opened its spiffy screwcap the wine went cloudy. I left it for a while to clear. The photo (below right) clearly shows the white powdery deposits of tartaric crystals, brought out of solution by the cold.


Many mass market wineries practise ‘cold stabilisation’ where they chill wines to precipitate these crystals so that they will not appear after sale as many casual wine drinkers mistake them for glass fragments and return the wine to the shop. However this chilling also removes something of the flavour, and is frequently not done on better wines.

And so it proved here. The wine was quite acceptable and drinkable, but it wasn’t quite as crisp, racy and exciting as I remembered from when I first opened it.

The Beyerskloof Pinotage 2006 was also most drinkable, and showed little change, maybe just slightly dulled.

But freezing hadn’t destroyed the wines. Now you might argue that these were quite gutsy wines, especially the Pinotage with lots of upfront flavours. Would a delicate wine, such as a mature Mouton-Rothschild survive such treatment? All I can say is that I am willing to do the experiment if someone will supply the wine.

So if you have opened wines you want to keep – try freezing them.


*Simonsig Verdelho 2006 is an Estate wine especially produced for the SA Pick'n'Pay supermarket chain. Verdelho is a Portuguese variety used to make Madeira and Vinho Verde, and has been recently been achieving success in Australia. Simonsig's Verdelho vines were planted by the late Frans Malan and I guess the juice from these grapes usually go into Simonsig's blends, and well done to the Pick'n'Pay winebuyer for winkling it out. I'd dearly love to know what other rare varieties are planted in Simonsig's vineyards ....

Obscure Pinotage

Pinotage is one of the wines made by Obscurity Cellars at the memorable address Slug Gulch Road, Fair Play, California.

Owner winemaker John Smith says “Pinotage is, like many of our offerings, one of the most obscure grapes in California. It originated in South Africa … and has been known to produce anything from a violet-infused light-bodied wine to a heavier wine with flavors of earth and mushrooms. This version has ripe, almost ethereal aromas, with an extremely fruity, yet complex combination of flavors in the mouth. Since this is our first version of this wine, we don't have much experience pairing it, but we think it will be ideally suited to prosciutto-wrapped figs, and other complex, fruit-rich snacks or main dishes."

The grapes from that initial 2003 vintage wine came from California’s largest Pinotage vineyard; John Bree’s Sutter Ridge Vineyard in Amador County. I visited John in 2002 and tasted his own excellent Sutter Ridge Estate Pinotage. But John Smith tells me "John Bree, after years of pleading with people to take his Pinotage grapes, sold his entire crop early last year, and couldn't supply me any. Instead, the good folks at Vino Con Brio sold me two tons from their KARMA Vineyard (the name is an acronym of all the Matson family members' first names)" for the Obscurity 2006 vintage.

I like Obscurity Cellars philosophy “Many grapes have gotten a bad rap because they were not understood, or weren’t planted in the right places, or just had odd quirks that required a little curiosity and experimentation to uncover. So here we are, launching a new venture into very small quantities of really good wines made from many uncommon grape varieties. They won’t all be for everyone, but …. for the adventurous, the eclectic, the curious and the skeptics, we will produce just enough of each wine to provide a serious challenge to the status quo. After all, there are plenty of really good Merlots and Chardonnays offered by California’s other wineries to satisfy the taste buds of those who mostly prefer what they’ve had before.”

John Smith says to look out for "Obscurity Dolcetto this summer (only 25 cases made) and Carmenere in the near future. We also did a Malbec Rose this year, and we think it's the first one in North America."



Another obscure Pinotage is Okha (right) which has been sold in Japan for at least four years. I’m guessing it is a shippers brand: does anyone know anything about it?



And, harking back to a recent post, is Warthog Pinotage, whose US importers confidently state the varietals in the bottle are Pinot Noir & Cinsault and intriguingly inform us that "All the vineyards from which our wines in the Stellenbosch area come, are actually bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The climate and area is typically Mediterranean, perhaps even more so than the actual Mediterranean." (my emphasis)

"Sensational South Africa" - Tesco

"It's a country where the magnificent scenery is matched by terrific wines", states Tesco in its March Wine Club Magazine.
And which wine is dominating the cover but Beyers Truter's Pinotage. It has a cracking classy label that would grace any table. It's in Tesco's 'Finest' range, and -- since they already stock Beyerskloof standard Pinotage -- I guess this is a relabelled Beyerskloof Reserve. It is priced at £7.99, two pounds more than the standard Beyerskloof.

Graham Nash writes in the magazine "Some would say that a country that first planted vines in the 1650s, and whose wines were favourites of Napoleon and Jane Austen, hardly qualifies as ‘New World’. However, it’s only in the post-apartheid era that South Africa has again begun to make an impression on our palates. As in sports such as rugby and cricket, it’s taken a while to make an impact, but the wines since then have improved beyond recognition.

"Many of the grapes grown are familiar. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay were the first to become popular, but the fashionable grapes at the moment are Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc. The style of both – as with many South African wines – sits at a very attractive halfway house between the exuberant fruitiness of the New World and the elegance of the Old. There is also some very good Pinot Noir being made, especially in the country’s cooler areas. But the country does have two points of difference, in the shape of Pinotage and Chenin Blanc.

"Pinotage produces wines with lively flavours of wild berry fruit, occasionally spiced up with hints of banana and toasted marshmallows. You’ll find full and light-bodied reds, and surprisingly good rosés, ranging from good value wines to some that are amongst the finest in the country.

W"hatever food you’re planning, you won’t have trouble finding a South African wine to match it. The local cuisine sees the influence of several cultures – European, Indian, African and Indonesian – combined to extremely tasty effect, and the refined yet flavourful wines are excellent accompaniments. And of course there’s the braai, South Africa’s super-sized version of a barbecue. Forget formal dining. Simply charge your glass with Pinotage, gaze up at the starlit sky and enjoy."

I want that classy black label Beyers Truter Pinotage, but sadly it hasn't yet appeared in my local Tesco stores.

Martin Meinert Makes Pinotage - Video

Martin Meinert is caught on video in mid-harvest. He is making Pinotage and trying to avoid funkiness.





In the second part, Martin discussed some of the challenges Pinotage presents, including excess malic acids, and how he tackles them.




If the images above from YouTube fail to appear, the videos can also be seen by clicking here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

See www.winefilms.co.za/ for the rest of the harvest 2007 film reports plus others focusing on individual wine farms

A Decade of Kanonkop Pinotage - Part 2

The tasting notes.



Kanonkop Estate has been making Estate wine since 1973, and in that time there have been only four winemakers, Jannie Krige and famed rugby player Jan “Boland” Coetzee (now at Vriesenhof), then Beyers Truter (now at Beyerskloof) from 1980, and currrently Abrie Beeslaar took over the reins in in 2002. The owners are Johann and Paul Krige, the fourth generation at this family owned wine farm.


Kanonkop were pioneers in planting Pinotage and their old Pinotage vineyard (pictured below) still contains many of the original vines.



2005 Kanonkop Kadette
Soft front, easy drinking, some body from the Cabernet plus the typical Pinotage sweetness, pleasant tang on finish. 60% Pinotage/25% Cabernet S/15% Merlot. Made from the younger vines, up to 15 years old. (85 pts.)

1995 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage - Cape Winemakers Guild
Black core, red rim. Clean nose, red berry fruits, soft tannins, ripe and delicious. Dry tannins on a very long finish (93 pts.)

1997 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
Dense black colour, red rim. Sharp nose, less fruit, firmer and higher toned, crisp tannins, higher acidity. (84 pts.)

1998 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
Dark red, wider red rim. Slight barnyardy nose, sweet fruits but I think this has started its downward path -- fades in glass. (83 pts.)

1999 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
Dark core, slightly paler rim. Blackberry fruits. Theres a depth of ripe fruits with sweetness and tannins intertwined and a good balance of acidity. There's a freshness and liveliness about this wine, best of the evening. I remember having enjoyed several 99s over the years and recommending it as a Kanonkop that could be enjoyed young. Wish I'd kept some. Now, where can I buy more? (97 pts.)

2000 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
Farmyard nose, deep core red rim. Good fruits, but drying tannins - and a bit matallic - on the finish (84 pts.)

2001 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
Intense black core, really ripe approachable fruits, good structure and balance, very very nice. (94 pts.)

2002 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
Very dark, sweet nose. This is quite different on the palate from the previous 6 vintages – there’s wine gums, sweet jamminess. It is very drinkable, but it doesn't have that same family style all the others do. This is the handover vintage with both Abrie Beeslaar and Beyers Truter working the cellar. (89 pts.)

2003 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
Very dark, purple rim. Very easy on the front palate. There are some firm tannins on finish, nicely drinkable. This is Abrie Beeslaar first solo vintage. (85 pts.)

2004 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
Intense opaque with purple rim, extracted fruity front palate, sweet body, good fruit/acid/tannin balance. Very soft integrated tannins, coming to fore on the medium long finish (89 pts.)

2005 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
Lightest body colour, fragrant nose, rounded berry fruits of forest in mouth. There's a lot going on here, good tannins. This will be wonderful in 2015. Only 6K cases made (usually around 8K) (94 pts.)

2006 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage *Barrel sample*
Sweet fruit, beautiful welcoming fruit mulberry/blackberry with spices and coffee tones. Superb and stunning. From the the old vineyard, 3 tons per hectare, will spend 16 months in 100% new French oak barrels (97 pts.)

2007 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage *Tank sample*
This is just starting malolactic fermentation so it’s way too early to form any judgement, but it has intense colour and bubblegum flavours and very interesting to sample it on its path from vineyard to eventual bottling.


Many thanks to owners Johann & Paul Krige, Abrie Beeslaw and all the hardworking team at Kanonkop Estate for the opportunity to taste these wines and for a most enjoyable evening.

The old Pinotage vineyard at Kanonkop

A Decade of Kanonkop Pinotage - Part 1

When Kanonkop throws a party, it starts with a bang!

There was a real cannon on the grass, a red box marked ‘Danger - Explosives’ and a man with a smouldering fuse. We’re standing around, glasses in hand, offering jocular advice to the man with the fuse and a cannon loaded with gunpowder that refuses to light. It takes a couple of attempts before there is an incredibly loud explosion, a jet of smoke and shaking trees and we’re stunned to silence.

Inside the tasting room we find chairs and take glasses of Kadette 2005, followed by Pinotage 2004 and then Pinotage 06 from the barrel and 07 from the tanks. The 06 has sweet beautiful welcoming fruits - mulberry/blackberry with spices and coffee tones. Superb and stunning. From the the old vineyard, 3 tons per hectare, 16 months in 100% new French oak barrels. The 07 is just starting malolactic fermentation so it’s too early to form any judgement, but it has intense colour and bubblegum flavours and tonight we’ll go from this juice that is not yet a completed wine and taste back through the vintages to 1995.

Johann Krige, co-owner with brother Paul, has the job of welcoming us and introducing the event, which is an annual occasion for friends of Kanonkop. “This is an informal evening”, Johann tell us, “it is all done in house – there’s no catering firm” as he introduces his brother Paul who has the onerous task of running the braai , cooking the snook and feeding us all.

Wine maker Abrie Beeslaar (pictured right) speaks to us about winemaking at Kanonkop. “We try to capture the vintage – not make the same wine every year,” he says. Mentioning the 07 juice we have in our hands, he tells us that “this year we picked 3 tons a hectare from our 53 year old vines. We find that old vines give structure, good mouth-feel and tannins that you just don’t get with young fruit.”

Someone asks a question about whether they’ll be a ‘Reserve’ Kanonkop. Johann steps in to answer vehemently that there never will be. “Kanonkop wines are the best we make,” he states. “We only make the best. We don’t make second best wines.”

Then we are invited to visit two tasting stations in the cellars for verticals of Pinotage and Cabernet, to wander through the winery and to assist the cellar staff with the two hourly punch-downs of the cap of skins that form on the fermenting grapes in the open tanks, and not to forget the braai.

I first taste the Pinotages – tasting notes in Part 2 – then go to punch down the cap. (picture below) Now I have frequently seen this done. People stand on boards over the fermenting tanks with poles pushing down the hard skins so that they go back down in the juice and give up their colour and flavour. The workers have a good rhythm and it seems an easy task. Well, it is not. It is hard physical graft that pulls at ones muscles. The pole seems to get heavier by the moment and you must keep your balance on a swaying plank. And it must be done every two hours throughout t the day and night. So I didn’t last long at that. Are there any jobs in a winery that are easy? Picking grapes is back breaking…

It is now past midnight and, although many people have left, there are deep discussions going on and bottle after bottle of Kanonkop still circulating. Never mind tasting note scores – it’s the one you choose to drink when you have your choice of them all that is the real winner.

I won’t name names since they were talking in a social occasion, but one winemaker famous for his award winning Pinotages firmly stated that “South African wines that go past 10-15 years are past their best. But Pinotage is the exception. It changes in character. The wine itself stays intact but it develops into something really special. If you go beyond 10 years Pinotage knocks the socks off Cabernet – it needs to age.” And another winemaker agreed, saying “anyone can make a decent Shiraz, it is an easy simple grape that makes an easy simple wine, but to make decent Pinotage needs skill.”

Tasting notes follow in Part 2

Picture - Pitching in and Punching the Kanonkop Cap

Pinotage & Vindaloo? No Problem!

Wine and food writer Fiona Beckett has tried matching a curries with various beverages, and recounts the experience on her Food & Wine Matching website in an article titled Can any Wine survive a Vindaloo?


Armed with a "can of supermarket lager, a bottle of Greene King IPA (Indian Pale Ale), an Alsace Gewurztraminer, a full bodied, fruity red Stormhoek Pinotage from South Africa and a mango lassi - all served chilled, even the Pinotage" she started with a medium hot Chicken Rogan Josh, moving on to a supermarket vindaloo and finishing with a "vindaloo from the takeaway, which was hotter still. The Gewurztraminer really couldn’t cope with this unless you added some raita and dal but the Pinotage still kept going"

She concludes that "the big surprise - although I’d had an inkling it would work because South Africans regard it as the best match for curry - was the Pinotage, welcome news to those who prefer drinking red wine to white. But don’t drink it at room temperature, chill it first!"

That Pinotage is a good match for spicy foods is no surprise to Pinotage lovers, but it is good to hear the word is spreading.

The Pinotage Effect

There's a lot of Pinotage activity on the web this week.


On the elevated realms of Robert Parker's wine discussion forum, Port guru Roy Hersh likens aged Pinotage to southern Rhones. He has just opened a 1999 Beyerskloof Pinotage.


"It is not one of those ungodly wines that those who hate Pinotage would turn their nose up at. In fact, most people do not age their Pinotage ... unless they know any better. Having tried 20-30 year old examples (in country) I know that some ... can and do become beautiful old wines, but obviously there are not many that do.

At just 7-8 years old, this wine is showing beautifully and I'd say at about peak performance. It would still drink well 5+ years from now too, but I don't think it will ever be better than it is today. It is showing a dark crimson color with a clear edge and no signs of maturity in terms of its appearance. The nose is dapper, with a smoky and spicy scent initially but the subtlety wears off and it literally explodes with leather, pine resin and a plum earthiness that is gorgeous (if you like the style). It is closer to the aromatics of a So. Rhone wine than what most people think in terms of as So. African ... no less Pinotage.

On the palate it shows great viscosity and the heavy weight is as plush as a deep pile carpet. This is fun to roll around the mouth and we have half a bottle left to enjoy with our steak dinner in a few minutes. But already the prune, tobacco, meaty flavors and clay come to the fore. I don't normally use clay as a descriptor for a flavor profile ... but I think that those 4 ppl. on this BB, that enjoy aged Pinotage know the note I am describing. I have to take a look at the alc. % but there is no signs that this is out of synch. In fact the delicious fruit and acidity are singing already and this was not even decanted!"



Another person in love with Beyerskloof is an anonymous lady who blogs under the name 'Classy Rump', although I wonder what her unlucky husband thinks. She sent him out to the farmers market to buy a shoulder of lamb which she slow cooked in Port. She says "Drank Beyerskloof pinotage, one of my absolute faves, - went perfectly with the spicy lamb. Lovley. Had intended giving Hubs one of my special BJs to cheer him up but crashed out and woke up side by side on the sofa hours later like a pair of tinned sardines."


And on the UK wine forum, Richard Ward tried Charles Back's Pinotage-Viognier, 2005, Paarl, 14.5% on a Tesco supermarket half price offer -

"F*** me - this tastes exactly like Musar!! A eureka moment - a pinotage I actually like, with a velvetty texture and mouthfeel, soft earthy aromas and (surprisingly given the 14.5% alcohol) no astringency on the finish. I don't know if it's the addition of 4% Viognier which has helped it, or if it's just really well made, but this is superb. No jamminess, no medicinal notes, no beefy/smokey flavours - just a really deep yet soft and well rounded wine. Tasted blind I would have sworn it was Musar. I was literally blown away by this wine - I've never tasted a pinotage like it. 91pts."


And, ahem, (well there are Pinotage wines featured in it), over at wine.co.za Neil Pendock gave an enthusiastic review of my book Marilyn Merlot and the Naked Grape" and says "Wine pundit for the Observer, Tim Atkin may list “never trust a person who collects wine labels” in his enumeration of the Top 25 Wine Truths, but in the case of Peter May I’m prepared to make an exception. He’s been a judge on the ABSA Top Ten Pinotage Competition and so must be as squeaky clean as a Stelvin screwcap. And on the basis of this collection of wine oddities, even screwier."

No Comment :)

Pinotage - "It's a South African Variety"

It is time we stopped automatically referring to the parentage of Pinotage.

I recently spent some time listening in at various Cape tasting rooms and the usual mantra when pouring Pinotage is “This is Pinotage – it is a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut,” and sometimes the the Hermitage – Cinsaut connection is thrown in to explain the name.

The excuse is that Pinotage is a new variety to many people. But those same people had to taste Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz for the first time in the past and it is certain that the pourer just announced the variety without mentioning that they are crosses* and telling them the names of the parent vines.

What we are doing is confusing a great many people without enlightening them.


How many casual wine drinkers even understand what a ‘cross’ means? A look around the internet quickly demonstates how many visitors to Cape wine lands have departed with the idea that Pinotage is a blend or mix of wines.

Some winemakers like to say their Pinotage shows some Pinot Noir or Cinsaut characteristics – but is that what the tasting room visitor ought to be looking for?

Shouldn’t they be experiencing a new variety and enjoying it for its own flavours, not feeling bad because they can’t taste the Pinot Noir – and how many of us know what Cinsaut tastes like?

I’d like to see Pinotage being introduced as a South African variety – and leave it at that. Of course, if there are questions about its antecedents they should be answered. But let’s not throw all that confusing baggage at new drinkers.

Some quotes from people sufficiently keen on wine to blogged their thoughts:

"There's even a special "Cape Wine" blend called a Pinotage, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsault". -- Karen Oakley

"South Africa produces the Pinotage, a blend of the Pinot Noir and Cinsault grapes" --
"veteran drinks journalist" Rick Lyke

"assemblage des cepages Pinot noir et cinsault" -- Adrien

"Pinotage is a mix between pinot noir and Cinsault". -- 'helping candidates who are studying sommelier exams' World Wine Delivery

"supposedly originally a graft of Cinsaut vines onto Pinot Noir"-- KeithF



"a somewhat accidental graft of Pinot Noir with Cinsaut" -- FoodSnob

So, lets say 'It's Pinotage -- it's a South African variety'.

And go no further.

* Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah/Shiraz is a cross of Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. When was the last time you heard a winemaker saying their Cabernet Sauvignon was showing its Sauvignon Blanc characteristics?

Camberley's Garage is full of Pinotage

Isn’t it funny the impression you get about a winery when all you know about it is from the label on its wines?

Camberley’s moody black label with its hard to read gold overprinting made me think of a dark gloomy miserable place and it took me until now to discover that nothing could be further from the truth.

I’d always known their Pinotages are superb, no doubt about it. But something had put me off visiting the home of that black label. At last I drove up the short access road to find an electronic gate blocking the way. Should I press the intercom button? I was thinking of turning around and leaving when my way out was blocked by an incoming car. The driver called across “Don’t worry, I’ll open it” and, as she pressed a button on a remote control, the gates slid open.

I parked at the edge of the garden of a large bungalow on a ridge and got out to meet Gaël Nel, the owner (pictured above). Her winemaker husband John wasn’t there, and she had a dozen tasks to do but she insisted I follow her in to her house. There was a breathtaking view over the valley at the end of their garden. But no sign of a winery.

I followed her down some stairs and found myself in a barrel cellar built in what had been the garage. Built on a slope into the hill, this small boutique winery sits under the Nel's house. In a room set aside for tastings, Gaël opened a bottle of their current Pinotage, the 2005 vintage.

This WO Stellenbosch Pinotage was purple coloured with soft ripe fruit flavours which filled the mouth with sweet silky texture and some acids on the finish, a most attractive wine.


Gaël then opened a new 2006 Pinotage. This had been in the bottle for just three weeks. It had an intense glass staining purple colour with a really spicy front palate, some coffee and chocolate flavours, backed up by some grip and fruit acids on finish. I reckon this will be a real cracker with a little bottle age.

Both were really delightful wines, and Gaël was keen to show me their other wines, a Shiraz, Merlot and some Cabernet based blends. But I had taken up enough of her time, I’ll return next trip.

And now when I see that Camberley label (pictured right) I think of a warm sun-filled welcoming house on the side of a lush valley and a couple who make great wine in their basement.

Getting Lost and Finding a Friend on the way to Grangehurst

“Why not come and visit us?” asks Jeremy Walker (Pictured far left with Peter May) - owner/winemaker of Grangehurst Winery when I meet him at a party. So I did.

The only previous time I went to Grangehurst, several years ago, the tasting room was closed. This time I couldn’t even find it. I popped into the R44 roadside produce/farm/wine shop that is Mooiberg intending to check directions. And browsing the wineshop, I was approached by a woman who recognised me. Embarrassingly, I couldn't recall where I knew her from but she reminded me she used to be in the Fairview tasting room. Now Marlies Naudé works for Charles Back’s distribution company and was offering tastes of MAN Vintners and the Goats do Roam ranges. The expected rush following the Argus Cycle race the previous day hadn’t materialised so we swapped stories and she got me directions back to Grangehurst.

It's up a dirt road and is only identified by the word Grangehurst painted vertically on a gate post. There had been a delivery lorry parked right in front of it earlier, I remembered, because I had to manoeuvre past it and didn't see the sign.

Jeremy was at the rear of the tasting room and poured some Grangehurst 2001 Pinotage from an open bottle. “There’s 11% Cabernet Sauvignon in it,” he told me. I found it had a sweet front, seemed quite light bodied for a wine with 14% abv and had noticeable acids on the finish.

“We have sold out of the 2000 vintage, and we can’t sell the 2001 because the wine labels aren’t printed yet – we’ve had delay after delay which is irritating because people want to buy it “

“These wines seem quite mature,” I said, “considering that other wineries have already released their 2006 Pinotages.”

“We like to bottle age our wines,” Jeremy replied. “Our style of wine is meant very much for accompanying food and we sell mostly to restaurants. They like to have wines with some age. After barrel ageing, our wines return to stainless steel tanks and they are racked many times, it is the natural way of cleaning wines – we don’t filter them. Only when we bottle the wines, they are gravity fed very gently to the bottling line and there is a filter there.”

“You must try this Kautzenburg 2004 (WO Stellenbosch 14.5%abv) that I made here for a neighbour” said Jeremy, opening another bottle. This Pinotage had a lavender perfumed nose, it was full bodied, with gravel spices and wild herb flavour. A most attractive wine that hit the target on all points of the palate.

Then Jeremy poured me some of his Cape Blend. Nikela 2001 is a blend of roughly equal Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage with a little Merlot (OK, I wrote down the percentages but I now find they add up to well over 100%. Sums never were my strong point...)

This Nikela is a well rounded wine with good body and fruit and fruit acids on the finish. “The acids help when you’re having it with food,” Jeremy said, “This isn’t meant for drinking on its own.”

Jeremy was intrigued to learn the last time I enjoyed Nikela was at the Pinotage Dinner in September 2006 in Toronto, organised by the local South African Wine Society. Then it was the 2000 vintage which I noted ‘51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Pinotage and 11% Merlot, matured for 21 months in French and American oak barrels. Good structure with ripe berry flavours and a hint of sweetness and some grippy tannins. A very pleasant wine, good drinking now but will keep.’


I remarked on the corks Jeremy was using because they looked like composites (picture right). “They are DIAM technical corks,” Jeremy told me. “Several other winemakers have recommended them to me and I am trialling them. We’ve bottled 3- 400 wines with them and we’ll use these bottles in our tasting room and at shows so we can closely monitor them. They are supposed to be TCA free. You can tell they are DIAM because of the ‘D’ stamped on them.”

That night I opened the bottle of Grangehurst 2001 Pinotage that Jeremy had kindly given me. And you know what? He’s right – it is a super food wine! The acids I had remarked on in the tasting room were not noticeable. This wine was full bodied, ripe and silky in texture. There were coffee tones on the palate – and now on the nose as well.

Another stunning wine.

Spex Selex - Warwick

Wine Spectator Online really has got the taste for Pinotage, selecting Warwick's Pinotage as Wine editors Daily Pick for today, 17 March, the third time this month Pinotage has been picked - joining previous picks Kanonkop 04 and Simonsig 04 .

James Molesworth says of Warwick's 2005 'Old Bush Vine' Pinotage "Ripe and creamy, with mocha, blackberry, plum and spice flavors that run through the medium-weight, fleshy finish. A very modern style. Drink now. 2,500 cases made. (88 points, $23)

Spit Lamb, not Pinotage!

Talking of lamb and Pinotage reminds me that last week I called in at Backsberg Estate Cellars near Paarl to update myself with their wine range.


Walking towards the winery I noticed people were dining at tables placed on the lawn under the shade of the numerous trees. I wandered over to see an entire lamb slowly rotating on a spit and a cheerful chef wielding a long carving knife. (Lennox - pictured right)

A glimpse of the menu promised “Karoo Lamb on the Spit - A South African tradition served with a house salad or farm style vegetables and Backsberg’s famous roast potatoes. Have your lamb sliced exactly as you like it at the spit. R90.”

A moment later I was sitting at one of those tables, studying the wine list and nibbling on some bread. Lamb wasn’t the only dish on the menu but it is the only item I had eyes for. What to drink? Water obviously and a bottle of Backsberg Pinotage 2006 at R45. Obviously. The waitron* said she would bring my veggies and then I could go and get my meat.

A long empty table filled up with a large group under the guidance of a tour guide and although there were a few calls for vegetarian dishes the majority chose the lamb, and without waiting for their potatoes they took their bread plates and formed a line by the spit. I was fearing all the lamb would all be gone by the time I was served, but the cheerful waitron, returning with my platter, assured me that the tour group was expected and there was plenty of meat for everyone. And so it proved to be.

The chef asked which part the animal I preferred (the leg) and how I wanted my meat cooked (medium), and expertly and efficiently carved me off slices of lamb. A nearby table held ample jars of Colmans Hot English mustard (the only one that matters) and thickly gloopy mint sauce – lovely!!

The meat was deliciously succulent and tender, cooked exactly as I had chosen. The ‘famous’ roast potatoes were crisp on the outside and creamily soft inside and the roasted veggies (aubergine, courgettes, carrot, peppers) were a tasty colourful accompaniment. (picture left)

Backsberg Pinotage 2006 was very ripe, soft and plummy with some jammy fruit, very drinkable and approachable. A friendly wine and a truly new world Pinotage. I replaced the cork and took the bottle with me and returned to it the following evening when it was just as delightful. It was 14.5% but didn’t show it and, surprisingly Wine of Origin Coastal when I was expecting from the word Estate in the winery name that it would be WO Paarl.

Simon Back, son of Backsberg owner Michael Back (who was at another table in the restaurant. I tipped my straw hat to him, but didn’t interrupt what looked like – from his unhappy expression – a business meeting), blogs at B’s Blog so I asked him.

Simon explained “We declassified ourselves as Estate wine producers several years ago and changed the name from being simply Backsberg Estate to being Backsberg Estate Cellars. This was done so as to comply with the law governing Estate wine production but at the same time staying as close as possible to the original name. In some cases where we have bought in fruit and or wine we can keep the classification of Paarl in others it becomes more complex as we may have fruit and or wine from different areas and then it becomes easier to refer the classification as coastal which is more generic. The main driver behind this is simply flexibility in the pursuit of quality.”

Backsberg vineyards as seen from access road.

*Waitron is a most useful South African non-gender specific word for a waiter or waitress.

Matching Food & Pinotage – Salmon or Lamb?

Vino Con Brio in Lodi, California are pleased with the 88 points their 2004 Pinotage was awarded by Steve Heimoff in Wine Enthusiast! who wrote "Dark, thick, soft and juicy, an amazingly flavorful wine with a depth of exotic flavors. Blackberry liqueur, dark chocolate, cherry jam, violet flower, charred beef bones and peppery spice flavors swirl together into a complex finish..." and they recommend Con Brio Cedar Plank Salmon as the perfect food match in this recipe from their current newsletter.

1 cedar plank (6 by 14 inches) well soaked

2 salmon fillets (1 1/2 pounds total)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons brown sugar

Soak cedar plank in salted water for at least 2 hours, then drain. Remove skin from salmon fillet. Remove any remaining bones. Rinse the salmon under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Generously season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Lay the salmon (on what was skin-side down) on the cedar plank and carefully spread the mustard over the top and sides.

Place the brown sugar in a bowl and crumble between your fingers, then sprinkle over the mustard. Set grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high. Place the cedar plank in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook until cooked through, around 20 to 30 minutes. The internal temperature should read 135 degrees F.

Transfer the salmon and plank to a platter and serve right off the plank with Vino Con Brio's Estate Pinotage.

Lamb Curry

But over at Stuffed and Plastered, Rach thinks Pinotage is ideal with her Lamb Curry which she says “does not taste like a true Indian curry, more of a Mongolian one with subtle spices and less afterkick.”

She finds Cabernet Sauvignon “makes the wine taste sour” and Rioja/Tempranillo is “too heavy a grape and loses the rich flavour and aromas of the food”.

Rach says Stellenbosch Pinotage makes the best match, and she recommends Kleine Zalze and Beyersksloof Pinotage.