Spice Route Pinotage is an opulent and bold expression of the varietal and is rich and full flavoured. Grapes are from an award-winning trellised vineyard and the wine is matured in new and used American oak barrels to add a subtle oak nuance.
IN THE VINEYARD:
The Pinotage comes from two blocks in the Swartland, both planted on decomposed granite soils (Oakleaf). The one block is trellised and the other grown as bushvine, adding variety to the structure of the final wine.
HARVEST DATE: 8th February & 21st February 2013
WINEMAKING:
Both blocks were picked at optimum ripeness, 2 weeks apart. The bunches were fermented in 5-ton open concrete fermenters with manual punch-down of the skins twice a day, extracting deep colour and flavour. The wine was pressed off and transferred to tight-grain American oak barrels for malolactic fermentation, of which half were seasoned barrels. The wine matured for 16 months before bottling.
WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS:
Pinotage is truly at home in the Swartland and this vineyard proves this point year after year. 2013
was a low yielding, concentrated vintage, producing a bold wine built to age. Charl du Plessis
TASTING NOTE:
A burst of ripe plums and raspberry on the nose with sweet spice and hints of beetroot. Fresh red fruit continues on the palate and refined tannins add age-worthy structure to the wine. Medium-bodied with smoky cherry tobacco-like flavours on the finish.
more on spiceroutewines.co.za
