We’re living in the age of Peak Pinot as the bottle of 2014 Welmoed showed yesterday. Totally brilliant with the seared tuna at Haiku in Burg Street. One of the standout wines at the recent Woolworths showcase was the Pinot 2013 from Paul Cluver. I write about it in The Times today in a small, but perfectly formed, column soon to become engorged for the festive season.

Paul Cluver Pinot Noir 2013

How much and where? R99 from Woolworths countrywide

Why? Pinot Noir is known as the heartbreak grape and in South Africa that’s probably on account of the price premium it demands over Cabernet or Merlot. It was three decades ago that Anthony Hamilton Russell broke the R100 ceiling for red wines with his Walker Bay Pinot. Now Paul Cluver is breaking the ceiling again on the way down since this bottling for Woolies is the cheapest of his trio of Pinots.

The Cape is awash with decent Pinot at reasonable prices and this one from Woolies is a terrific example. Serve slightly chilled and the fresh cherries pop on your palate like a slush puppy at the bioscope.

The grapes hail from Elgin, which is making all the running of late as Stellenbosch farmers seek cooler climes in this age of global climate change. Elgin is home to the South African deciduous fruit industry, and many of the wines have a fresh-apple character. This one is no exception. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then a bottle of Elgin Pinot is good protection against nurses.

Rating: ****

***** Heart’s Desire

**** Heartland

*** Heartbreak

** Heartache

* Heart Attack