Vinfolio Staff Picks: Favorite wines from Vinfolio wine experts

Some would say Pinotage is the banner grape of South Africa. Usually a banner grape dominates production in a country or region, like Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina or Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Oddly enough, though, Pinotage accounts for less than 5% of the total production of South Africa. You can drop a few percentage points off of that with the surging popularity of Syrah in the last decade. Why is there such misunderstanding about Pinotage? Maybe it’s because of the varietal’s rarity outside the Cape Region, or perhaps due to a general unfamiliarity with the Pinotage profile.

Anyhow, wine professionals often bash this varietal, which is a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, due to off-components of rubber, green tannins and the nail polish aroma of acetate-laden fruit. Ask a sommelier his or her least favorite grape, and Pinotage usually tops the list. I admit that some of my worst tasting experiences have been sipping on a $7 or $8 dollar Pinotage. However, being selective and keeping an open mind and palate has its rewards. I would gather that most wine professionals haven’t had the chance to taste the elite Pinotage that has arisen from the shadows of the government-sponsored KWV (Kooperatiewe Wijnbouwers Vereniging). Most of the finest Pinotages stay within South Africa, and it’s rare to procure them in the states.

That’s why I was excited to see that we secured one of those elite Pinotages, brought into the country by a noted importer. The producer is Hamilton Russell, a pioneering estate based in the Walker Bay district, southeast of the more established regions of Paarl and Stellenbosch. The region is becoming one of the finest for cool climate varietals Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The winery’s niche is estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but proprietor Anthony Hamilton Russell’s prized baby is the limited production Ashbourne, made of 100% Pinotage. Historically, vintners haven’t looked to cut yields with Pinotage. On the contrary, the varietal was specifically designed to produce robust crops, and bolster other red varietals in the classic “Cape Blends.” Anthony Hamilton Russell comes from the camp that realizes that cooler, ocean-influenced climates and higher altitude sites extend hang time and allow proper phenols to develop, balancing out Pinotage’s natural tannins. This strategy has proven successful, as the leading authority on South African, John Platter, ranks the 2004 Ashbourne at 4.5 stars out of a perfect 5 in his 2007 publication.

The Pinotage Ashbourne is only produced in great years, and only 15 barrels of the 2004 were made. 2001 was the last release before the current 2004! The yields have been traditionally low, teetering just over 1 ton/acre. Hamilton Russell uses only 30% new oak on the Ashbourne, with the bulk of the cooperage being third year barriques, to emphasize fruit over wood. I find the 2004 a perfect example of when fruit, tannin and wood harmonize in complete balance. This effort leans more towards a French style, so if you’re a sucker for a good Bordeaux, Cahors or Madiran, then this Pinotage needs to be on your radar. Sure, it’s a modern style wine, but the earth tones scream out Bordelaise with a twist of New World Syrah.
Aromas of spicy raspberries and dried flowers hit the nose carrying the raspberry note through to the mid-palate where a mélange of dark plum, smoke and iron-mineral twinge leads into a cauldron of leather and peppercorn. Pedigree usually is judged by the finish and the Ashbourne is firmly tannic in an admirable way with an impressive long lasting finish to boot.
I have had $100 Bordeaux with shorter finishes than this Pinotage! The 2004 is a baby, so buy a few bottles and open one soon, with a couple hours of aeration. Save the remaining bottles for a few years and serve it down the road with a hearty roasted meat dish or a rump of Springbok! Maybe you’ll need to go to Cape Town for that pairing!

Other noteworthy Pinotages to seek out are Beyerskloof Reserve, DeWaal Top of the Hill, Fairview Primo, Kaapzicht Steytler, Kanonkop, Simonsig Redhill and Southern Right, a second off-shoot of Hamilton Russell.

“New World” wine nations have established themselves as serious producers of noted Bordelais varietals for the past quarter century. The five noted red grapes of Bordeaux are of course Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Several countries have been very successful producing and marketing these varieties. In the United States, we have Napa Valley, and Columbia Valley in Washington State. Down in South America we have the Colchagua Valley and Maipo Valley making an array of Bordeaux-inspired blends. In Argentina, we can’t forget the success of Malbec in the high altitude vineyards of Mendoza. Zipping across the globe to New Zealand, we find the “Big Three” (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Cabernet Franc) popping up in the Hawkes Bay district of the North Island. Australia knows Syrah (Shiraz), but Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot perform well in the Margaret River, Victoria and Coonawaara districts.

But let’s not forget about South Africa! Here’s a nation that had been almost forgotten due to sanctions on the former Apartheid government. The fact is that South Africa is the oldest growing region of the “New World” category. It has been documented that the first vines were planted in 1655 by the Dutch East India Trading Company. However, they were not successful, and a major replanting began almost thirty years later on the back end of Cape Town. This project was considered one of the largest in colonial times, and was called Groot Constantia. There are still wineries in this growing district, but aromatic whites seem to be its calling card. The most noted areas for Bordeaux-inspired varietals are to be found in Stellenbosch and, to some extent, in Paarl. Stellenbosch will remind many of travelling through Napa Valley, and the varietal landscape is similar, except for plantings of Pinotage (crossing of Pinot Noir & Cinsault) and Steen (Chenin Blanc).

Since 1994, when democratic elections replaced the Apartheid government, South African wines have returned to the international stage and imports to the United States have soared to record highs. Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc have increased in both production and fame, but the “Big Three” still form the foundation for quality and rival the best efforts from other “New World” regions. I find that these South African wines are the most similar to the blends of Bordeaux, especially with subtle tertiary nuances of herbs, dry-brushy notes, mint, cedar box and lead pencil. They are not just about bombastic black jammy fruit bolstered with alcohol levels of 15.5%, which can too often be the case with their competitors. Many estates in Stellenbosch offer fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-inspired blends for a third or even half the price of Napa’s finest, making them great finds that won’t disappoint.

Vinfolio currently has four of the finest South African producers on the site, and they would make for a tasty “exploration mix case sampler”! These wines can be enjoyed now with a good 60 minutes of decanting time, and pair well with grilled or roasted meats. These efforts are also excellent mid-term cellaring candidates that will only improve with 2-6 years of age.

2004 Neil Ellis - Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Selection ($39) IWC 91

2004 Ernie Els - Engelbrecht Els Red ($39) IWC 92/WS 91

2004 Rustenberg - Peter Barlow ($32) IWC 93

2003 Vilafonte - Series C ($56) WS 88

Other noted producers of this category to look out for are Boekenhoutskloof, Buitenverwachting, De Trafford, Grangehurst, Kaapzicht, Meerlust, Plaisir de Merle, Rudera, Stark Conde, Thelema, Vergelegen, Warwick and Waterford. All of the above are imported into the country.

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