Redhill Pinotage Simonsig 2019 75 cl.

The Pinotage grape is the result of a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (often called Hermitage in South Africa) which Professor Perold made in 1924-25 in Stellenbosch and which has since become one of South Africa’s most famous grapes. For this Prestige Pinotage, the best wines are selected after maturation in a large number of new oak barrels, where the grapes come exclusively from the well-known Redhills slopes on the Simonsig Estate. The soil here consists of decomposed shellfish deposits mixed with granite, and it is considered one of the best in South Africa for red wines.

20% of the harvest is fermented with whole bunches and the rest is gently de-stemmed and masticated. After pressing, both wines undergo a malolactic fermentation in tank. At Simonsig, we believe that the fine nuances of raspberry, which is typical of the grape, should not normally be disturbed by too much woody character, but Redhill Pinotage is so powerful and structured that it can easily stand up to aging – and become more harmonious as a result. It is therefore allowed to mature for 15 months in new, French wooden barrels (225 l. from the Allier forest).

It is a very full-bodied wine, which offers complex notes of wild forest berries, bitter chocolate, mocha, English licorice, dark spices and cedar. The aftertaste is very harmonious with both concentration and finesse. It can easily withstand a further maturation for 6-8 years and will gain in complexity and charm. It is best with lamb, game, grilled beef or with mature red cheeses.

Although the first Malan already arrived in South Africa from France in 1688 to grow wine, it was not until 1953 that one of his descendants, Frans Malan, founded the current Simonsig Estate in north-west Stellenbosch. It is here, on some of the gentle slopes of the area, that in the 1970s Frans Malan produced South Africa’s first Rhine Riesling, Chardonnay and Méthode Champenoise wines (the latter he named ‘Kaapse Vonkel’). He had several other grape varieties planted on his fields and was known for his search for perfect grape blends, in addition to searching for the optimal combinations of soil and grape varieties – all in an attempt to achieve the highest quality.

In Stellenbosch, you find a rare harmony between the soil conditions of the area and the climatic influence from the Atlantic Ocean, where cool winds ensure a long ripening of the grapes, which in this way ensures more aroma and crispness in the wines. With grapes such as Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay for the whites and Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for the reds, Simonsig produces ‘single variety’ wines as well as the top wines ‘Tiara’ and ‘Frans Malan Reserve’, which are produced on a carefully coordinated composition of different grapes.