Description
Country : South Africa
Grape Variety : Pinotage
From South Africa’s own unique grape, this is a lightly wooded version, with bright red berry and cherry fruit, hints of earthiness, savoury notes and spice.
Tasting Note : Warm, bright red fruits and slightly perfumed tones come through on the nose. On the palate the wine is juicy and medium-bodied in style, with prunes, cherries, blueberries, and hints of spice on the finish.
Food Pairing : rich pasta dishes; plain grilled red meats; ripe cheeses; ostrich steak.
More info : Pinotage was developed by Professor A I Perold in 1925 as a result of crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsaut, and the grape variety has thrived in South Africa ever since. Pinotage was the first red wine released by Simonsig Estate, in 1970, and they deliberately produced an unwooded style (it is still only very lightly wooded) to accentuate the charming red berry flavours of the grape variety. Their best Pinotage grapes are grown on weathered shale soils, which brings a perfumed headiness to the wine. This is a delicious and well balanced red, although deceptively easy drinking at 14% abv!
Winery : The Malan family’s winemaking heritage dates back to 1688, when French Huguenot Jacques Malan arrived in South Africa. More recently it was the late Frans Malan who established Simonsig Estate, crafting high quality wines and pioneering innovations such as Cape sparkling wine. Current generation, brothers Francois and Johan, manage the vineyards and cellar respectively and continue the family traditions of quality, sustainability and social responsibility. Simonsig has won more awards than you can shake a stick at, but are constantly striving for improvement. These wines have true provenance and authenticity; their roots are literally in the ancient soils around the Simonsberg Mountain.
