Allée Bleue Black Series Old Vine Pinotage 2016

Yesterday Allée Bleue launched The Black Series, a collection of ultra-premium, single-variety wines, many bottled in magnums.

These include a Banghoek Chardonnay 2014 matured for 11 months in 100% new barrels and then a further 17 months in fifth fill – a “late bottled vintage” take on the variety according to winemaker Van Zyl Du Toit. Next a Banghoek Cabernet Franc 2012 with an alcohol of 15.3% which certainly is not “green” whatever else you might say about it. Then a deftly made Shiraz 2014 from a single vineyard on the Allée Bleue property in Franschhoek (in a standard 750ml bottle) plus 2013 and 2014 vintages of Banghoek Cabernet Sauvignon which are pretty fine examples of the variety as you might expect from this area of Stellenbosch.

Loud and proud.

Perhaps the most striking wine, however, is the Old Vine Pinotage 2016, this wine from a Piekenierskloof vineyard planted in 1976. It’s not exactly subtle but it’s dead sexy with a hugely expressive nose of red cherry, banana, vanilla and spice and a palate that shows plenty of sweet fruit and soft tannins. Not everybody will like it but I appreciated for its peculiarity. Price: R350 per 750ml bottle.

Editor’s rating: 92/100.