Alvi’s Drift Verreaux Pinotage 2018

Alvi’s Drift, run by brothers Alvi and Johan van der Merwe, is an extraordinary agricultural undertaking. Made up on a network of farms in the Scherpenheuwel district about 20km south of Worcester, total holdings amount to 6 000ha of which 430ha is vineyard with 24 varieties under cultivation. Other farming includes a dairy herd consisting of 5 500 cows as well as 200 000 chickens, 1 000 pigs, free-roaming game, citrus and stone fruit.

With the vineyards producing between 7 500 and 10 000 tonnes of grapes a year, the Alvi’s Drift range of wines is inevitably extensive. One wine to attract my attention during a recent visit was the top-end Verreaux Pinotage 2018 (price: R525 a bottle).

Matured for 22 months in a combination of new French and American oak, it’s not nearly as forceful or overdone as you might fear. The nose shows a top note of rose before red cherry, earth and spice while the palate is medium bodied (alcohol is 13.7%) – good fruit expression, fresh acidity and fine tannins.

CE’s rating: 92/100.

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