Meerendal Heritage Block Pinotage 2023

This year marks a century since Pinotage first came into existence, making it a fitting moment for Durbanville property Meerendal to unveil its reimagined wine from the so-called Heritage Block, planted in 1955 and thus reaching the grand age of 70 this year.

Since mid-2022, 35-year-old Wade Roger-Lund has headed up winemaking here, adamant from the outset that the site deserved greater recognition. Now releasing the 2023 vintage, he describes his approach as seeking “not so much lightness but elegance.”

The vineyard spans 5.8ha, typically yielding 3.5 t/ha, which gives Roger-Lund roughly 10,000L of juice to work with. For the 2023 vintage, just 810 bottles have been produced, set to retail at R1,250 per bottle (the rest of the wine used in other cuvées).

Fermentation took place in traditional open concrete kuipe, followed by 18 months of maturation in a mix of 300- and 500-litre barrels, 40% new. The final wine represents a selection of the very best components in the cellar.

The nose shows a floral top note before plum and dark cherry, a touch of fennel and oak spice. The palate shows pure fruit, bright acidity and chalky, perhaps slightly bitter, tannins. Nice weight in the sense of not being too opulent, this is a promising first effort.  Indeed, a barrel sample of the 2024 looked gorgeous, further reinforcing this as a label to watch as the variety embarks on its second century…

CE’s rating: 92/100.

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