Sangiro Pinotage 2017

Sangiro Pinotage 2017 comes enveloped in romance – grapes from a far-flung Piekenierskloof vineyard owned by octogenarian Jurgens Hanekom and apparently a semi-mystical approach on the part of winemaker Rudiger Gretschel (read more here). In addition, it’s priced as something special at R550 a bottle.

I found the wine nicely accessible and cheering to drink but ultimately a little more prosaic than its back-story might suggest. The nose shows some attractive floral perfume to go with plums, black cherries and earth while the palate is well balanced with concentrated fruit, bright acidity and quite soft tannins, the finish gently savoury. It’s not unaccomplished but the Pinotage category, in general, seems to have got a lot more competitive just recently – see results of the recent Prescient Pinotage Report here.

CE’s rating: 90/100.

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