Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir 2018

Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir won silver at this year’s Wine Label Design Awards, Simone Hodgkiss of Pearly Yon responsible for creative, and more recently a chance to try the 2018 vintage. Longstanding Hamilton Russell Vineyards employee Berene Sauls is behind the undertaking and her colleague Emul Ross makes the wine.

Grapes from Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, winemaking involved 10% whole-bunch fermentation before nine and a half months of maturation in French oak, 25% new. The nose is very pretty with notes of red and black fruit, musk and fresh herbs. The palate, meanwhile, is medium-bodied and tightly wound with good fruit concentration, fresh acidity and super-fine tannins, the finish long and savoury. Pretty damn delicious! Price: R499 a bottle.

Editor’s rating: 94/100.

Find our South African wine ratings database here.