Rhebokskloof Pinotage 2010

Pinotage, our very own South African wine grape variety, has had a love hate relationship amongst wine lovers. It seems that the reason some people are not fond of the variety is because they find it leaves an unpleasant, sweetish paint like pungency at the back of the throat. However the followers of this variety find that the benefits of leaving a good Pinotage to age was the answer and the results were worth waiting for!!!!

But it seems that in recent years Pinotage winemakers have overcome this nasty back burner irritation which has encouraged more drinkers to this wonderful variety! Chatting to several winemakers about the previous problems experienced and their answer has been that they simply did not make it properly!!!!! Well it seems practise makes perfect and the proof arrived while tasting several excellent Pinotages recently showing no trace of nasty acetone!

The Pinotage variety was the result of the cross pollination by Stellenbosch University Professor Perold in the early twenties of the Pinot Noir variety with Hermitage (Cinsaut). Professor Perold was not entirely happy with the result and was about to pull out the vines when a student of his saw this and took them from him, and the rest is history! However it was only on 1961 that the first Pinotage was released commercially. Named Lanzerac Pinotage from grapes grown in the Bottlery area of Stellenbosch, and was from the 1959 vintage.

I find Pinotage pairs well with spicier foods and this weekend we made a traditional bobotie and as I had been given a bottle of the Rhebokskloof Estate Pinotage 2010, I opened it!. I was a tad apprehensive about the youthfulness of the vintage but I needn’t have worried. The wine, both on its own and with the meal, was simply amazing! Winemaker Rolanie Lotz describes the wine “a bouquet of dried fruit, ripe prune and dark cherry flavours which are complimented by spicy oak aromas and the perfect match to any red meat dish” . Agreed Rolanie and I will be buying more of it to drink now and some to keep for a few years!

Expect to pay R73.00