2020 Olifantsberg Pinotage
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Region | |
| Appellation | Breedekloof (Appellation) |
| Winery | Olifantsberg |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13%) |
| Drink window | 2022 - 2028 |
- Buy 6 for 14.85 12.27 each and save 5%
Description
Olifantsberg Family Vineyards is less than an hour's drive from Cape Town, in the middle of the South African wine region Breedekloof. This small five-hectare winery has been owned by the Dutch Leeuwerik family since 2003. The Olifantsberg vineyards are located on the slopes of the Brandwacht Mountains. Thanks to the high location and the almost constant blowing wind, there is a cool microclimate. Ideal conditions for the production of top quality grapes! The vineyard is worked with respect for nature. The vines are fertilized organically and the yield in the vineyard is deliberately kept low. All this with the aim of harvesting optimally ripe, healthy and concentrated grapes of high quality. After the manual harvest, these grapes are taken to the newly built vinification cellar. Here too, winemaker Elizma Visse lets nature do its work. After crushing the grapes, a traditional skin soaking follows and the grapes are fermented. After this they are aged in oak barrels of which about one third are renewed annually. The Olifantsberg wines are therefore perfectly balanced with beautifully dosed oak in smell and taste.
The philosophy behind this Pinotage from Olifantsberg is to make this unique South African variety where elegance and freshness should be of paramount importance and not the many overripe heavy and high alcohol pinotages as we unfortunately see too much with the mass producers. This Pinotage puts the grape in the center. The wine consists of 82.5% Pintotage and is supplemented with Cabernet Sauvignon to give it that little bit of extra complexity and bite. The wines have had an education of one year in 2000L oak foudres and 300L French oak barrels. The wine is harvested in clusters (so all specific places in a vineyard) and these are fermented and raised separately and only blended at bottling to get the Pinotage that Paul and Elizma want.
The wine is a beautiful dark red in the glass. This pinotage surprises both in the nose and the mouth. The wine is very fresh with nice fruit and not those rubbery and animalic notes that the masses of pinotages have. The pinotage is velvety like a Pinot Noir, cherry, mulberry and eucalyptus. The wine has fine-grained but ripe tannins and a little bitterness. The wine is excellent to drink but can also mature for another 7 years. It is also advisable to drink this pinotage slightly chilled (around 16 degrees).
Tim Atkin: 92/100
Specifications
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Western Cape |
| Appellation | Breedekloof (Appellation) |
| Winery | Olifantsberg |
| Grape | Pinotage |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2022 |
| Drinking till | 2028 |
| Alcohol % | 13 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Promotion | Tier Price |
| Vinous rating | 92 |
| Tasting Profiles | Earthy, Dry, Fruity, Spicy, Red fruit, Flexible, Full |
| Drink moments | Barbecue, Borrelen, Met vrienden, Open haard, Summer party, Terras, Voor alledag |
Wijnhuis
Olifantsberg Family Vineyards is less than an hour's drive from Cape Town, in the heart of the Breedekloof wine region in South Africa. This small, 5 hectare winery has been in the hands of the Dutch Leeuwerik family since 2003. The Olifantsberg vineyards lie on the slopes of the Brandwacht Mountains. Thanks to the high altitude and the almost constant blowing wind, there is a cool microclimate.
Ideal conditions for the production of top quality grapes! The vineyard works with respect for nature. The vines are organically fertilized and the yield in the vineyard is deliberately kept low. All this with the aim of harvesting optimally ripe, healthy and concentrated grapes of high quality. After the manual harvest, these grapes are brought to the newly built vinification cellar. Here too, winemaker Elizma Visser lets nature do its job. After crushing the grapes, a traditional peel maceration follows and the grapes are fermented. After this they are aged in oak barrels, of which approximately one third is renewed annually. The Olifantsberg wines are therefore perfectly balanced with beautifully dosed oak in aroma and taste.
The fact that we are talking about a great winery here is evident from the fact that their wines receive very favorable reviews. The Silhouette won gold in 2015 at the most prestigious wine competition in South Africa, namely The OLD MUTUAL TROPHY WINE SHOW and won the 1st prize for Best Shiraz-based blend and received no less than 94/100 points. This is very special for a young winery such as Olifantsberg. In addition to the focus on quality, low yields and passion, it certainly plays a role that these wines receive these high ratings. In contrast to, for example, Stellenbosch, which is on the other side of the gorge, this is the Breedekloof an almost Priorat-like terroir with a lot of slate. This explains the beautiful mineral tones in the Olifantsberg wines.