Now in its eighth 12 months, Worldwide Pinotage Day is widely known yearly on the second Saturday in October.
A crossing of Cinsault and Pinot Noir, Pinotage is a pink selection developed in South Africa in 1924, however it was not till the late Eighties that it started to realize recognition internationally.
Predominantly grown and vinified in South Africa, when produced nicely, Pinotage shows a variety of pink and black fruits like plum, currants, cherry and blackberry, banana and herbaceous characters, gaining extra complexity when aged in oak with notes of smoke, spice and chocolate.
Scroll all the way down to see high Pinotage wines plus tasting notes from DWWA 2022
Produced as a varietal wine or as a part of a mix, to rejoice this uniquely South African selection, we spotlight benchmark examples from the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards – tasted and assessed by among the world’s high wine consultants, together with South Africa Regional Chair Fiona McDonald.
See under for the 2022 competitors’s high varietal wines and blends value discovering this Worldwide Pinotage Day and past…
Award-winning wines to rejoice Worldwide Pinotage Day
Breedekloof
Flagstone, Author’s Block 2019
Silver, 90 factors
Ripe plum, banana, boiled pink and blue sweets with some cherry blossom and violets giving freshness. Silky smooth with seamless acidity. Alc 14.7%
Cape City
Schuler, Cape Diamond Reserve, Durbanville 2018
Silver, 91 factors
Classically proportioned, providing flavours of cherry, boot polish, tar, and creamy oak nuances and a few savoury, meaty, appetising qualities. Alc 14%
Citrusdal Mountain
Piekenierskloof, Johan Van Zyl Outdated Vine, Piekenierskloof 2019
Silver, 93 factors
Intense black cherry, wild berries, menthol, and fascinating chocolate liqueur and pancetta notes. Massive, highly effective, with a sappy cinnamon mulled-wine end. Alc 14.5%
Coastal Area
Bellingham, The Founder Collection The Pod 2019
Silver, 92 factors
Fairly fragrant and unique: Wild berries, biltong, coriander, juniper, and hints of cherry liqueur on the end with agency grippy tannins. Alc 14%
KWV, The Mentors Perold 2018
Silver, 92 factors
Brooding, ripe fruits with mulberries, cherry, and bramble supported by notes of cigars, espresso, and lavender. For followers of impactful reds. Alc 14.5%
Fairview, Barrel-Aged 2020
Silver, 90 factors
Lifted cherry spice with hints of lily blossom, cola, and notes of balsamic. A lighter fashion with modern, supple tannins. Alc 14%
Franschhoek
Outdated Highway Wine Co., The Fats Man 2020
Silver, 90 factors
Concentrated berry aroma adopted by a blackberry pie, licorice, and charcoal palate with underlying unctuous purple fruits. Stony freshness with high quality tannins. Alc 14%
Paarl
Definition, Pinotage, Voor Paardeberg 2020
Silver, 92 factors
A vivid, mild, and supple wine with black fruit compote, wealthy plummy notes, black cherry, and a contact of leather-based. Alc 13.5%
Robertson
Van Loveren, Christina Trousseau 9 Barrels 2019
Silver, 90 factors
Fascinating notes of crushed herbs and brûléed blackberry balanced with darker black olive and black pepper. Very sensible certainly. Alc 14.5%
Stellenbosch
Koelenbosch, Director’s Reserve 2020
Gold, 95 factors
Basic full-bodied, wealthy and opulent Pinotage providing a luxurious spectrum of fruit in a silky supply. Cherry and raspberry are accented by recent herbs, floor espresso, and darkish chocolate-covered raisins. The lingering end opens into fig leaf, moist earth, and vegetable broth for a seductively savoury end. Alc 14.5%
Kanonkop, Black Label, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2019
Silver, 93 factors
Pretty recent berry fragrance with some peppery curiosity and well-integrated vanilla and baking spices from high quality barrique. Alc 13.5%
Stellenbosch 1679, Single Winery Outdated Vine 2020
Silver, 91 factors
Upfront oaky mocha with notable ripe extract in dates, rhubarb, and hints of cocoa. Frivolously jammy fruit with a agency tannin construction. Alc 15%
KWV, The Mentors 2019
Silver, 91 factors
Mineral stony nostril of cherry, raspberry, milk chocolate, and herbs, transferring to flavours of espresso with Black Forest cake and bourbon. Alc 14.5%
Kaapzicht, Rooiland, Bottelary 2020
Silver, 90 factors
Ripe jammy fruit, blueberry compote, kirsch, banana leaf, and inexperienced leaf, with smooth silky tannin and a few engaging rustic notes. Alc 14.5%
Idiom, C Cape Mix 2018
Silver, 90 factors
Lifted aromas of pink fruit, combined berries, and violets. Inky fruit high quality, fairly heady, long-lasting end. Rounded with good texture. Alc 14%
Wellington
Doolhof, Signatures Single Winery Assortment, Limietberg 2020
Silver, 91 factors
Contemporary pink fruit nostril with a whiff of oriental spice. Lush and ripe with black and blue fruits becoming a member of leather-based and smoke. Alc 14%
Western Cape
Bruce Jack Wines, Pinotage-Malbec 2021
Silver, 90 factors
Daring fruit pastille nostril, fragrance, and spice. The palate exhibits a juicy berry and mulberry core with a citrus raise. Alc 14%
