Christian Eedes: October 2006
Author:
Christian Eedes
Published: 09 Nov 06
Not many see Pinotage as a world beater at the moment but some examples show real promise.
of Pinotage - the Reserve 2003 made by Danie Steytler
of Kaapzicht.
In 2002, there were three out of 37, in 2003 four out of 35, in 2004 one out of 36 and in 2005, one out of 40. Forget about what the critics or the public feel about Pinotage, by all appearances our best and brightest winemakers have forsaken it.
The paucity of Pinotage available via the CWG auction in recent years suggests that either the wines made from Pinotage put forward for selection aren't making the grade or the organisation's members simply don't believe that the grape has the inherent potential to make wines of excellence in the first place.
Pinotage has had a chequered history in the last 15 years or so. Post-transformation, the world was positively inclined to all things South African and many producers thought that because of the grape's local origins they had something that would wow international wine drinkers.
By the end of the 1990s it was becoming clear that the flavour profile of Pinotage (or at least how it was rendered back then) was not all that the global market might have hoped for.
This did not stem from some sinister plot designed to sabotage the prosperity of South African winemakers. Remember that the brains trust running Pinotage powerhouse Kanonkop were sufficiently uncomfortable with their 1996 vintage they decided not to release it.
Too often the Pinotage of that time was excessively wild or just bitter. Those initially inclined to sample it out of curiosity were put off repeat purchases.
Winemakers needed another ruse. Out went Pinotage and in came Shiraz. Pinotage as a proportion of the national vineyard reached a maximum of 7,3% in 2001 but has declined ever since, down to 6,4% in 2005. Plantings of Shiraz meanwhile continue apace: up from 2,2% of total area under vine in 1998 to 9,6% in 2005.
Just how enamoured winemakers are with Shiraz is borne out by the fact that of the 43 wines on this year's CWG auction, 10 are from this variety.
With Shiraz now hogging the limelight, there are many who view Pinotage as no more than a regional oddity - much like what Nero d'Avola is to Sicily.
It must be conceded that this publication has played a role in bringing this about when we jettisoned the Pinotage Champion of the Year Award that ran from 1997 to 2003 in favour of the Shiraz Challenge begun in 2004.
However, though our shift in editorial emphasis was undertaken after careful deliberation, it does seem something of a pity that Pinotage now gets such short shrift generally. A lot of winemakers abandoned it as soon as it became controversial but a few have persevered and are now making accomplished wines.
Recent vintages of the Red Hill Pinotage from Simonsig's Johan Malan demand serious attention, while the astute Anthony Hamilton Russell has two versions worthy of consideration, one under the Southern Right label and another under the ultra-premium Ashbourne label. The Carpe Diem Pinotage from Wellington farm Diemersfontein has done perennially well at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show and it can't be an accident that French wine mogul Michel Laroche intends to keep the emphasis on Pinotage now that he has acquired Stellenbosch farm L'Avenir.
It's time to re-look Pinotage. If its profile becomes any more diminished, it would greatly impoverish the South African wine scene. Right now there are far too many examples of Shiraz that, while superficially appealing, are ultimately simplistic and unrewarding.
Out of the record 43 wines on sale at this month's Cape Winemakers Guild auction, there is one lone example
In 2002, there were three out of 37, in 2003 four out of 35, in 2004 one out of 36 and in 2005, one out of 40. Forget about what the critics or the public feel about Pinotage, by all appearances our best and brightest winemakers have forsaken it.
The paucity of Pinotage available via the CWG auction in recent years suggests that either the wines made from Pinotage put forward for selection aren't making the grade or the organisation's members simply don't believe that the grape has the inherent potential to make wines of excellence in the first place.
Pinotage has had a chequered history in the last 15 years or so. Post-transformation, the world was positively inclined to all things South African and many producers thought that because of the grape's local origins they had something that would wow international wine drinkers.
By the end of the 1990s it was becoming clear that the flavour profile of Pinotage (or at least how it was rendered back then) was not all that the global market might have hoped for.
This did not stem from some sinister plot designed to sabotage the prosperity of South African winemakers. Remember that the brains trust running Pinotage powerhouse Kanonkop were sufficiently uncomfortable with their 1996 vintage they decided not to release it.
Too often the Pinotage of that time was excessively wild or just bitter. Those initially inclined to sample it out of curiosity were put off repeat purchases.
Winemakers needed another ruse. Out went Pinotage and in came Shiraz. Pinotage as a proportion of the national vineyard reached a maximum of 7,3% in 2001 but has declined ever since, down to 6,4% in 2005. Plantings of Shiraz meanwhile continue apace: up from 2,2% of total area under vine in 1998 to 9,6% in 2005.
Just how enamoured winemakers are with Shiraz is borne out by the fact that of the 43 wines on this year's CWG auction, 10 are from this variety.
With Shiraz now hogging the limelight, there are many who view Pinotage as no more than a regional oddity - much like what Nero d'Avola is to Sicily.
It must be conceded that this publication has played a role in bringing this about when we jettisoned the Pinotage Champion of the Year Award that ran from 1997 to 2003 in favour of the Shiraz Challenge begun in 2004.
However, though our shift in editorial emphasis was undertaken after careful deliberation, it does seem something of a pity that Pinotage now gets such short shrift generally. A lot of winemakers abandoned it as soon as it became controversial but a few have persevered and are now making accomplished wines.
Recent vintages of the Red Hill Pinotage from Simonsig's Johan Malan demand serious attention, while the astute Anthony Hamilton Russell has two versions worthy of consideration, one under the Southern Right label and another under the ultra-premium Ashbourne label. The Carpe Diem Pinotage from Wellington farm Diemersfontein has done perennially well at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show and it can't be an accident that French wine mogul Michel Laroche intends to keep the emphasis on Pinotage now that he has acquired Stellenbosch farm L'Avenir.
It's time to re-look Pinotage. If its profile becomes any more diminished, it would greatly impoverish the South African wine scene. Right now there are far too many examples of Shiraz that, while superficially appealing, are ultimately simplistic and unrewarding.
by Christian Eedes
