WTN: Pinot and Pinotage

On Tuesday I was dining alone, so did liver and onions (not a fave of Betsy or David) with beans and a salad, opened the 2001 Serafin Bourgogne Rouge. I've not had especially good luck with Serafin in the past, finding them too woody,but this was well-priced and I thought I'd give it a shot. Opens with decent dark cherry fruit and just a little hint of vanilla, but not hityouoverthehead oak. Surprisingly tannic for a regional wine, and there is a woody hardness after a while. Actually its better on day 2, with all the vanilla notes faded and the tannins softened, though it remains a little short. At about $15 this is ok, but there are other wines out there I'd buy first. B-/B

Thursday I grilled some lamb chops for David and I, with potatoes and broccolli. Opened a wine I had been given, the 2002 Simonsig Pinotage (Stellenbosch). Big red fruit, but with a horribly prickly acidity and sharpness to the finish. And there's that stale ashtray thing I get with Pinotage. If you're a Pinotage fan pay no attention to my notes, as I just don't get this grape. C+/C


Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

On Tuesday I was dining alone, so did liver and onions (not a fave of Betsy or David) . . .

Dale, I don't get to enjoy liver very often anymore for much the same reason. I wouldn't have thought to try it with a New World Pinot (even less a Burg), but I can see that working. I've often enjoyed grilled liver with "fine Chianti" (thanks, Dr. Lechter), but then I'll drink Chianti with just about anything. Curious if you've had any particularly successful pairings?

Thursday I grilled some lamb chops for David and I, with potatoes and broccolli. Opened a wine I had been given, the 2002 Simonsig Pinotage (Stellenbosch). Big red fruit, but with a horribly prickly acidity and sharpness to the finish. And there's that stale ashtray thing I get with Pinotage. If you're a Pinotage fan pay no attention to my notes, as I just don't get this grape. C+/C

I read your post and had a question. First, you must understand that I am very new to wine tasting and so I know little about it. However, I was at a wine tasting in Chicago and the featured winery was Simonsig. Now I liked the other wines they served (a white but I do not remember what kind and a syrah) but it was the pinotage that intrigued me the most. My question to the members of this community is why don't many members seem to like a pinotage? Thanks for your help.

I read your post and had a question. First, you must understand that I am very new to wine tasting and so I know little about it. However, I was at a wine tasting in Chicago and the featured winery was Simonsig. Now I liked the other wines they served (a white but I do not remember what kind and a syrah) but it was the pinotage that intrigued me the most.
My question to the members of this community is why don't many members seem to like a pinotage? Thanks for your help.

Pinotage is a cross between the noble but finicky pinot noir grape and the exceptionally pedestrian but hardy Cinsault. The hope was that the resulting cross would combine the best of both. That's not exactly how things turned out.

When allowed to produce bountifully, the pinotage grape makes a rather harsh wine with the distinct aroma of band-aids. In the bad old days in South Africa, when KWV was the main wine monopoly, a lot of really awful pinotage was bottled. That's where the bad reputation comes from. On the other hand, when the vine is severely pruned and stressed, so yields are kept down, pinotage can make a fairly rich red with an intriguing smoke note. I've commented elsewhere on the very good quality wines made by Groot Constantia, Tumara, and a few other South African producers, and a truly wonderful one made by McNab Ridge in Mendocino County.

Hey Brad, welcome. Good question, too.

First off, Pinotage is a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (also known as Hermitage, thus "Pino-tage") grapes. Cinsaut is generally considered an inferior grape for winemaking.

It is similar to Pinot Noir and I think that's what most drinkers compare it too. And, honestly, I don't think it compares well. Some of the flavours inherent in Pinotage would be considered "green" or "vegetal" in Pinot Noir. To get an idea of what that would be like, think of the smell of a tomato vine.

That said, I personally like Pinotage. Some of the better ones don't have that strong green presence, and instead have plum, cola and black cherry flavours. At least, that's what I find.

Ultimately, it's all about what you like. If you like Pinotage, then don't worry about what others think.

Heh, Dave must have posted just as I was writing my response. But yeah, what he says.

Heh, Dave must have posted just as I was writing my response. But yeah, what he says.

Great minds, etc., Mike!

I am a big Pinotage fan, and I have to say that it was precisely the controversial style (leathery and bitter, with a long, astringent finish) that actually turned me onto the grape. I've had sweetish new-wave versions since then that I greatly disliked because it's that savoury/smoky/ashen character in Pinotage (also sometimes called "paintbox" by some writers) that makes me love the variety.

I also respect the opinion of those who hate these qualities - vive la différence.

That said, Pinotage and liver is a favourite match for me. Steaks also go well with Pinotage, as does anything involving eggplant, tomatoes, bacon and sharp old cheeses.

Thank you to everyone who helped educate me on the Pinotage. I really like a Pinotage from the Simonsig winery. I have not been able to find it in the local stores (which do not have much of a wine stock anyway), so I have been looking for other brands to try. Does anyone have any suggestions as to other winnerys to try? I will try and look for the ones Dave Erickson has suggested in his post. Thanks again!

Brad, off hand I can think of two wineries, Fairview and Spier.

The Spier was by far the better, but I don't know how readily available it is - I can't find it in Alberta. My dad brought me back a bottle from South Africa.

Brad, off hand I can think of two wineries, Fairview and Spier.

The Spier was by far the better, but I don't know how readily available it is - I can't find it in Alberta. My dad brought me back a bottle from South Africa.

You need to be aware that both these wineries make a range of wines at different price points.

Spier 'Private Collection' Pinotage 2003 is indeed a superb wine and garlanded by many awards, but you may not be as pleased with others from them. (Spier range from top down - Private Collection/Vintage Selection/Discover/Inspire)

I would disagree with most of the previous comments. Few people have drank a wide range of Pinotages and there was a lot of badly made ones (like the ones Paul describes) that came out a while ago and those who tasted them think thats the way the variety tastes.

I don't think Pinotage is similar to Pinot Noir, but because there is no old world model for the wine, winemakers are free to make the wine in any style they like, this we get light Beaujolais style and fruity Rhone style wines.

Fairview has an ordinary standard Pinotage, but also a superior single vineyard wine 'Primo'.

Likewise, Simonsig make two different Pinotages, the standard Simonsig is one of the few totally unwooded Pinnos and the other is the wooded single vineyard 'Redhill' Pinotage -- again highly rated.

If you tell me what choice you have locally, I'll suggest which ones to try. I don't know about Alberta, but in Ontario the LCBO currently has the excellent Lammershoek Pinotage 2004, and talking of Simonsig -- also LCBO has their lovely crisp Chenin Blanc 2005.

I need to add my contrarian's caveat.

In contrast to Peter's view, I believe that leathery aromas in Pinotage do not automatically indicate a flawed wine. In fact, most modern, "cleaned up" Pinotage still does retain a measure of this leathery character - the few truly politically correct Pinotages I've had have been so inoffensive as to make me say "why bother - it tastes like cheap Californian Merlot".

Granted, it's probably a good thing that the majority of Pinotage exported nowadays is not stern and bitter and dour, because most people don't want their wines to challenge them but instead are seeking plain enjoyment from them. If the smoothening out of Pinotage helps the variety's image, then as someone with minority tastes, I guess I'm willing to cautiously support it - even if my dollars consistently try to support the older-style versions when I can find them.

Peter, I think there is a fair selection in my part of the world. The problem is that there are so many liquor stores to cover!! I would think many are entry level bottlings. I will however put a list together as I visit certain stores!!

Bob, check out this Pinotage snippet.

Paul

Your earlier post said the Pinotage you liked was "bitter, with a long, astringent finish" elsewhere you praise 'estery' flavours.

Sure there were too many Pinotages made like that a while ago, but they are not defining characteristics of the variety. The nail varnish estery taste was caused by fermenting at the wrong temperature, the bitterness was a bacterial infection in some wineries that seemed to affect Pinotage much more than other varieties.

Try Pinotage from California or New Zealand -- you will not find the characteristics you like on any of them. I don't know how many times I have to say it, but they are not a flavour profile of the variety, but bad winemaking.

Leather - yes, I detect a leathery taste in the dry finish of some Pinotages, but then I also find it in several other South African red wines

Leather - yes, I detect a leathery taste in the dry finish of some Pinotages, but then I also find it in several other South African red wines

And here I agree totally. I love South African reds precisely for that leatheriness - I just don't get that quality in any other reds from anywhere else with such regularity.

I suspect that if I were South African and living there, I would seek out the old-style Pinotages. I wonder how many still exist for the home market? There must still be people in SA who remember those wines and enjoy that particular flavour profile.

There are many older wines available in the Cape.Some wines age really well,and my neighbour there has a large collection of wines 30 years or older.
It is interesting to taste these alongside younger vintages.
There is no question that the quality of winemaking in South Africa has gone up in leaps and bounds,since the end of apartheid,and Pinotage is no exception to this.

Dale, I don't get to enjoy liver very often anymore for much the same reason. I wouldn't have thought to try it with a New World Pinot (even less a Burg), but I can see that working. I've often enjoyed grilled liver with "fine Chianti" (thanks, Dr. Lechter), but then I'll drink Chianti with just about anything. Curious if you've had any particularly successful pairings?

Clinton,

I think lighter acidic reds (cru Beaujolais, PN that isn't overripe, not so huge Sangiovese) are the way to go. Though a big white can be ok, too.

Interesting to read all the Pinotage reports. As noted, not my favorite grape, but will look for some of the suggested ones to expand my palate.

As to leather, I've found it in the better SA cabs or blends (like the de Toren Fusion V) I've tried.

Again, thanks to everyone who have given me suggestions on this topic. Unfortunately the closet real wine shop to me is about 45 minutes away but when I go there I will look for some of these wines. I will also try to bring back so names of others sold at the store to see if any members have tried them.

Peter May mentioned that Simonsig has two types of Pinotage. THis I did not know. When I was at a wine tasting in April, I tried a pinotage from them. It must have been the "Redhill" because I had the impression that this pinotage was one of their top bottles. You could buy the wine for about $35 a bottle. Does that price sound about right? To my taste the wine had a strong "smokey" flavor. Does that make sense to anyone? It was this strong flavor that really intrigued me in the first place. Anyway that is when I became interested in a pinotage.

To my taste the wine had a strong "smokey" flavor. Does that make sense to anyone? It was this strong flavor that really intrigued me in the first place. Anyway that is when I became interested in a pinotage.

Brad, that makes perfect sense.

It was the same "coal-fired"/ashen nose of Zonnebloem's 1995 Pinotage that first captivated my interest when I tried the wine, and turned me into an instant Pinotage fan. Many modern-era Pinotages have been cleaned up to the point that you no longer get the old-style varnish/paintbox notes, but leather and wild strawberries along with a few discreet banana/plum esters can still be found in many of the wines.

That said, it's these utterly distinct qualities that make Pinotage so recognizably different from the "same-ol', same-ol'" that are what keep me loving the grape.

Peter May mentioned that Simonsig has two types of Pinotage. THis I did not know. When I was at a wine tasting in April, I tried a pinotage from them. It must have been the "Redhill" because I had the impression that this pinotage was one of their top bottles. You could buy the wine for about $35 a bottle.

[img]http://www.simonsig.co.za/images/products/redhill2003.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.simonsig.co.za/images/products/pinotage2002.jpg[/img]

Here are the labels of the two different pinnos Simonsig make, wooded Redhill at top, unwooded below.

Yeah, I reckon you could get a smokiness.