L'Avenir Pinotage 2016 (Stellenbosch, South Africa)

Stellenbosch is almost a neighborhood on the Cape Town outskirts. This beautiful area is surronded by differents natural areas like Simonsberg Nature Reserve, Hottentots-Holland Mountain Catchment or Jonkershoek Nature Reserve. L'Avenir Country Lodge is the winery established in 1992 and currently have got 28 hectares. L'Avenir (The Future) is the way to give it a French air this project but without forget the local grape varieties: in this case the Pinotage. A 1oo% Pinotage with 12/15 month in barrel.

Deep red color in appearence with ruby bright. Very slow and couloury legs resultu of a extraction of a Pinotage very matured by the African sun. A good intensity at nose where first there is little red bush fruit with eucalyptus hints and mentholous echoes in the background. Slender and off-dry first taste, an intense and rich development. A considerable fruit load supported for a spicy accent, beaten earth and cocoa ecchoes. A freshness sponsored by berry fruits such as blackberry and cassis. Warm finish and very polished and mature tannin. Great length in spite of sulfurous, normal in an export wine.

Good balance between young red fruit and African warmth. Remember that the Pinotage was created in 1925 in Stellenbosch by Abraham Izak Perold (Cape, 1880). In one side the Pinot Noir of Burgundy and on the other the Mediterranean Cinsault (Hermitage). The success of the result made this variety a symbol of South African viticulture and the pride of a people who have forgotten their differences A very affordable price of 7 euros / $ 8.41 that I found in a supermarket of great distribution.