WINE, FOOD, AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOOD!

Today we as South African’s celebrate, Heritage Day.

Heritage Day is a chance for all South Africans to come together and celebrate our shared heritage, while also embracing and enjoying the vibrant mix of cultures and traditions that give our nation its unique flair.

If there was ever a wine which embodied the spirit of South Africa, it would be Pinotage. Pinotage is loud and proud, it has a pronounced, larger-than-life kind of character, which can sometimes be misunderstood if you aren’t patient when trying to appreciate it for what it is – a bold, full bodied wine with undertones of something familiar but also foreign, a wine which is rich, demanding, and a wine which has the ability, and versatility, to showcase a very unique kind of complexity.

Who would have thought that a cross between Cinsault and Pinot Noir (two generally lighter, fragrant cultivars) would give way to something so enormous? Professor Perold, we as wine lovers, will be forever thankful!

There are many producers of fine Pinotage, but when looking at history, heritage, and when laying all the information down in front of us, all “roads” point to Bellevue Wine Estate.

The farm as been around since 1701. Today the farm cultivates 100ha of vineyards on a variety of soils – enabling the winemaker to select the very best fruit from which to make some of the most incredible wine!

Bellevue is home to one of the oldest commercially farmed Pinotage vineyards in the world today, with the first Pinotage plantings making their way onto Bellevue soil in the early 1950’s. The 1953 Pinotage block (see pictures below) is the pride and joy of Bellevue, giving way to wines with an unmatched presence, and drinkability. These bush vines result in lower yields, ensuring top quality grapes with concentrated flavours and a personality true to it’s sense of place.

Winemaker, Wilhelm Kritzinger, and viticulturist, Dirkie Morkel, have been working the Bellevue soils and vineyards together for more than 21 years, allowing for a true and pure understanding of their unique terroir, bringing way to the production of world-class,, award-winning wines.

Not so long ago I had the opportunity to work with the Bellevue 1953 Pinotage in a sommelier competition where I poured the wine for the main course (Chicken ballotine, crispy duck tail, pommes, lemon kosho, chicken-corn jus). The pairing was phenomenal, and the wine won its flight, towering above the Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir, and the Leeu Passant Dry Red.

After the competition, and after tasting the prestige of the 1953 Pinotage, I was intrigued to taste their Reserve Pinotage, a more affordable option, but a wine which still offers wine enthusiasts a taste of the Bellevue excellence. See below tasting notes:

Bellevue Reserve Pinotage 2020

The appearance is deep ruby. The wine has a pronounced aroma and flavour intensity with ripe red apple, black cherry, mulberry, blueberry jam, nutmeg, and a subtle hint of truffle evident on both the nose and palate. The wine is dry, has high acid, high tannins, which I’d describe as chalky, high alcohol, with a full and demanding body. The wine has a flavoursome, well structured, warm, and cozy finish. I also found a slight pithiness (orange) on the palate which I quite enjoyed. The Bellevue Reserve Pinotage is an outstanding wine which will undoubtedly benefit with further aging, with the wine developing further complexity, with ripe plum, leather, and chocolate undertones over time.

In my opinion, Belleveue Estate is producing the best Pinotage you’ll find today. As a Pinotage producer, they stand alone as custodians of the Pinotage legacy.

Bellevue’s quality of wine sets the highest of standards, and with each sip, their wine has this incredible ability to make you feel, proudly South African!

Buy the Bellevue Reserve Pinotage here.

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