Neethlingshof 2014 Pinotage on 2015 ABSA Top 10 list

Monday, 31 August, 2015
Neethlingshof
Neethlingshof on the outskirts of Stellenbosch has added to its very long list of wine awards.
On Friday 28th August, its 2014 Pinotage was selected as one of the country’s ten best!

The annual ABSA Top 10 competition is organised by the Pinotage Association for the advancement and promotion of wine made from South Africa’s only indigenous red grape varietal. The aim of the competition is to identify ten Pinotage wines that will serve as a benchmark for the development of distinctive South African Pinotage and illustrate the uniqueness of Pinotage in the international wine world.

“The 2014 vintage was a very challenging one for us,” explains De Wet Viljoen, Neethlingshof’s winemaker/manager. “The harvest was 40% bigger than other years. The grapes also ripened about 14 days later than usual, which was especially beneficial for the red grapes.”

“Pinotage benefitted from this, in that the fruit ripened evenly which led to lovely berry/plum flavours. The wines are mostly full-bodied, but retained their elegance, thanks to the late ripening. We aged the wine for nine months in a combination of French and American barrels. A small percentage – 20% - underwent malolactic fermentation in the barrels which added to the final product.”

I believe the wine shows great potential and should age well over the next five to ten years.”

De Wet adds that this ruby red wine with its purple edges shows off a fruity bouquet with ample aromas of ripe banana and cinnamon and notes of plum and prunes. The palate is medium-bodied, teeming with berry flavours and a good tannic backbone. He suggests it be enjoyed with red meat dishes and rich cheeses.