Viticultural
history in South Africa is a roller coaster of success vs. disaster. The
signature grape, Pinotage, is about as
controversial a grape as ever.
South
Africa’s history of wine production began in 1659, when the Dutch East India Company
ordered the founder of Cape town, Jan van Riebeck,to make wine to help fight
scurvy among the sailors during their voyages along the Spice Route. In 1685,
the Constantia Estate was founded for that purpose. The estate fell into
disrepair in the early 1700s but was rebuilt in 1778 when Hendrik Cloete
purchased it. Soon this estate’s wines were famous throughout the world and
coveted by the likes of Napolean Boneparte, King Louis Phillipe of France, and
Frederick the Great of Prussia. The rest of the country’s wine production was
largely unsuccessful, however. High-yielding inferior grapes such as Cinsault
were planted in huge numbers, and by the early 1900s, some producers were
dumping unsold insipid wine into rivers and fields. Apartheid and the resulting
worldwide boycott of South African goods didn’t help the situation. The
country’s wines were basically nonexistent in the foreign marketplace.
When
apartheid was lifted in the 1980s, South African wines expressed a
renaissance. Many producers adopted new technologies and planted well known
varietals such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc (called
Steen). This replaced Cinsault, which now comprises less than two percent of
total plantings. Red varietals have exploded. In the late 1990s, less than eighteen
percent of the grapes produced were red; now about half are.
The red
wines from South Africa have had a reputation for being very rustic and course.
New techniques have resulted in a more international fleshy style. However a
certain earthiness remains that signifies a South African Cabernet or Syrah.
This is not at all unpleasant, in fact I really like some of them, but if
you’re new to South African wine you may find them a bit unusual. American
consumers will frequently come across wines called “Cape Cross” or “Cape Blend.” These are usually blends of Syrah or Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinotage,
and they are often really good wines.
As for the
white wines, Sauvignon Blanc does very well here, with a flavor profile roughly
between a California and New Zealand expression of the grape. Wines made from
Chenin Blanc, known as “Steen,” rival
the Vouvrays of the Loire Valley.
Now, for the
controversial “love it or hate it” grape—Pinotage. In 1925, Abaraham Izak
Perold crossed the very robust Cinsault (known as Hermitage in South Africa)
with Pinot Noir, a grape that produces great wines but is very difficult to
grow. He planted four seeds in the residential garden and promptly forgot about
them. The plants were rediscovered several years later. The first wine was made
in 1941 and Pinotage was born. After a Pinotage wine won the Capetown Wine
Show’s championship in 1959, the first label with the word “Pinotage” appeared in 1961.
Pinotage
typically has a characteristic flavor profile of smoky bramble, dark fruit, and
earth. Aromatics of banana and tropical fruit are common. However, the acetone
aromas turn some people off. This can result in very unusual descriptions. My colleague
Jessica once said a badly made Pinotage smells like “Beaujolais Nouveau and a
tire got together and had a baby.” I
would add that the baby is lying in a manure pile.
I’ve got you
all wanting to run out and get a Pinotage, right? Before I start a war with
South Africa, let me say that if you choose carefully, Pinotage can be a really
neat, funky, geeky wine that I enjoy a great deal. Pinotage adds a smoky
earthiness to Cape Crosses that makes these wines very interesting.
Anyone with
an interest in wine should experience a good Pinotage. Barista 2011 is just such a wine. Rich aromas of chocolate, coffee,
plum, and mulberry with a hint of Maraschino cherry carry through to the flavor profile, with the
addition of a bit of vanilla and butterscotch. The smoky earthiness reminds you that this is a Pinotage (a very
good one.) This wine is a bargain at $17.99. Another good Pinotage to try is Painted Wolf Guillermo 2010, with lots
of ripe blueberry and mulberry, spice, and bramble. The tannins are ripe and the
finish quite lingering for a Pinotage. Again at $17.99.
Stellekaya is a great producer in Stellenbosch.
I especially like their blends. The Cape Cross (fifty percent Merlot, thirty
percent Pinotage, and twenty percent Cabernet) is aged in French oak for twenty
months. With wonderful aromas and flavors of mint, fresh and stewed fruits, and
mulberries, it’s done in a fleshy new world style but still funky because of
the Pinotage in the blend. They also do a blend called Hercules (fifty percent Sangiovese,
twenty-five percent Merlot, twenty-five
percent Cabernet Sauvignon) which is like something out of Tuscany except the Sangiovese
component is a bit fleshier and rounder. Earth, red berry, and supple tannins
make this full flavored wine worth trying. Both are $21.99. 
Not to be
lost among the big reds are the very well done whites. For a prime example of Sauvignon
Blanc, look no further than the original great estate of South Africa, Groot Constantia Langoed Sauvignon Blanc
2011. Wonderful flavors of gooseberries, guava, and green bell pepper
follow a typical grassy herbal nose. The background minerality is reminiscent of a cool
climate Sauvignon Blanc like a Sancerre from the Loire Valley, but with more
fruit. $22.99 may seem a bit steep until you try it and realize it’s worth it.
So don’t
forget South Africa. The country is producing better and better wines and the
good ones are worth the effort it takes to find them. Ask your local wine guy
(or gal) about the best of the bunch.
