It's The Month Of Pinotage And Spier Is Sharing The Love
In celebration of Pinotage Month, we share the secrets of Spier’s three Pinotage wines.
Pinotage, our nation’s very own homegrown varietal, was created in Stellenbosch when Pinot Noir and Cinsaut were combined for the first time in 1925. (Hermitage was the name of Cinsaut back then.)
“This proudly South African varietal is easy to grow but a challenge to make,” says Spier Senior Red Winemaker, Johan Jordaan. “However, constant effort and attention, results in hugely rewarding wines, especially when enjoyed with South African cuisines — from braaivleis (the smokiness brings out its bright fruit character) to Cape Malay curries.”
MEET THE THREE
Spier Signature Pinotage
Made with grapes sourced from a number of sites across the Western Cape. In the cellar, 20% of this wine matured in French-oak barrels for up to 10 months; the remainder matured in stainless-steel tanks with oak staves. The result is an easygoing wine with bountiful dark, juicy fruit and laidback tannins.
Drink with: Your preferred braai meat, takeaway curry, or mushroom risotto.
Drink when: A weeknight favourite, this wine is made for enjoying now.
Spier Seaward Pinotage
Made with grapes sourced from Stellenbosch vineyards that benefit from cooling coastal breezes, this wine matured for 14 months in a mixture of American and French oak. The resulting wine is elegant, fruit-driven (think cherries and mulberry with hints of spicy and vanilla) with smooth, dense tannins. Seaward Pinotage is normally only available overseas (see below how to get your hands on it, though!).
Drink with: Mild curries and pulled pork are both winning combos, but this versatile beauty is just as delightful on its own.
Drink when: You will win major kudos for opening this now — but it can be cellared for up to about five years.
Spier 21 Gables Pinotage
Our viticulturist and winemakers lavish the utmost attention on the dryland vineyards in Stellenbosch which yield the grapes for this acclaimed wine. Ocean breezes result in slow ripening grapes. Picked by hand, only the very best of these make it to the cellar where, after additional sorting and fermentation, maturation occurs for 20 months in oak. The result is a beautifully balanced and intensely complex wine, with concentrated flavours of dark fruit, spice and chocolate, a sumptuous palate and firm but velvety tannins. A favourite of the critics, the 2016 vintage achieved Gold at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2020, Double Gold at Top 100 SA Wines 2018, 93 points from Tim Atkin and Gold at Veritas 2018.
Drink with: Your best friends, or save it to spoil yourself. A wine for celebrations and other special occasions; pair with ostrich, lamb or venison or with a platter of robust cheeses.
Drink when: This wine was made for ageing — enjoy it at any point over the next decade; it is only going to get even better with age (though we won’t hold it against you if you can’t wait until then!).
TASTE THE THREE!
Available for a limited time exclusively from our Online Shop, the Spier Pinotage Selection features two bottles each of the Signature Pinotage 2019, Seaward Pinotage 2018 (normally only available overseas) and the acclaimed 21 Gables Pinotage 2016.
The pack costs just R850;
Valued at R1000,
That means you save a whole R150!