This is a "new style" Pinotage. I winced at Vintages today when I saw the whopping 15% alcohol level and the "WOW" shelf talker (I'm always deeply sceptical about those), but because it's Pinotage and I needed a hearty red to go with tonight's supper, I went for it.
Closed with a high-quality natural cork. Viscous, saturated black-garnet appearance with a mulberry hue and plenty of thick legs. A very mild nose with modest amounts of Pinotage's wonderful savoury sun-dried tomatoey/leathery/plummy aromatics ... but none of the banana esters that I love so much. Some oak spice on the nose from 12 months ageing in French oak (20% new with the remainder in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels). Highly concentrated, powerful entry with some tartness (acidification maybe? doesn't match the ripeness and it lingers on the mid-palate...), grippy mid-palate tannins, plenty of heat and a sweet mid-palate. The oak is pleasant and it comes in mid-way through, just ahead of the finish. Quite a mouthful of wine, with all the bells and whistles going off quite loudly. Not particularly elegant but very powerful. The finish is largely characterized by the oak spice.
A sound wine to be sure, but not the kind of Pinotage that makes me want to write poetry or sit and compose maudlin prose.
I would love to see a return to the immediate post-apartheid examples of Pinotage that had 12-13% alcohol and lots of politically incorrect olfactory qualities. With all respect to those who like the tamer new-wave South African reds - the ones that Vintages buyers constantly praise - my preference remains unchanged: give me Pinotage with moderate alcohol, medium body and lots of rusticity. These über-ripe, über-alcoholic versions just don't speak to me; they're a completely different generation.
DAY TWO REPORT: On the second day, the wine gained some cohesion and smoothed out a bit, but overall it retained the impression of a "could be any grape, from anywhere" modern type of wine. As much as I prefer not to descend into sarcasm, I just can't get Chris Osgood's quote out of my head - to wit: "To me, these wines taste like candy bars."
