WTN: A Pinot and a Pinotage

2001 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Pinot Noir: Brick red at the edges, nose of forest floor, roses. On the palate, roses, tea leaves and a nice little funk going. The wine is more nuanced than big. Opened up in the glass in an hour or so and was very enjoyable.

2002 McNab Ridge Pinotage, Napoli Vineyard: From Mendocino, this wine has aged really well. Chocolate, leather and mild turpentine like note on the nose . The tannins have softened up. Good mouthfeel..more chocolate, pencil, tar, cherries on the palate. This wine is in a nice place right now.

Thanks for the notes, particularly the one on the Pinotage. I was not aware that it was grown anywhere outside of South Africa.

Bruce,
There aren't too many that I know of, but there a few wineries in Mendocino growing Pinotage and at least one in the Sierra foothills.
-Shaji

Thanks for the review of the McNab Pinotage, Shaji, which is the first I recall reading -- and I reckon that probably their first vintage.

How did you come across it?

I was not aware that it was grown anywhere outside of South Africa.

Pinotage has been grown in California since at least the 1970's when Dick Steltzner planted it and the oldest vineyard is at Steltzner in Stags Leap, Napa. There are at least 20 wineries making Pinotage in California and the two largest vineyards are at Sierra Ridge in Amador and Vino Con Brio in Lodi.

The US Pinotage that has received the highest praise is from Fort Ross. Unfortunately I haven't encountered it but as well as good reviews in newspapers I was intrigued to find that Alder Yarrow of Vinography rated the 2003 Fort Ross Pinotage as one of the ten best wines out of 193 wines he tasted at San Francisico's annual 2007 Pinot Days festival of Pinot Noir.

Pinotage is also commercially grown and made in Oregon and Virginia in the US, BC in Canada, and Israel, Brazil, Zimbabwe and New Zealand. Indeed NZ has been producing Pinotage for almost as long as South Africa.

Facts from the only book about the variety: PINOTAGE: Behind the Legends of South Africa by Peter F May www.pinotagebook.com

Peter,
Thanks for the insight. Thats quite interesting about Pinotage in California. I wouldn't have expected that many wineries carrying it. I picked up the McNab Ridge on a trip to Hopland several years ago. McNab Ridge is owned still, I believe by John Parducci. They have a quaint tasting room along the highway and I had picked up a few bottles of this Pinotage along with some really good Merlot. I did not know what to expect of this wine with age ; so when I saw the last of two of the bottles I bought, I decided to open one.
-Shaji