Transient Lands Pinotage

Beef, Game (deer, venison), Poultry

In 2021 the blend uses three fantastically farmed Pinotage blocks: one on the granitic Polkadraai Hills above Stellenbosch makes up 10% of the blend; another old vine block (1972 planted) on Helderberg, in Stellenbosch makes up 45% of the blend, also granitic soils; the last 45% of the blend is made up of grapes sourced from the Stanford Foothills far down the South Coast, employing cooler weather and sandstone derived soils.

Wines were bottled in December after having spent 11 months in barrel with no racking.

Grapes are hand picked and cooled overnight. They were then fermented in open-top bins. Of the grapes, 35% were foot trodden whole bunches, and the remainder destemmed. A light sulphur addition was made at crushing. Fermentation took place over 10 days after which a maceration was carried out until the tannins had developed satisfactorily. After draining, the remaining grapes were pressed to old wooden barrels. A spontaneous malolactic fermentation then took place, and in early Autumn wines were sulphured for the first time.

The profoundest facet of wine, beyond its flavour, is when and where it can be utterly unique - otherwise all the wine in the world might as well come from a single factory in France (or Taiwan). Angus Paul Wines looks to identify that which makes South Africa unique; combining its old rocks, atavistic gees and quasi-indigenous varietals to produce wines that could only come from the windy Cape. Chenin blanc and Pinotage take the lead roles in the winery - along with a small but genuine supporting cast of other grapes - where they are left untampered to bear the transcription of the sunshine, soil and soul of the Western Cape.