Ompad Red Blend

Red meat, full flavours

Southern slopes of Stellenbosch Mountain All three components come from one concentrated area on the southern slopes of Stellenbosch Mountain. Red, mineral-rich decomposed granite dominates at varying depths, with smaller sandstone inclusions. Although the cultivars differ, their common origin gives the blend cohesion. In the finished wine, the site is expressed through lifted red cherry, strawberry and raspberry fruit within a darker spectrum, together with a fine mineral line and opulent, velvety tannins. The 2025 season A delayed winter and record July rainfall led to later bud burst, while ample follow-up rain supported balanced, healthy canopies through the growing season. January was notably cooler, and Stellenbosch recorded roughly half as many days above 35 °C as the previous season. Apart from two short heat peaks in late December, ripening remained measured; the harvest itself was dry and largely free of weather interruptions. Early cultivars started around two weeks later, while mid- and late-ripening reds returned to more usual picking windows. Healthy fruit, excellent colour and pronounced varietal character created the foundation for a structured yet polished red blend.

Once the equal-part blend was assembled, the wine returned to barrel for a further six months, completing approximately 14 months of maturation in total. The mature oak quietly polished the tannins and integrated the three components without obscuring their fruit or site expression.

The three varieties were harvested and vinified separately so that the best part of each could be preserved before blending. Component-led handling protected Tannat’s depth, Petit Verdot’s perfume and spice, and Carménère’s plush dark fruit and ripe tannin. Each wine matured separately in seasoned fifth-fill French oak.

Pilgrim Wines is a unique wine company, dedicated to inspire, teach and surprise. We are a small family-owned business with a passion for wine making. Well-known Winemaker Henry Kotzé (former Morgenster and now at the iconic Mulderbosch) carefully crafts the wines for owner and Viticulturist wife Riëtte Kotzé’s Pilgrim Wines brand. We do not have our own vineyards, at the moment we source our grapes from small pockets of vineyards that we have come across in our everyday paths. These distinct parcels of land, happen to be in our home-grown Stellenbosch area and the amazing Voor Paardeberg regions. We partner with like minded ethical growers and believe in leaving nothing but footprints for the next generation. We focus on innovative methods with tried and tested cultivars, as well as experimental styles with unorthodox, unfamiliar cultivars. We like to discover the new and untried pathways in the journey of grape to bottle.