Pinotage Number 1 - Beyerskloof 2015

Pinotage number 1 Beyerskloof grand reserve 2015

The Beyerskloof vineyard is just outside Stellenbosch but it’s only been belting out wines since the late 80’s.

This is their reserve pinotage which is reasonably available in the UK, running around £9-11 per bottle.

I’m going to use the same glass for all my pinotages so that I can assess the colour under the same conditions. As it pours (given an hour in a decanter), it’s immediately a treat – a bright garnet colour – joyous but not gaudy.

This is a really good benchmark, with big hits of red fruit on the nose, strangely also a bit of tomato.

It’s a juicy fresh-plum sort of wine, satisfying with hints of alluvial soil and the trademark dustiness that, in my humble opinion, marks out a pinotage – that’s why I like them. For the same reason, I’m also a fan of Italian and Portugese wines made with their native grapes such as albaranzeuli nero or touriga – I like a hint of resiny stalk…….

Back to the Beywrskloof – it’s just a touch spicy and has some tannin but not so much as to knock away its lushness.

It’s a really workmanlike wine and the ideal partner for a flat-iron steak.