So I didn't even know what Pinotage was. Had to google it.
Here's wikipedia's take:
Pinotage is a red wine grape that is South Africa's signature variety. It was bred there in 1925 as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut (Cinsaut was known as Hermitage in South Africa during that time, hence the portmanteau name of Pinotage). It typically produces deep red varietal wines with smoky, bramble and earthy flavors, sometimes with notes of bananas and tropical fruit, but has been criticized for sometimes smelling of acetone. Pinotage is often blended, and also made into fortified wine and even red sparkling wine.
- I had this dialog with my wife after our first taste
- Me: "So what's your first impression?"
- Wife: "A little dry, but not too much. What's yours?"
- Me: "A little tart, but not too much."
The wine also has a semi-strong aftertaste. I guess that is a calling card of the Pinotage portion of it. Overall I'll go with a 3 star rating. Nothing that I'll probably ever crave or go out of my way again to buy, but if I see it for a good price I'd pick it up again.
