A South African fiend gave me this bottle of wine so I had to write a comment about it. This wine is made by a good producer from the Western Cape Paarl valley. The valley has Mediterranean climate and a soil structure which is suitable for both red and white wine production. The Shiraz grape variety originated in France where it is called Syrah. Syrah, in France, is grown mainly in the south and is well suited to a Mediterranean climate. The Pinotage grape is reputed to be a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsault grape varieties and, of course, Pinot Noir and Cinsault are widely grown in France but not as a cross.
When tasted on its own and an hour before our meal, both my wife and I rated the wine above average but perhaps a little rustic as it lacked complexity. An hour later and with the meal, the wine really came into its own and the taste of the wine improved. We ate sirloin steak and the wine refreshed the palate and enhanced the meaty flavour. I think the food offset the hotness of the alcohol. This is a good example of how a wine should really be judged. Wine and food go together; so many of the wines that win prizes at tasting competitions may not be the best wines for tasting with food. There is a strong French influence within the South African wine growing tradition and so this could be one of the reasons why good South African wines go with food. For this reason, I rate this wine as very good value for money, but make sure you drink it with a good meal.
One point to remember is that southern hemisphere grapes are harvested six months earlier in the year than northern hemisphere grapes.
Wine: Nederburg 2009 Shiraz - Pinotage
Date: 30 May2010
Appearance: Purple but lighter at the meniscus. Clear and bright. Some tears.
Nose: Clean. String aroma of Red fruits and spices and cloves.
Youthful
Palate: Medium + ripening tannins. Medium body. Medium Acidity. Dry. Hot in alcohol which is not fully integrated into the wine. Concentrated red fruits and spice. Medium length.
Other observations:Refreshing wine. Not particularly complex. Above average. Drink now. Good value for money
Price:
About £4-00
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