Olifantsberg Pinotage 2020

Fruit purity comes to mind when we talk about our Pinotage. We take a less-is-more approach. The objective is to respect the variety and the site with an elegant approach that brings out the best qualities of both parents Pinot noir and Cinsaut.

Pinotage is a part of our heritage and adds to the authenticity of our cellar. We decided to take a fresh approach to this uniquely South African variety, applying whole-berry fermentation in open-top fermenters. Semi-carbonic fermentation takes place due to the uncrushed berries. Soft techniques were used to extract colour, fruit and tannin. Fermentation temperatures are kept below 28 ⁰C to preserve the freshness of the grape. Extended maceration on the skins is done up to two weeks for a more balanced tannin structure. A soft pressing takes place after fermentation. Free run and pressed wines are kept separate. The wine was aged for a further 10 months in seasoned 300-litre French oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. No racking takes place after malolactic fermentation, the wine matures on its lees. Bottling takes place in December.