Pinotage can
produce some fantastic wines, but it also produces an awful lot of poor wine,
now this isn’t all down to the grape itself, but it’s also down to the
winemaking techniques used. Grown in South Africa, where it has become their
signature grape, it is a cross between Pinot
Noir and Cinsault and
was developed in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, the first
Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch
University.
I’d never seen a Pinotage Rose before, until a friend brought
round a bottle of Kumala Eternal,
Western Cape, Pinotage Rose 2011, since tasting this one i found several others
that are available. I’m not the biggest fan of Kumala Wines having drank some
very poor wines from them, many years ago, but in the interest of fairness, I thought
I should give it a try!
In the glass you got a bright, strawberry red colour without
looking artificial. On the nose you had quite pronounced fruit aromas of Water
Melons and Strawberry’s, you got these coming through on the palate with the
pronounced Water Melon really hitting your taste buds. Combine these
juicy/fruity flavours with a serious amount of acidity, and they work
brilliantly! The acidity really makes your mouth water and making it a very
refreshing drink; don’t get me wrong, this is most definitely not a great wine,
but it is a good one for what it is.
Would i recommend, if your looking for a fruity rose to chill for
a hot summer day in the garden then this is definitely worth giving a thought
too, great fruit loads of acidity to cut through the fruit, but if your looking
for some thing with a bit of complexity and structure, then stay well away from
it.
