“Uneasy is the head that wears a crown”. Along with the Riesling, it has been the Spioenkop Elgin Pinotage that has shaped Koen’s and Spioenkop’s international reputations for years. Sometimes this is too much for a wine and it inevitably falls in standing. Not this Pinotage; the 2020 is a triumph of balance and complexity. Lovely wild cherry, pomegranate and violet flavours with almost Pinot Noir-esque potpourri. Fine-grained tannin meld into the fruit on the palate giving length and structure. Super-classy.
95pt Tim Atkin
Christian Eedes: Gorgeous aromatics of red and black cherries, flowers, herbs and the merest hint of oak spice while the palate shows lovely clarity of fruit, bright acidity and ultra-fine tannins. It’s a wine of great refinement and elegance, wonderfully intricate in structure. 96/100.
Spioenkop Pinotage 2020
R455.00
In stock
Belgian native Koen farms a hilltop in the middle of Elgin WO he planted to vines in the early 2000s. A qualified engineer and former sommelier, he has a very clear vision for what he wants to achieve. His wines reflect his European heritage while still reflecting the terroir of Spioenkop. The two new single-site Chenin Blancs are particularly interesting – the ‘Sarah Raal’ is from ferricrete soils and the ‘Johanna Brandt’ is from shale. Brilliant, fine examples of cooler-climate South African Chenin Blanc. Both the Riesling and Pinotage wines are among the best in South Africa.
