Grangehurst Pinotage

Pinotage 89% (Cabernet Sauvignon 11%)

ORIGIN
Selected from prime vineyard sites in Stellenbosch viz. Firgrove/Helderberg and Simonsberg. The
southerly summer sea-breezes that blow over the cool waters of False Bay contribute greatly to
the quality of the grapes from these vineyards.

HARVEST DATES
The Pinotage grapes were harvested on the 3rd of February (Firgrove/Helderberg) and 11th of
February (Simonsberg).

FERMENTATION
After destalking, sorting and crushing the grapes, the mash was fermented in open tanks for 5 and
6 days on the skins. The cap of skins was punched down and mixed with the juice 4 to 6 times per
day to ensure optimum extraction of colour, tannin and flavours. The basket pressed wine was
blended with the free-run wine in stainless steel tanks before being transferred to small oak barrels.
The malolactic fermentation occurred in tanks and barrels.

CLARIFICATION
This wine was clarified according to the natural settling and racking method, which does not involve
the use of any fining agents, centrifuges or filters – a natural, unhurried method of clarifying wine.

BARREL MATURATION
The wines from the two Pinotage vineyards were barrel matured separately and then blended
together with four barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines spent an average of 21 months in
225 litre French (88%) and American (12%) oak barrels.

BOTTLING
After racking and blending, the wine was stored in a stainless steel tank for two months before
being bottled using our gentle gravity flow filling system. The wine flowed from the elevated bottling
tanks through a cartridge filter to the hand filler and into the bottles. This was the only stage during
the entire winemaking process that the wine was filtered.

WINE ANALYSIS
Alcohol: 14.8% by volume (14.5% on label)
Residual Sugar: 2.8 g/l
Total Acidity: 5.8 g/l
pH: 3.55

COMMENTS
There was not enough maiden vintage (1992) Grangehurst Pinotage to fill our stainless steel tank
– so Jeremy decided to fill the tank with Cabernet Sauvignon (8%). So started the Grangehurst
“recipe” of blending between 8 and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon with our Pinotage. The Cabernet
provides an interesting dimension of fruit, tannin and additional acidity – which contribute to the
complexity and balance of Grangehurst Pinotage.

TASTING NOTES
Dark ruby colour; red berry and plummy fruitiness with vanilla, oak and spice; full on the palate
with smooth, robust tannins. Recommended drinking 6 to 15 years from vintage. Enjoy this wine
with fine cuisine such as seared tuna, tagliatelle carbonara, bobotie or springbok pie.