Babylon's Peak Pinotage

Wine Club Selection - May 2021

We love Pinotage! This regionally distinct grape, which is great with barbecue and spicy foods alike, is the bolder, smokier child of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that was created for the warm-hot climate in the Western Cape of South Africa. It used to have a not-so-great reputation due to poor treatment by growers, but in the last decade or two we’ve come across some astoundingly concentrated examples like this one from Babylon’s Peak. Increasingly one of our favorite wineries, Babylon’s Peak is a privately-run family operation that hand-harvests its grapes in the Swartland zone, an area known for its low-to-the-ground bushvines. Their Pinotage is rich and bold, with aromas of plum, roses, and smoke that lead into dark, earthy flavors of black cherry, coffee, tobacco, and chocolate. It is leathery, with medium tannins softened by 10 months of aging in French oak. Grown in granite soils, it shows good minerality and spice that lead into a long finish.