Natte Valleij Cinsault

Wine Club Selection - May 2021

One of the oldest wineries in South Africa with an original founding date of 1715, Natte Valleij specializes in making wines from the Cinsault grape. Cinsault is vastly underappreciated due to an unfortunate history of overplanting, but in the last few years it’s started to become desired again because it produces light, approachable wines similar to Pinot Noir when treated properly. A major component of Mediterranean French roses, it’s also one of the parent grapes (with Pinot Noir) of Pinotage, South Africa’s star grape variety. Natte Valleij’s Cinsault is a textbook example of the grape that you’re bound to love. It showcases bright red fruit, floral, and smoky aromas that lead into juicy flavors of raspberry, cranberry, violets, and spices on the palate, which is light-bodied with perceptible black tea tannins on the finish.