Just a note: This is the second post in my “Temecula Thursdays” series. I like the format, but I’ve decided that “Temecula Tuesdays” sounds better, and so next week be sure to check it out on it’s new day.
Not too long ago, I was in one of my favorite wine stores, when I got into a conversation with one of the service representatives about Pinotage, and how nearly impossible it is to find one that is actually any good. Here we are, two devout wine fanatics, and neither one of us could think of one really amazing wine we had had made with this grape.
For those who may not have heard of it, Pinotage is a hybrid variety developed, and widely popular in, South Africa. It is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (called Hermitage in South Africa because of its place of origin by the same name in the Northern Rhone valley in France. You may remember it from yesterday’s post.) The original idea was to get a grape with the delicate, refined, lightness of Pinot with the heartiness and reliability of Cinsaut. The result was something entirely different. These wines typically capture the gamey, pastoral qualities of Pinot, but almost never do they have its delicate fruit. Instead, Pinotage is usually quite earthy, sometimes reminiscent of grilled meat, and in most cases, pretty smoky. The problem is that a large number of them are in someway out of the balanced harmony that Pinot lovers crave.
I do not want to come across as not liking Pinotage, and I definitely would not want to discourage anyone from trying it. I believe that you can make good wine from almost any grape (I’ve even had good Concord wine…you know, the jelly grape.) I think that Pinotage has a lot of potential, but I am just not convinced that most (but by no means all) of the wineries in South Africa who are producing it are quite there yet, it can take time to learn to master a grape. So when I got a chance to try a Pinotage from Temecula, California, I knew that this was a rare opportunity to try another geographic take on a grape that is so infrequently found outside of its homeland.
Here’s the thing, this is a wine that would have been worth writing about even if it had been terrible (luckily that wasn’t the case.) This producer is one of my absolute favorites in the Temecula Valley, and wha
t they’re doing alone is enough to warrant a shout out. Cougar Winery is one of the newer wineries in Temecula, opening its doors in 2006 for public tasting, they now have an almost cult-like following by “in the know” Temecula wine drinkers. They specialize in Italian varietals primarily (which always gets me pumped.) But we’re not just talking the standard Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese (which they do have), they’ve got cool white varietals like Vermentino and Malvasia Bianca, and some really unique reds that you rarely see planted outside of Italy like Montepulciano (which is what their signature wine, “The Full Monte” is made out of) and Aglianico (which I plan to post about some time in the future.) Their line also includes some odds, ends, and standards like a Cabernet Sauvignon rosé, a chardonnay, and of course, something they’re calling Pinotagio.
There really is (technically speaking) no such thing as a Pinotagio. The wine’s name is simply a stylistic tribute to its Italian heritage; the grape is the aforementioned Pinotage. This is a really special wine. With only 124 cases produced, it’s a rare gem that may not be around for long. Nevertheless, wine is art, and some art is fleeting and must be enjoyed in the moment, which I intend to do right now.
In the glass this wine’s color is a pure bright red with a faint tinge of magenta. It is unfiltered, so there are also very tiny little specks floating around in there (I never filter out sediment with a decanter, I like to see it in the glass, it’s more earthy, more real.) The nose is very unique with blackberry and raspberry bush components, exotic spices, cardamom, violets and lavender. I get a faint edible earthiness, kind of like chicory, some faint anise seed, some cranberry, red plums, and maybe even a touch of ruby red grapefruit.
The palate is full of sweet, buttery, almost nutty nuances, lots of raspberries, and orange zest. There is a vague tropical aspect that hinges on being floral and somewhat fruity (do banana plants have flowers? You get the idea.) I get all kinds of red fruits, something almost like gingerbread, and fresh herbs, rosemary and fennel in particular.
This is a well made wine. It’s got a really nice balance between tons of ripe red fruit and almost powdery wood kissed tannins. It’s got good acidity, a nice medium weight, and tons of intensity. This is the amazing Pinotage that I had been looking for. I’ll still continue my search in South Africa (I see a ton of potential in the area), but this wine is setting the bar pretty high. I think this wine more than delivers for the price, and for anyone with an interest in unique varietals and places, this is a wine…
Worth Buying. 92 points.
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The Grapevine: What is your experience with Pinotage?
