Written by: Russell Cook – Winemakers’ Choice Sales

The Beast

With less than two weeks to kick off, the pride of every South African grows daily. What better way to show our pride in fine South African Wine than in punting our very own creation – Pinotage.

Pinotage, or “The Beast”, as I will later explain, was created in 1925 by grafting Pinot Noir and Hermitage together. This was done by Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at the University of Stellenbosch. This uniquely South African creation is, as I opine, a Frankenstein phenomenon – “The Beast”. 

“The Beast” is thick-skinned and harsh with tannins. It is feared by many as the extraordinary berry whose end result is just too volatile to predict, as each producer harnesses a different characteristic. One such characteristic, as coined by Jane MacQuitty, is burnt rubber. How appealing does that sound? The burnt rubber debate is a can of worms that would better not be opened. What next – burnt hair covered in cat piss? I never hear wine authorities attributing similar traits to other varietals unless jovially so.

Underneath the awful exterior, though, it is bursting with flavour. And not only with flavour! Here’s a health tip: Pinotage contains the most anti-oxidants of all the varietals. It may be argued then that a glass of Pinotage a day would be most beneficial to your health and happiness.   

I believe that winemakers’ have over the past decade, in particular, harnessed the best attributes of Pinotage and tamed the aggressive. These days we are drinking less tannic, more flavourful Pinotage with an almost absolute absence of “bitterness”, for want of a better word.

Pinotage is robust in nature, inky in colour, explosive to nose, with a mouth feel that overruns and an aftertaste that lingers. People who love Pinotage appreciate the complexity of the wine and the wonder of an exceptional specimen. The hunt is always well worth it when the best of “The Beasts” are brought down.