Reyneke Pinotage 2008
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In 1988, the Reyneke family bought the farm Uitzicht, a 90-acre farm on the ridge of the Polkadraai Hills, with spectacular views of Stellenbosch. Contemporaneously, Johan Reyneke began the lengthy process of the conversion from conventional farming to organic practices to a method of farming which was in accordance with biodynamic principles. Reyneke was the first farm in South Africa to achieve certification by Demeter International, the largest, and arguably, the most widely acknowledged biodynamic accreditation body in the world.
The farm produces several ranges of wines including Reserve, Biodynamic, Organic, and Vinehugger. They also produce a red blend named The Capstone with the proceeds of the wine helping the farm workers and their families.
South Africa’s signature grape, Pinotage is a distinctively earthy and rustic variety. In 1924 viticulturists crossed finicky Pinot Noir and productive, heat-tolerant Cinsault, and created a variety both darker and bolder than either of its parents! Today it is popular in South Africa both as a single varietal wine and in Cape blends. Somm Secret—The name “Pinotage” is a subtle portmanteau. The Pinot part is obvious, but the second half is a bit confusing. In the early 1900s, Cinsault was known in South Africa as “Hermitage”—hence Pinotage.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.