Jackal's River Pinotage 2021

Located in the Bot River Valley, in the heart of the Walker Bay wine region of the Western Cape, the vineyard for this wine benefits from a cool maritime climate tempered by the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. The vines are planted in ancient soils of decomposed schist and clay, providing natural drainage and good water retention. Regular ocean breezes limit excessive heat and promote slow and even ripening of the grapes, allowing the wine to express the character of the Bot River terroir with precision.

The grapes are hand-harvested, carefully sorted, and destemmed before fermentation in open vats, with regular pump-overs to extract color and structure while preserving the fruit. Maceration continues after fermentation to refine the tannins, then the wine is transferred to oak barrels for extended aging, combining barrels of different ages to bring complexity, balance between oak notes and terroir expression, and a supple texture on the palate.

This wine reveals notes of ripe black fruit , plum , and black cherry , enhanced by spicy touches of pepper and clove , as well as delicate smoky and woody nuances from aging. More subtle accents of dried flowers and tobacco complete the bouquet. On the palate, the wine is full and supple, supported by fresh acidity, fine, polished tannins, and a persistent finish with hints of red fruit and sweet spices .

The first grape vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of French Protestants in the 1680s with their skills and knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today, South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often share more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards are also found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, heavily influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.