Tête de Cuvée Pinot Noir 2021

Located in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, near the coastal town of Hermanus in Walker Bay, the Bouchard Finlayson estate benefits from a cool maritime climate, tempered by the South Atlantic Ocean. The Pinot Noir vines are planted on well-drained slopes composed of clay-schist and decomposed sandstone soils, providing an ideal environment for the slow and even ripening of the grapes. This oceanic influence, combined with cool breezes and a significant temperature range, helps preserve the natural acidity and aromatic finesse characteristic of this wine.

The Pinot Noir grapes are harvested by hand, carefully sorted, and destemmed before a cold pre-fermentation maceration. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in open vats, with regular punch-downs for gentle extraction of tannins and aromas. After racking and pressing, the wine is transferred to French oak barrels, mostly new and second-use, for extended aging to refine the structure, develop aromatic complexity, and harmoniously integrate the oak before bottling.

This wine reveals notes of black cherry , raspberry , and plum , enhanced by floral touches of violet and dried rose, as well as spicy nuances of sweet pepper and clove. Woody accents of fine oak, vanilla, and forest floor complete the bouquet. On the palate, the texture is silky, supported by fresh acidity , fine and well-integrated tannins , with a long, elegant, and delicately flavorful finish.

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.