Groot Constantia Pinotage 2024

From the Constantia valley on the Cape Peninsula, this Pinotage comes from one of the historic wine terroirs of South Africa's Western Cape. The vines enjoy a Mediterranean climate cooled by breezes from the Atlantic, with relatively high rainfall for the region. Planted between 39 and 160 metres above sea level on south- to south-east-facing slopes, the vineyards lie notably on Glenrosa and Cartref soils. These conditions encourage gradual ripening and preserve the freshness of the grape variety.

The grapes are harvested at the beginning of February and then fermented on their skins, with 4 pump-overs a day to encourage extraction. The wine is then aged for 16 months in new French oak barrels. This extended maturation gradually integrates the oak notes into the natural richness of the Pinotage, while developing its complexity and structure. The estate's traditional winemaking thus aims to preserve the depth of the fruit while giving the wine a broad texture and fine ageing potential.

This wine reveals notes of ripe cherry, strawberry, plum and blackberry, accompanied by hints of smoky cedar, dark chocolate and roasted coffee. On the palate, the wine is broad and generous, carried by ripe fruit and lovely acidity that brings balance. The ripe, structured tannins support a velvety texture, while the oak gradually integrates into the whole. The long, persistent finish extends the fruity, spicy and toasty sensations of this wine.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their 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 have 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 can also be 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, strongly 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 Cinsaut 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.