Ashbourne – Pinotage 2018 75cl Bottle

Black plum, cranberry and pomegranate combine with hints of clove, cedar, iron, dry-aged beef and turned earth on the nose. The palate is tight, bright and pure, with flavours of cranberry and pomegranate. There is a marked minerality behind vibrant fine-grained, dry tannins. This is an elegant, tensile wine that is built to last a very long time. Structurally (and aesthetically) it seems to be somewhere between young Bordeaux and Barolo. After the early and short 2015 and 2016 harvests, 2018, like 2017 was back to our usual timing, beginning at the end of the first week of February and finishing at the end of the first week of March. Higher than usual early Spring temperatures brought early budding, but an unusually wet and cool November/December affected flowering and fruit-set, resulting in particularly low yields – far lower than the already low yields. A warmer than average February, combined with the very low yields, smaller berries and lighter bunches did however contribute to the riper more opulent style for the 2018 vintage, the resulting wines were deeper, fuller and more structured. The wine was aged initially for 10 months in 400 litre barrels, then 7 months in neutral 2000 litre Foudre. All 100% French Francois Freres Oak. 224 dozen cases were made in total.