Diemersfontein - Reserve Pinotage, Wellington - 2014 (750ml)

Wine Composition

100% Pinotage 

Tasting Notes

On the nose plums and blueberries with sweet vanilla undertones followed by soft mouth filling tannin. This wine lends its self to rich lamb casseroles and gentle Malay type curries. 

Technical Analysis

Alcohol Percentage

14% 

Total Acidity

5.4 g/l 

pH 

3.8 

Residual Sugar

3.2 g/l 

Cellar Techniques 

Harvested early in the morning. Bunches and berries were very small, which we believe ensured the high extract of the wine. The berries were crushed into stainless steel tank and inoculated with yeast. Pump overs were done every 4 hours for 20 minutes to extract the color and flavors. At 0 ºB the wine was racked and the skins pressed. The wine was inoculated with malolactic bacteria and took place in a combination of 70:30 French and American oak barrels.  Wine was racked after malolactic fermentation and put back into barrel for 16 months. 

Winemaker 

Name - Francois Roode 

Winery 

Diemersfontein wine estate is situated in Wellington, Western Cape and lies in the shadow of the beautiful Hawekwa Mountain with a panoramic view of Du Toit's Kloof and Bains Kloof. It has been in the Sonnenberg family since the early 1940s, when owner Dave Sonnenbergs grandfather bought the 183 hectare farm. 
Over the years it has been used as a tranquil country retreat for the family and during the war, Italian prisoners of war were housed in the cottages. The first vineyards were planted in the 1970s and in 2000 David build a cellar and started producing award-winning wines. 
Varietals planted are Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, Barbera, Roobernet and Mourvedre. The first trophy was one in 2001 for a wooded Pinotage, and from then on accolades and awards are continuing to be granted to the Estate. 
Black Empowerment also plays a role on this estate, and the owners have warmly embraced the BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) policies of the government. The estate makes a contribution towards the development of their employees, both from a family wealth as well as the development of skills by allowing them to make use of the facilities and resources of Diemersfontein to produce their very own range. They develop independence of the parent company and have the ability to function and grow in the broader economy.