Wine Composition

100% Pinotage

Winemakers Comments

The first alluring characteristic of a young Pinotage is its color. Dark-toned, the 2021 Orpheus & The Raven No.7 Pinotage is poured like liquid blackcurrant, filling the glass with a dark purple enlivened with red and blue. Obvious energy about the wine comes to rest in a vibrant purple pansy rim, inviting you to taste. Perfectly pitched, an aroma of crushed boysenberry adds a sweet floral note, followed by the density of dark plum. Flamboyant aromas of baked nectarine, black cherries and dark chocolate add to its intensity that calculably follows through with a velvety texture and understated earthiness. A bright touch of fennel and mint adds brilliance to the breadfruit, cooling its opulence with a savory gloss. The judicious use of oak, adds clove and pepper spice, tucking in the fruit with fine-grained tannins. With the same bright fruit announcing itself on the palate, the structure of the wine is lined with subtle flavors of licorice, tobacco and the textured pith of young blueberries. As you near the end of the glass, the initial depth of color now dances with lighter shades of burgundy. Yet, its elegant persistence and length of flavor beckon for a second glass. The wine concludes with its initial berry burst and assertive texture.  

Awards

John Platter | 94 points

Technical Analysis

Alcohol Percentage

14.36%

TA

pH

RS

Winemaker

Name - Etienne Louw

Winery

Orpheus & The Raven was conceptualized in 2015 by winemaker Etienne Louw and graphic designer Brenden Schwartz.

These friends recognized a creative fire in each other and decided to direct this passion to develop a wine brand that is not driven by sales volumes, market share or consumer insight, but by a pure expression of the love for fine wine and art. With nothing in their arsenal except the freedom to express, passion, creativity, energy, and a single wine vat, the pair started Vinoneers, the umbrella company for the brand Orpheus & The Raven, which now includes three wines.

The creative duo’s vision finds expression in wines and labels which introduce something refreshingly unique to the South African wine market. The range of wines do all express a sense of place and purpose, as confirmed by the tales that inform on their creation. And rather than purely using the label to convey information about the wine, Etienne and Brenden use the labels to tell the story of their personal journeys inspired by the Greek play Orpheus in the Underworld.

At its core, the play encourages the audience to never look back; appropriate advice to Etienne who was a chemical engineer before embarking on a career as winemaker. With this as its departure, Orpheus & The Raven was developed as alter-egos for the Vinoneers.

Etienne, also a classically trained musician, is represented by Orpheus with his lyre. Brenden’s alter-ego derives from his family crest, which depicts a raven. Ravens are known to be highly creative, cunning, with a witty kind of wisdom and bravery - constantly encouraging Orpheus to look ahead.