SOUTH AFRICA'S INDEPENDENT WINE VIEWPOINT
Issue 19 April-June 2003
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| PERCENTAGES OF PINOTAGE
The argument about whether or not a 'Cape Blend' should contain Pinotage seems to have evaporated - at least among the powers-that-be. The question now is: how much, or how little? And what should its blending partners be? Though the value and viability of such a category is a moot point, its proponents appear to be steaming ahead, confident that the world out there is waiting for a well-marketed, good quality Cape-specific wine. And why not? Diners Club Wine-maker of the Year 1999 category, 'Cape-style Red Blend' initiated much debate as the industry attempted to reach an agreement on just which characteristics constituted such a style. The winner that year was Hazendal, with the archetypal Australian Cabernet-Shiraz blend. What was Cape-style about that? Could a Bordeaux-style blend have rendered a more distinctive Cape-ness, or was it necessary to include in the blend South Africa's very own Pinotage as the convincing component? Detractors point out that the appellation is vague, and that there is no coherent style. Some feel the whole concept to be rather nebulous. André van Rensburg, not known for his fondness of Pinotage anyway, waves his arms despairingly at all this breath-wasting, suggesting that the only wine discussion at the moment in this country should be virus. Still, we have wines to sell, and barrels full of well-made Pinotage languishing in cellars, ready to go to market either on its own or as part of a blend. Jancis Robinson MW, highly-respected wine commentator,
feels that a Cape Blend is not 'something to hang [our]
marketing hat on'. Nor does she think that Pinotage will
become a mainstream varietal wine. She makes a fair point
when she maintains that this 'is a major issue for South
Africans but, I would argue, a non-existent one for
everyone else'. Mike Ratcliffe, director at Warwick
Estate, is far more optimistic and ready to fling all the
marketing caps he has on palettes of quality-driven Cape
blends. Other enthusiastic protaganists include
Fairview's marketing supremo, Jeremy Borg, Jeremy Walker
of Grangehurst, and Seymour Prit-chard of Clos Malverne. One gets the feeling the committee is in too much of a desperate hurry to legislate the style into being in time for Veritas 2003. Only recently has the question of a Pinotage component been settled. Why the hurry to wrap it all up when we've hardly started? Surely much more time is needed for compatible combinations to naturally emerge. These will be diverse, depending on where the various component grapes come from. Since everyone these days claims to be chasing terroir, it is obvious there cannot be a one size fits all blend. By being too prescriptive now, perhaps Veritas and PPA are starting at the wrong end of the equation. Certainly, more work needs to be done on the potential for matching pinotage to the Rhône varieties Syrah, Grenache, Cinsaut and mourvèdre, rather than appending it to the Bordeaux varieties we feel more comfortable with. Many winemakers feel the flavour profile of shiraz is more attuned to Pinotage than Cabernet Sauvignon's is. Others might claim that since Bordeaux blends are (arguably) the best South African wines, they must therefore be the optimum vehicle for a Pinotage-bearing Cape Blend. Set against this, Bordeaux blends are so thoroughly benchmarked worldwide that, faced with the addition of Pinotage, consumers might suspect the result would have been better without it. A wholly new blend would avoid this trap and enjoy the benefit of making its own way in the world, free of such preconceptions. Then there is the question of percentages. Harmony and balance in a wine are of paramount importance. If Pinotage is a variety well-known for its overpowering qualities, why shoot oneself in the foot by legislating a minimum 30% when 20% might be more than enough to make its presence felt? A 30% component emphatically did not suit the Clos Malverne team, who found more than 25% too much to blend harmoniously in their wine, especially as they find the Pinotage character becoming more obvious over time. Wine-makers must also ask themselves, of course, whether Pinotage is being used to genuinely add dimension to the blend - delivering a wine whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Or is it there to look good on paper, but in fact to be deliberately hidden by the other varieties involved? Coherence of style is also contentious, and there appears to be a dogged striving for uniformity. Is diversity such a sin? In defining the style sufficiently narrowly for 'consumers to know what to expect', do you actually get better wines? Certainly regionality is an issue, with Cape Blends from warm Malmesbury inevitably differing from those of cool Elgin, but the blends will have quite a lot in common in terms of quality (hopefully), varieties used, vinification techniques, oak maturation and packaging. Guidelines adopted by a future Cape Blend Association would no doubt ensure a sufficiently coherent style. Are the potential benefits sufficient to warrant going ahead, or do we heed the wise Ms Robinson and quit? If we introduce Pinotage in an easy-to-swallow form under the Cape Blend moniker (in smaller font, below the specific brand name), there may be a better chance of its survival in the international (and even local) market. As Heidi Krizinger pointed out during this tasting: 'Perhaps Pinotage on its own is not the entry wine. Blended, it has the potential of getting in and opening markets with a more positive perception of the variety.' The quality of Pinotage is swiftly improving - it deserves another chance. The prized marketing 'point of difference' may well not work in the competitive and brand-cluttered UK market, but might be exactly what American minds and palates are looking for in an African wine. Warwick has already made a splash there with their Three Cape Ladies. Why are we so reluctant to get in there and just try our best? THE TASTING The general aim of the tasting was to see how well integrated Pinotage's characteristics were in these examples, and to see how positively the grape could contribute to the blends. Chris Williams found he was 'quite impressed', and not as disappointed as he had expected to be. He thought there were a number of examples where pinotage had made a very successful contribution to the blend. Christian Eedes bemoaned the lack of a coherent style amongst the wines in the line-up, while Mike Ratcliffe questioned the need for such a strict uniformity of style. He added: 'Cape Blends must be the pinnacle of the art, not just another style. Producers should use their best quality pinotage, and adhere to certain quality standards. As the category evolves, and winemakers are given direction, they'll use it and the process will become more peer driven.' Heidi Kritzinger did not see the need for one specific style, and considered it more important to be making successful, exciting wines. Jeremy Hazell questioned whether the wines would be poorer with the Pinotage component removed: 'Are we looking for a point of difference, when in fact the end-result is not as good a wine as the [pre-Pinotage] original?' A few panellists thought this point had been well illustrated in the case of Clos Malverne's Limited Release Auret Cape Blend, where they felt the original Cabernet-Merlot used in the blend (also bottled as a Limited Release) was a much better wine. Still unappeased, Eedes ventured: 'We haven't successfully taken Pinotage to the world, so why are we putting it in a blend, and taking a half-baked idea to market?' Kritzinger offered her experience, 'When I introduce a Cape Blend to someone who either doesn't know or doesn't like pinotage, but they like the blend, it's a mindset change for them. If people enjoy the wine, they'll give Pinotage a chance.' Ratcliffe added: 'Producers and commentators much more interested in what varieties constitute a wine than consumers are. If it tastes good, consumers will drink it and buy more. Its less about pinotage, and more about wine. You can sell one bottle on the basis of a novel "Cape Blend" label, but if the quality's not there, you won't sell another.' The general feeling? |
THE WINES Kaapzicht Steytler Vision 2000 ***½ Ashanti Chiwara 2001 Uiterwyk Estate Wine De Waal 2000 Beyerskloof Synergy Cape Blend 2001 Darling Cellars Onyx Kroon 2001 Kanonkop Kadette 2001 Warwick Three Cape Ladies 2000 Simonsig Frans Malan Reserve 1999 Grangehurst Nikela 1999 *** Villiera Merlot-Pinotage 2001 **½ **
Prices given are cellar door. The wines were tasted blind. In accordance with Grape's
policy, Ratcliffe's score for the Warwick was discounted,
as was Kritzinger's for the Bellevue. One score for
Welgemeend was discounted as it was more than two points
below the next score: the scorer felt the wine was
faulty, but no second bottle was opened.
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