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Intellego

Intellego "Halagasha" Pinotage, 2022

Pinotage

$27.99 Special Pricing

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All orders need to be picked up in Greendale, Wisconsin.
We do not ship.

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Strawberry, candied raspberry; super light, bright color.  Suede, red cherries, cranberry, Boston creme pie, nutmeg.  Light palate, soft.  Fleeting white pepper on finish.  Made from 100% bush vine Pinotage  (cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault).  This is a beautiful example of this grape, sort of a hope for the future of what will be done with this variety. Historically it was over-oaked in style, and generally disregarded as a serious wine.  Whole cluster fermentation, under semi carbonic conditions, aged in barrel 5 months. Dry farmed.  

"Halagasha is a Xhosa term to celebrate a goal, and for us, Pinotage is a celebration of a proudly South African wine. "  Swartland, South Africa

 

From the importer, Vine Street:

About
‘Halagahsa’ is a term used in Xhosa (one of the 11 recognized languages in South Africa) to celebrate a goal in sports but in this case is Jurgen celebrating South Africa’s ‘native’ grape variety, Pinotage. Over the years winemakers have produced wines from this grape in the style of more ‘fashionable’ grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. By pushing the delicate grape to those extremes, the resulting wine is often void of ‘Pinotage character’ and ultimately becomes benign red wine with that somewhat revolting ‘rubbery-ness’ often confused for Pinotage. After all, Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault…neither of which are bulky or muscular grapes. The fresher approach that Jurgen takes has made this wine absolutely delicious, and really celebrates Pinotage’s parentage. The fruit comes from a single, non-irrigated bush vine block on the Morelig Vineyards farm on the Paardeberg Mountain.

The grapes were hand harvested and the bunches were kept intact for spontaneous fermentation, which lasted eight days under semi-carbonic conditions. The wine was pressed a few days later to neutral 225L French barriques.  Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally and the wine was hit with a small dose of sulfur dioxide at that time. After five months of aging the barrels were racked to tank and left to settle for an additional four weeks. It was bottled with another small addition of sulfur dioxide and a coarse filtration on the bottling line.

Stats
Grapes: 100% Pinotage
Vineyard: Morelig Vineyard (Paardeberg)
Vine Age: 15-years-old
Soil Type: Decomposed granite
Viticulture: Practicing organic
Fermentation: Native – 100% whole-cluster (semi-carbonic) in stainless-steel
Skin Contact: 8 days
Aging: 5 months in old French 225L barriques followed by 1 month in stainless-steel
Alcohol: 12%

Tasting Note
Forget what you know about big, bold Pinotage; this is fresh and vibrant. In the style of both its parents, it has a light frame with raspberry, strawberry, and red currant as the main red fruit flavors on the palate, backed by a subtle hint of fresh roses and white pepper. The acidity and lack of oak notes make this a very easy-drinking wine. Dusty tannins close it out.

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