Spice Route Pinotage

Spice Route Wines is a respected estate in South Africa’s Swartland, founded by Charles Back in the late 1990s to showcase the region’s rugged terroir and dry-land bush vineyards. The estate’s own vineyards around Malmesbury and Darling are unirrigated and bush-trained on koffieklip soils of decomposed granite, clay and shale, giving concentrated fruit and structure.

The Pinotage is made from grapes fermented with whole bunches in open concrete fermenters with manual punch-downs for optimal extraction, then matured in American oak with malolactic fermentation and ageing to integrate spice and texture. The deep ruby wine shows ripe plum, cherry and dark berry fruit with warm spice and soft tannins on the palate. It pairs superbly with flame-grilled steak, smoky braised meats, spiced curries and rich vegetarian dishes such as roasted aubergine or lentil stews.