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Ashbourne Pinotage

From the maiden release in 2001, this benchmark wine has redefined South Africa’s own red grape variety, Pinotage, with its classic, refined styling and unique complex character. This is a wine unlike anything else, intense, rich and savoury with a beautiful underlying minerality.

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Latest vintage available online via Port2Port.

  • Soil Low vigour, stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil

 

  • Alcohol 13.11%  Acid 5.30 g/l  pH 3.70  Residual Sugar 1.8 g/l

 

  • Barrel Ageing 10 months in 400 litre tight grained French oak barrels, 10 months in 2000 litre neutral Foudre

 

  • Wooding 100% 400 litre French Oak and 2000 litre neutral Foudre

 

  • Tight Grain 100%

 

  •  1st fill 40%  2nd fill 40% 3rd fill 20%

 

  • French Coopers:  Francois Freres

 

  • Yield 0.89 tons/ha, 5.78 hl/ha  Production 237 cases x 12

 

  • Vegan Friendly

 

  • Release Date – September 2023

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Views on the vintage

Growing Season

This stellar vintage was later and cooler than usual. Based on our measure of temperature, the average of the maximum temperatures for the 4 hottest months (crucial to harvest) Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, 2021 came in at 24.3 Centigrade. This compares to 24.8 Centigrade for a long-term average of the equivalent period in Burgundy. In the last 25 years, only 2001, 2004 and 2008 have been cooler. Winter was wetter than usual with 140mm more rain than average, filling dams and building the water table beautifully. Chill units started accumulating later than usual and a cool Spring and later budding accounted for the later harvest. A warm January was a welcome help towards healthy ripening. Any disease pressure from rain showers during ripening was effectively controlled organically. Yields, as always for us, were low.

One of 5 Pinotages of the Year – Tim Atkin MW South Africa 2023 Report

95 Points - Tim Atkin South Africa 2023 Report

95 Tim Atkin South Africa 2023 Report

Anthony Hamilton Russell believes that top Pinotage deserves the same respect as the best Cape Pinotages and he's proved it with this latest release of Ashbourne. Wild fermented with 10% added stems, this unfurls alluring hibiscus and rose petal aromas, fine-grained tannins, stylish 40% new oak and goji berry and wild strawberry flavours.

92 James Suckling, 6 November 2023

This is an aromatic pinotage, showing dried roses, grilled herbs, oyster shells, roasted mushrooms and spiced cherries on the nose, with some Asian five spice. Medium-bodied, very finely textured with chalky tannins that grip lightly on a smoky, spicy finish.

91 Vinous, September 2023

The 2021 Pinotage, which undergoes a gentler extraction these days, has a strong wilted rose petal and Lapsang Souchang scented nose, quite distinctive and well-defined. The medium-bodied palate, harmonious and cool in style, has grainy tannins, fine acidity, and dark berries mixed with white pepper towards the sappy finish. I like this…