Angus Paul, Transient Lands Pinotage 2024

Description

This bottling will be an ongoing project to source, blend and bottle special parcels of Pinotage across the Western Cape and become an expression of each vintage through that grape’s proverbial lens.

VINEYARDS

In 2024, the blend uses four Pinotage blocks: 55% from the granitic Polkadraai Hills above Stellenbosch; 45% from the sandy granite soils of the Paardenberg in the Swartland.

WINEMAKING & MATURATION

Grapes are hand-picked and cooled overnight. They were then fermented in open-top bins. Of the grapes, 15% were foot trodden whole bunches, and the remainder destemmed. A light sulphur addition was made at crushing. Natural fermentation took place over 10 days after which a maceration was carried out until the tannins had developed satisfactorily (about 5 more days). After draining, the remaining grapes were pressed to old wooden barrels.

A spontaneous malolactic fermentation then took place, and in early Autumn wines were sulphured for the first time. Wines were bottled in December after having spent 11 months in barrel with no racking.

TASTING NOTES

This vintage shows fruit abundance and generosity. The nose is loaded with waves of red and black berries, dark cherries and star anise. The palate is equally fruit forward: round, gentle tannins are coated in a bouncing fruit abundance. The acid is fine and taught.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

Alc: 13.50 %

T.A.: 5.1g/L

R.S.: 1.2g/L

pH: 3.70

THE NAME

A reference to the fleeting custodianship of the lands we, humans, grow crops on. Though we may now ‘own’ them, and describe them as ‘lands’ – the plural being implicit of ownership – they will continue their docile existence forever, should we be there to tend them or not. Notably, despite this, and quite incredibly, we have this product like no other – wine – that allows us to taste those particular aggregates of earth we plant on.

Additional information

Anything from the grill, including stuffed brown mushrooms.