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Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $20.33 $21.40
6 bottles: $12.13
How do you improve on a classic? You smooth it out and lighten things up. And that’s exactly what we did to...
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $114.94
Deeply structured and briary, with a mix of red and black fruit accented by licorice, dill and savory underbrush...
WS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $124.02
The 2021 Geyserville hits the palate with a burst of dark red/purplish fruit, sweet spice, lavender, chocolate, dried...
VM
94
WS
93

Pinot Nero Pinotage Zinfandel 1.5Ltr

Pinotage is the signature grape varietal of South Africa, and is the most widely grown grape in the country, as well as being common in several other countries around the world. It is a viticultural cross of two fine grape varietals, the Pinot Noir and the Cinsaut (known as Hermitage in South Africa, hence the portmanteau name), and is notable for the fact that it produces excellent and flavorful wines of a deep red color The flavors most commonly associated with Pinotage wines are generally smoky in nature, with notes ranging from dark bramble fruits, to plum, mulberry and earthy characteristics. However, it often also includes quite tropical flavors of stewed banana. The Pinotage varietal is a versatile one, and is often used for producing fortified and sparkling wines, as well as the more common still red wines.

The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.