Painted Wolf Pinotage 2007
Coastal Region, South Africa ($15)
Looking to bridge the gap between the bulk pinotage destined for
American shelves from the stuff that South Africans would probably
drink, I found this highly rated pinotage with a painting of a critter
on the label on sale for $10 but originally priced at $16.
I'm a sucker for decent IWC scores and if it weren't for that I
would've been able to separate this from all the other pinotage on the
shelf.
My expectations included some funkiness, a medium to thin body and
it possibly being a good candidate for show and tell "brett edition."
Fortunately I was pleasantly surprised with its decadent aroma that
made me think of a raspberry dark chocolate truffle dipped in the blood
of a rare cooked steak. The palate was full and almost sweet thanks to
its ripe fruit and high alcohol level. A touch of smoke on the finish
added to its complexity.
This was easily the best pinotage I've had and knowing that this isn't
even what the locals would tolerate for quaffable pinotage, I can
assume there are better versions out there. I recommend this bottle for
your next byob blind tasting. It'll stump even the most trained palates.
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