March 9, 2009

2008 Zaràfa Pinotage - $3.99

After a recent suggestion from Gary Vaynerchuck to try some Pinotage, I picked up this dirt cheap little South African number and drank it along with some African Groundnut (peanut) stew that I'd made in the 'ol Crock-Pot. It's got an earthy fruit nose (as opposed to fruity fruit) that's a bit tight, even after severe decanting. I'd try and guess as to the type of berry I'm smelling in there, but this is review #3 on the blog and I'm just not there yet. The color is about as dark as see-thru can get, but with good lighting you'll be able to see your fingers on the other side. As for taste, there's some nice tannin structure with a hint of dirt berries. A great combination of earth and fruit with a light finish. In all, this is a nice entry into the earthy wine world for those of you who love the fruit bombs.

thumbs up - 85 points

3 comments:

  1. Welcome (back) to the fray. I've had this Pinotage as well and found it very interesting. Looking forward to seeing what adding a few more dollars to the price tag results in...

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  2. I tried this wine for the first time last night after Brendan's thumb's up. I had to come back to his review, and YES, I too found it tight and really hard to describe the berry flavor I was tasting. How unique. I found it very clean, if it doesn't sound too strange, I found it like the ringing of a bell, clear and light. I had it with a very spicy tomatoey stew.

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  3. I loved this wine, but haven't found it in ages. I hope my local TJ's brings it back! I'll stock up!

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