Meerendal, Durbanville (Western Cape, South Africa) Pinotage 2015

 This bottle is an entirely convincing corrective for anyone who doesn’t believe that Pinotage can make great wine.  Sourced from a 1955 planting that produces conspicuously small bunches and berries, it shows very concentrated pigmentation and admirably dark color.  The concentration and weight on the palate are likewise exemplary, especially because there’s no hint of over-ripeness or overt jamminess, and indeed there’s a streak of fresh acidity that very nicely complements the wine’s richness.  The core flavor is brambly blackberry, and by “brambly” my intention is to convey that there’s just a little wildness to the flavors (which is a good thing…who wants an overly domesticated Pinotage?).  Savory undertones lend a layered, complex character, and though some of these notes are undoubtedly derived from oak, there’s nothing manifestly woody about the wine.  That’s very impressive in light of the fact that it spent 22 months in new French oak.  I suspect this has a long and distinguished life ahead of it, but it is already so delicious that most bottles are unlikely to have a chance to prove their longevity.  By the way, I was also able to taste the as-yet-unreleased 2016 rendition of this wine in Cape Town in September of 2018, and it too was very impressive, though it a leaner, tighter, more linear style.  Meerendal’s Heritage Block Pinotage won’t be easy to find at retail, but it is emphatically worth a search, or better still… a visit to the estate to purchase it on the premises.