Hazy View Pinotage 2023
£8.95
The wine
Medium bodied, with ripe, brambly fruit through to a lively finish. This is a modern expression of South Africa's signature grape, and a very drinkable style with none of the smokiness that used to put people off.
Pinotage is entirely South African, bred in 1925 by Abraham Perold at Stellenbosch University by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault, then known as Hermitage, which is where the name comes from. Made carelessly it can be harsh; made with restraint it gives dark bramble fruit and a smoky note.
The producer
Hazy View
View all Hazy View winesHazy View is a Cape Coast label built on the two grapes that define everyday South African wine: Chenin Blanc and Pinotage.
Both are worth knowing. Chenin arrived from the Loire in the seventeenth century and was long called Steen at the Cape, and South Africa now has more of it planted than France does. Its high acidity and orchard-fruit character suit the climate well. Pinotage is entirely South African, bred in 1925 by Abraham Perold at Stellenbosch University by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault, then known as Hermitage, which is where the name comes from.
The Cape Coast designation covers the cooler maritime districts, where sea air moderates the heat and the wines keep more freshness than inland fruit. These are made for early drinking and priced to be opened without deliberation.
