2023 Spice Route Pinotage Swartland, Coastal Region – buy online

WHO?

Charles Back was literally the first producer in Swartland when he started the Spice Route project in 1998. “Without him, Swartland would still be considered a rural backwater,” Tim Atkin, MW, once apologized to Charles. Today, the region is the source of many outstanding South African wines. However, Spice Route remains one of the most reliable wineries in the appellation, largely due to the fact that they own their vineyards. Winemaker Charl du Plessis has been Charles’s faithful companion for 15 years.

WHERE?

Spice Route has 100 hectares under vine in Malmesbury and Darling. Their distinctive style emanates from the gentle hills of the Western Cape, where unirrigated vines produce small bunches with thick skins — ripe berries abound with sugar and luxurious aromas. A passionate dedication to uncompromising quality and a traditionally virtuosic approach in the vineyard and cellar faithfully translate the essence of this terroir into the glass.

WHY?

Pinotage (a cross between Cinsaut and Pinot Noir) is South Africa’s emblematic grape variety that reaches its zenith in Swartland. It boasts a playful nose of ripe plums and raspberries, while aeration in the glass reveals notes of sweet spices and beetroot. It is fuller-bodied with a polished texture. Dominantly fruity sensations of the red spectrum are reflected on the palate, supported by a firm tannic backbone and a hint of smoked cherries.