2017 Scions of Sinai, Féniks, Pinotage, Stellenbosch, South Africa
About this WINE
Scions of Sinai
Located in Stellenbosch’s Lower Helderberg, Scions of Sinai was founded by Bernhard Bredell in 2016. Having grown up on a wine farm, Bredell has always felt the desire to give back to his roots. He focuses on using natural methods and minimal intervention in the cellar to ensure the wines maintain authenticity to the vines and their roots.
But why the name, “Scions of Sinai”? Scion, in biology, refers to the upper part of the vine or a young shoot. In old English, scion also means descendant. Sinai refers to Sinai Hill, the foothill of the lower Helderberg, where the Bredells have farmed with old dryland bush-vines for generations. From Sinai Hill, Bernhard sees both himself and his old bush-vines as the Scions of Sinai – descendants of this unique terroir.
Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is South Africa’s best-known wine region, producing a wide variety of wines from leading estates, even though it accounts for less than 20 per cent of the country’s total production. Designated wards within the wine region are Jonkershoek Valley, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Bottelary, Devon Valley and Papegaaiberg.
At 17,500 hectares, Stellenbosch remains the Cape's most famous and important fine wine district, thanks to its proximity to Cape Town, to the cooling influences of False Bay, its mountainous (ie Helderberg, Simonsberg), granitic topography and its centres of learning such as Elsenburg Agricultural College.
It's notable for the refinement of its Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, especially from the likes of Glenelly Estate, Keermont Vineyards Oldenburg Vineyards, Raats Family and Anwilka
Pinotage
Created by Professor Perold in 1925 by crossing Cinsault and Pinot Noir, Pinotage is South Africa's trademark black grape. It took a long time for quality orientated producers to latch on to the grape`s potential - in the 1970s it was still being grubbed up in favour of more fashionable grapes. However it is now much in demand, partly due to South Africa`s export boom of the mid 1990s, and because of the Pinotage Producers Association which as well as vigorously promoting the grape, conducted vital research into clones, vine disease and vinification methods.
There is light, soft, easy drinking Pinotage that can be excessively jammy and is made for drinking young. However the more serious examples such as those from Kanonkop are produced from 50- year old unirrigated bush vines and are increasingly matured in new French and American barriques. These are full-bodied, rich, concentrated wines that are packed with ripe, spicy, black fruits and have the ability to age with grace.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
This is not your stereotypical South African Pinotage: Scions of Sinai farms 47-year-old bush vines on deep sand, granite and quartz soils to produce a delicate Pinotage with fragrant black cherry and thyme. Vibrant natural acidity is tempered by savoury minerality and grainy tannins. Afrikaans for Phoenix, Féniks refers to the revival of Pinotage in a lighter and more elegant style, as well as the renewal of old Pinotage bush-vines.
Daisy Gatt – Buying Assistant
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