Ben says
★★ Great Wine “A Pinotage I like? It’s a difficult grape variety for me – it seems to either be sour crushed cranberries with the acidity of one of those painfully zesty black filter coffees, or just a bitter coffee-soaked black forest gateau mess. Lanzerac’s Aliquid Novi, meaning ‘something new’, was indeed something new to me: a Pinotage I liked. Blueberries and cassis tumble into a spicy, fruity mix with a juicy, lightly gamey finish. It’s long, layered and fresh while being incredibly easy to drink. It’s the first Pinotage in a long time I’d recommend!“
KEY POINTS
Varietal Pinotage with 14.0% abv. Aged for 16 months in a variety of 2nd to 4th fill French oak. A limited release of 1,000 bottles per vintage.
Grown in: Stellenbosch, SOUTH AFRICA.
Food Pairing
This wine could stand up to crispy duck pancakes when many reds would overpower it of just feel weird, especially with the hoisin sauce. It would also pair well with lighter meats like pork or lamb, or you could enjoy it alongside a mushroom risotto – it likes umami much like a good Pinot Noir.
Disclosure & Price
Tasted blind during a study session. Find in the UK for circa £15 from NY Wines and others.
Reviewed and tasted: 06/12/2024
About the Producer
Lanzerac estate was the first to bottle Pinotage and has been making wines since 1692. Its current cellarmaster, Wynand Lategan, was appointed in 2005 and the ‘Aliquid Nova’ label is one of his creations, imagined closer to Pinotage’s Pinot Noir parent than its Cinsault one.
