| Oak Village | Coastal Region |
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| A brand of Vinfruco. |
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| Pleasant well made wine, if no great heights reached, no lows either. Pleasant fruit drinking wine. | |
| An export brand of Distell. | |
| Ohinemuri Estate |
Hawkes Bay New Zealand |
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Small estate owned and run by Horst and Wendy Hillerich who made their
first wine in 1988 and have steadily
built up their business over the years.
They sell approximately 90% of their wine directly from the property,
and limit themselves to a small range of wines, making the same varieties each year.
Grapes are sourced mainly from Gisborne and Hawkes bay, using the same
growers each year to ensure good continuity and quality.
The winery is a collection of Latvian styled buildings,
which make a very picturesque backdrop to
the Karangahake Gorge.
Horst gives each wine his individual attention and favours as little
treatment as possible to enhance the natural characteristics of the grapes.
Wendy told The Pinotage Club "We make our Pinotage in the same style as
a Beaujolais, light in style but quite full in flavour. We source
the grapes from a particular vineyard in the Gisbourne region, which is
about six hours from where we live and have the winery. We are a very small
producer and sell all our wine via the cellar door or through our
restaurant, which is attached to the winery"
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1996 Pinotage -
35% of this handpicked fruit from Gisborne was whole bunch fermented to
produce a soft red wine. The raspberry flavours are well balanced with
the vibrant structure of this wine. A short time in oak barrels has
added more complexity.
Tasting reports welcomed | |
| Okahu Estate | New Zealand |
| Paula's Pinotage 1998 is the first release of a 100% pinotage for the winery. The pinotage was previously blended in with other grapes. Okahu Estate is NZ's most northerly wine producer, near the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach on the east coast of the skinny tip of North Island.. Ironically, the vines were pulled out after the 1999 vintage (although another 100% pinotage is in barrel from this vintage). Okahu Estate is replacing the pinotage with shiraz. They will plant more pinotage 'up the road', so there will be more pinotage to play around with in 2003 or so. | |
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Very deep, rich, blackish red. Creamy aroma of vanilla and spicy mint with
a follow through of musk. Lovely flavours with fruit of plums and
blackcurrants. Very balanced from this fantastically ripe vintage. A
pleasing, lifted, finish with a flavour of licorice, a touch of spice and
just a hint of dustiness. In this very young wine I find the creamy oak
overpowering at this stage, but this will integrate well, with a little
time, in my opinion. Alcohol 13.5%, 30% new and the rest used American oak.
In barrel for 16 months. Recommended retail $NZ29.95. (Paula's Pinotage 1998 - tasted Oct 1999 by Sue Courtney www.wineoftheweek.com
Okahu Estate 'Paula's' Reserve Pinotage 1998: Exceptionally ripe estate fruit in Northland. Prolonged skin contact, 16 months in 30% new American and French barriques. Dark purple red in colour. Spicy gamy nose that has some earthy hint. This is well structured with excellent weight and depth of fruit. There is plenty of oak showing too. Excellent concentration, slightly bitter even, to the point of austerity. Good winemaker input all round. 18.0/20 (15/05/00 Raymond Chan at Regional Wines, NZ) | |
| Olsen | Paarl |
| Owned by American businessman, and soon to be astronaut, Greg Olsen and managed by Gawie and Armand Botha, 30 ha of vineyards of Pinotage, Cabernets Sauvignon & Franc, Shiraz, Ruby Cabernet, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc on the the flanks of the Druitskill Mountains. With winemaker Mark Carmichael-Green they annually produce 6000 bottles. | |
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2003 -
Pleasant medium light bodied wine, a little green on front palate on first opening, but after a while opened it develops soft blueberry fruits at the forefront and ripe fruits in the middle and a shortish finish. Would benefit from decanting. 14.5%abv (PFM 10/04) 2003 - A subdued monochome label on this as yet unreleased Pinotage. Purple colour, slightly fuller bodied than the 2002 with a little more complexity and wood tannins on the finish. Needs more time. 12 months in new oak. (PFM 2/04) 2002 - The label has striking colour photograph of their vineyards, inside the wine is a clear red with purple rim. It is light bodied with some spicy fruits and tannins on the finish from fairly young vines, the oldest were planted six years ago. It spent 12 months in new French oak and is unfiltered. | |
| Onderkloof | Stellenbosch |
| tasting reports welcomed | |
| One Bunch | Western Cape |
| 2001 - Sulky red colour, high sweet light fruit tones and esters. (PFM 10/02) | |
| Oranjerivier | Oranje River |
| Tasting reports welcomed | |
| Overhex | Breede River |
| 2002 - Estery nose and sweet bubble-gum and ester tastes. 13.5% alc (PFM 10/02) |
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1 September 2005
club@pinotage.org