2017 B Vintners Pinotage Liberté
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Liberté Pinotage comes from old vines planted on decomposed granite soils. It has a clean, pure bouquet of black plum, boysenberries, leather and hints of menthol, nicely defined and gaining intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. This feels cohesive and focused. There is a discreet touch of clove and white pepper toward the finish that lingers in the mouth. Delicious Pinotage.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
On the nose, the 2017 Liberte actually shows the lighter style of Pinotage, with a floral lift, subtle red spice, nuanced minerality and soft saltiness. The palate shows shy at first and grows more powerful as the wine sits on the palate. The mid-palate is spicy and has a red-fruited heart, while the finish is focused and precise with a mineral complexity that builds with a spicy tannic liveliness. It is medium-bodied with an honest focus of a softer style of Pinotage. 7,450 bottles made. B Vintners says that the vineyards are windblown and are in close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, planted on poor soils, which make for early ripening, aiding in the retention of freshness and fragrancy. They did it, it worked.
Ripe, vivid red fruit with spicy notes and excellent fragrance and lift. Clean, refreshing and crunchy – gets the best from the variety. (RH)