Neil Ellis Bottelary Pinotage 2019

Fermentation initiated in stainless steel tanks. The crushed grapes underwent a series of pump overs and punching after which the wine was racked off to barrel to complete alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation took place in barrels. This wine spent 16 months in 500L puncheons 40% new French oak, the balance in 2nd fill and older. Bottled in September 2018.

Well established 20 year old bush vine vineyards with access to supplementary irrigation. These vineyards are south-west facing slopes and grown on decomposed granite. Harvest commenced on the 8th February. Grapes were harvested at 25.5°B with a total acid of 6.8 g/l and a pH of 3.3.

16 months

Pinotage

This wine can be enjoyed with bobotie, Pepper Steak, Venison, Oxtail, Osso Buco, Boerewors, Lamb.

In 1984 Neil Ellis sourced grapes from vineyards not of his own and produced wine in rented cellar space. These grapes were sourced in the Stellenbosch district and meant a lot of nosing around the restrictive quota system prevalent at the time. His vision, the pursuit of quality, extended out of the cellar and into the vineyards where varieties would excel and best express a particular style of wine reflective of their environment.