“As soon as I removed the word ‘Pinotage' from the front label and pushed it to the back, sales to Europe improved dramatically,” Coetzee explains. His wry comment underestimates the appeal this blend of Pinotage, Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Franc holds for any discerning winelover.
It is also likely that the Enthopio's restrained alcohol level would have wooed the palates of those brought up on classically styled wines. In stark contrast to many New World wines, Coetzee's vintages vary between 12.5% and 13.5% alcohol by volume. “Anything above 14,5% is no longer a natural wine. To achieve optimal ripeness requires solid work in the vineyards. Viticulture accounts for 95% of your product.”
The Pinotage for both wines comes from the same Stellenbosch vineyard at Vriesenhof and exhibits the truffle and cherry qualities of its Pinot Noir parentage. Coetzee prefers the term terrain-specific to terroir, “which has become too bound up with the pursuit of 100-point wine scores,” he says.
“It is far easier to follow the style template set by those handing out the scores than it is to consistently, year after year, produce wines of greatness that mirror their environment. Sense of place supercedes everything in winemaking. Land must always outweigh hand, and egos must be kept out of the winemaking equation. The capacity to make show stoppers or earn high scores is meaningless if that skill is not appropriately harnessed. Let's call it the caring factor for both environment and man's skill. The more you care, the better you get.”
The South African doyen, whose winemaking imprint is carried by the likes of Buitenverwachting, Eikendal, Graham Beck, Lanzerac, Lourensford, Morgenster and Vergelegen for whom he has consulted, draws the analogy with rugby. “Both require discipline and the ability to get stuck in. Ego wins you nothing, whether it's the Super 14 or the wine show of the moment.”
The Nederburg Auction takes place from 19 - 20 September 2008. For more information and the programme of events, visit: http://www.nederburgauction.co.za/
