Intellego "Halagasha" Pinotage 2023

"Halagahsa" is a term used in Xhosa (one of the 11 recognized languages in South Africa) to celebrate a goal in sports, but in this case winemaker Jurgen is celebrating South Africa’s "native" grape variety, Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. In the style of both its parents, this wine is fresh and vibrant, having a light frame with raspberry, strawberry and red currant as the main red fruit flavors on the palate, backed by a subtle hint of fresh roses and white pepper. The acidity and lack of oak notes make this a very easy-drinking wine. Dusty tannins close it out. Easy to drink - enjoy this wine on the patio.

The fruit comes from a single, non-irrigated bush vine block on the Morelig Vineyards farm on the Paardeberg Mountain. The grapes were hand harvested and the bunches were kept intact for spontaneous fermentation, which lasted eight days under semi-carbonic conditions. The wine was pressed a few days later to neutral 225L French barriques. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally and the wine was hit with a small dose of sulfur dioxide at that time. After five months of aging, the barrels were racked to tank and left to settle for an additional four weeks. Bottled with another small addition of sulfur dioxide and a coarse filtration on the bottling line.