Seth's Humidor

Spier Signature Pinotage 2019

My wife picked up this bottle on a whim from our local wine store, and we were a little disappointed. The wine is made from a pinotage grape, which is South Africa's signature variety. The grape is a hybrid between a Pinot Noir and a Cinsaut grape. I have not had many wines with Cinsaut, but I am familiar with Pinot Noir. The wine is from South Africa and is still quite young, only 2019. They recommended drinking before 2012. 

The wine has a plummy red color to it, with a nose of tobacco, plums, cherries, and some mild spice. I have never had this grape before, and I don't know when I will have another wine with the same grape, but it wasn't what I thought it would be like. While it was a grape made with Pinot Noir, it seemed to have a more Merlot characteristic. Before going into the tasting, the wine has a wonderful aroma and color.

The wine had a taste of oak, plums, and some very mild spice. It wasn't a round wine, but a sharp wine with a very long finish. I had about a glass of the wine and called it quits. I was really hoping for a little something more with this wine, but it just didn't deliver it. The wine was not balanced and was somewhat harsh, and as I said earlier, the wine was beautiful in color and had a lovely aroma. I do feel the wine would be better if the finish was better. I give it an 82.