BARISTA | Pinotage | 2022
pinotage

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The story of Barista Pinotage is a tale of innovation within South Africa’s wine scene. It was pioneered by winemaker Bertus Fourie, who earned the nickname ‘Starbucks’ for his unique approach to the nation’s signature grape. His vision was to create an accessible, modern Pinotage that deliberately emphasized rich coffee and chocolate notes. This was a departure from the more traditional or sometimes rustic profiles of the grape. The name ‘Barista’ itself is a direct nod to the aromatic world of a coffee house, a concept achieved not through additives, but through meticulous selection of grape ripeness, specific yeast strains, and the use of heavily toasted oak barrels. This wine is a flagship example of this popular and commercially successful style, designed to be bold, flavourful, and enjoyed upon release.
Today we are going to review a quite distinctive wine from the Western Cape, which is South Africa‘s most famous wine-producing area – Pinotage 2022 by Barista. Pinotage is South Africa’s controversial grape variety, created in 1925 by Abraham Perold – a crossing between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (that is called Hermitage in South Africa). Abraham Perold observed how Pinot Noir struggled in South Africa’s climate, so he crossed it with the much more productive Cinsaut. His goal was to create a grape variety that was as delicious as Pinot Noir but as productive as Cinsaut. Oddly enough, Pinotage is bolder than both of its progenitors and the resulting wines are vibrantly fruity and more like a new-world Shiraz. Unfortunately, Pinotage has struggled with a very bad reputation for the last 20 years, since Pinotage a very productive grape variety, producers often made very low-quality, commercial wine with it, but things are changing to the good these days, as producers are now focusing on reducing the crop yields and use winemaking techniques that enables them to extract all those unique characteristics of the Pinotage grape.

Today’s wine is a prime example of the modern, fruit-forward ‘coffee-style’ pinotage. The grapes for this wine are sourced from various vineyards across the vast Western Cape region and fermented in stainless steel tanks with regular pump-overs to ensure perfect extraction of colour and flavour. The wine was then aged for five months in heavily-toasted oak barrels – a key step in developing its signature mocha character, with additional bottle ageing time before it was deemed ready for the market release.

Western Cape is the heart of South Africa’s wine industry, encompassing a broad and diverse set of wine regions, including the world’s famous Stellenbosch, Paarl, Swartland, and Walker Bay. Its maritime climate is shaped by the cold Benguela current and strong oceanic breezes from both the Atlantic and Indian oceans, which help moderate temperatures, reduce disease pressure, and prolonge the ripening season. This results in wines with excellent natural acidity and aromatic complexity. The region’s varied topography and soils, ranging from ancient granite and shale to sandstone and alluvial deposits, allow for a wide range of grape varieties to thrive, from cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and pinotage, to chenin blanc, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc. The vast diurnal range between warm days and cool nights, further enhance the freshness and structure of the wines. All of this allows Western Cape to produce expressive and terroir-driven wines that balance new world’s fruit generosity with old world’s finesse.

color: medium-deep ruby color
clarity: hazy ruby shades at the rim

In the glass, this wine presents a medium-deep ruby color, vibrant and youthful. Towards the rim, hazy ruby shades emerge, hinting at its warm character and robust nature.

intensity: rich & expressive
fruit character: overripe

The nose is rich and pronounced, immediately greeting you with a unique combination of rubbery-gamey notes and overripe black fruits. The foreground is a complex tapestry of black fruits – blackcurrant, black mulberry, and ripe black plum – with a distinct, sweet maraschino cherry accent. Woven into this fruit core are classic, savory Pinotage notes of rubber, cured meat, and game. The background provides the wine’s signature ‘barista’ profile, dominated by oak-driven aromas of mocha and toasted wood, complemented by an earthy layer of gravel, dust, and barnyard, and finished with subtle hints of peppercorn and nutmeg.

sweetness: off dry | acidity: high | alcohol: medium+ | tannin: medium+ | balance: good
finish: medium+ | aftertaste: seedy & lean

The wine’s palate is surprisingly lean, plush and ample, with a soft and rich texture that makes it incredibly approachable. This is a straightforward and fair wine, defined by a nuanced rubbery-gamey accent that is typical for the variety – an easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing wine with a pleasantly-crisp mouthfeel. The wine feels off-dry, with a touch of residual sugar that enhances its fruitiness. The palate is balanced by exuberant acidity that cuts through the richness of the fruit, while the alcoholic warmth feels nicely integrated. The tannins are ripe and rich, providing a soft structure without being aggressive, leading to a crisp and lean aftertaste.

maturity: developing | drink now | do not age
verdict: fine | an excellent wine | a wine of premium quality

All in all, this is a quite appealing and well-executed South African Pinotage, offering a nice structure and fair balance for its style. It successfully delivers on its promise of a modern, coffee-driven experience. However, it is not an overly complex wine, as it lacks the structure and intricacy one might seek in a South African Pinotage. While it may not possess the unique footprint of the Western Cape‘s terroir, it does not lack in varietal typicity – a wine that is in its prime form, meant to be enjoyed today rather than tomorrow.

The wine’s bold and fruit-forward profile, with its distinct mocha and smoky undertones makes it a fantastic partner for rich and flavoured dishes. A classic pairing would be smoky BBQ, such as pulled pork or sticky ribs, where the wine’s acidity would cut through the fat and complement the smokiness of the meat. It would also be a great match for a classic beef burger with a side of sweet potato fries. Cheers!
BARISTA | Pinotage | 2022
variety: pinotage
country: South Africa
region: Western Cape
rating: 92.4

The unique ‘coffee-style’ Pinotage was pioneered by winemaker Bertus Fourie, who sought to tame Pinotage’s sometimes rustic nature and create a commercially successful, modern wine. The name ‘Barista’ is a direct reference to the rich aromas of coffee and mocha that define the wine. These notes are developed through the use of specific yeast strains and a short aging period in heavily toasted oak barrels.

© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation. Cheers!