Pinotage, without a lick of paint

The Morning Claret tends to steer clear of the new world, being a lover of the more classic, restrained styles of wine making. But the other night I was searching around for something to match with a south-east asian influenced curry, and settled on a South African Pinotage which had appeared in the house after a dinner party. Pinotage is a fascinating varietal - a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, it has only ever been seriously cultivated in South Africa. With a reputation for being at best variable, and at worst, downright bizarre and smelling of paint, Pinotage is best approached with caution.

The Stellar Organics Pinotage 2010 has a strong and slightly ferral nose, with a massive dollop of blueberries, brambles and spiced loganberries. The fruit is big and bold on the palate, with a pronounced smoky coffee and cinnamon note. Given that this is only a medium-bodied wine, there is great depth of flavour without being at all overblown. The balance and length are also both excellent. …