{{product['name']}}

Information:

Eager to explore a wider range of wines using grapes grown in optimal conditions, Charles Back abandoned the estate wine concept in the 1980s, choosing rather to “go where the terroir is”. Today, we are one of the few farms that proudly own all our own vineyards, with land in Paarl, Darling, Swartland and Stellenbosch. Charles has also always been an advocate of social development in the Cape. Under Apartheid, he was one of a number of producers who campaigned for and implemented better conditions for farm workers and in 1997, he established the Fair Valley Worker’s Association, which gave his employees a chance to farm their own land.

Wine making:

Our Primo Pinotage is produced from a single block of bush vines located on the Fairview farm. The vineyards were planted in 1998 with 1.2m spacing between each vine. The vines grow under dryland conditions in deep duplex soils (well drained sand and clay), with a laterite subsoil that offers high water retention capacity. The vines are carefully suckered in summer (removing unnecessary shoots) and the crop is reduced to only one or two bunches per shoot, depending on the vigour of each vine. This results in a balanced crop, achieving rich concentration of flavours and texture in the wine.

The grapes were hand-harvested at an average of 24.0° brix. Next, the grapes were destemmed and hand-sorted to remove raisins and green stems. Fermentation took place in open-top French oak fermenters (foudre) and manual punch downs (pigeage) were done up to three times a day. Once alcoholic fermentation was completed, the wine was basket pressed and transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation, with 40% of the barrels being new oak. In total, the wine spent 18 months maturing in oak barrels.

Description:

Nose: Deep dark red colour in the glass. Sweet notes of red plum, raspberry, and vanilla seeds on the nose. 

Taste: A concentrated palate that brims with layers of red berry fruits and liquorice. Polished, yet firm tannins leads to a subtly salty and dry finish. This South African classic shows great ageing potential for up to 8 -10 years.