Forget everything you thought you knew about Pinotage, and try this bottle. It’s a revelation.

It’s had such a bad rep for years, and for good reason.

Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, invented in a university garden in Stellenbosch in 1924.

When South Africa opened up after apartheid in the 1990s, international markets demanded big reds.

So Pinotage was made like Shiraz - picked late and overripe and overworked in the winery. It was generally terrible.

But if you think about its heritage - Pinot Noir and Cinsault, which are both lighter reds - you’ll realise this is the exactly wrong approach.

Grown on cooler sites and in the right hands, it can be amazing.

And that’s exactly what we have here.

The grapes come from Stanford in the cool-climate Walker Bay region, just south of Cape Town. The vineyard is based on koffieklip granite soils, which gives a lovely density to the grapes.

Alex’s winemaking is incredibly gentle (including foot stomping!) which allows the gorgeously perfumed and aromatic fruit in the wine to shine.

It’s a dark and brooding wine, with real elegance and intensity. Ageing in old French oak barrels gives it serious structure and this one will age for years.

Finally a Pinotage I can get behind!