McFarlane Saturday's Child Pinotage 2023

Traditional Price €54
Member Price €31.24
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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!

Wine type Red
Grape(s) 100% Pinotage
Country South Africa
Region of origin Walker Bay
Appellation Stanford
Vintage 2022
Alcohol % 12.74%
Oak? Yes
Months in Oak 10 months
Type of Oak Old french oak, 500l barrels
Allergens (e.g. does it contain Milk, Egg, Fish, Nuts) None
Average age of vines 23 years
Average altitude of vines (m) 150
Soil type(s) Mostly koffie-klip
Closure Type Diam cork
Is this wine organic? No
Biodynamic? No
Sustainably produced? Yes
Suitable for vegans? Yes
Ageing potential 15-20 years
Ideal drinking window 2024-2034

Alex champions South Africa's two heritage varieties - Chenin Blanc and Cinsault. You could argue no country does these grapes better.

Read more about Alex.

This would be best enjoyed with a rare Bavette steak, twice cooked fries and a green pepper corn sauce.

FOR IRELAND

We know how important it is to get your wine order quickly and efficiently. So we’ve partnered with UPS to offer next-day delivery on our wines.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • It’s free - delivery is already included in the members' price
  • It’s fast - you’ll get next-day delivery if you order before 12pm Monday-Thursday
  • It’s environmentally-friendly - all of our orders are shipped carbon neutral with UPS.

€2 per case is added to all Northern Ireland orders to cover additional shipping costs. The point of sale occurs in the Republic of Ireland.

Our minimum order requirement is 6 bottles and we ship in multiples of 6’s. This can be 6 different bottles!

You may need to show your ID on delivery.

Please read our Terms & Conditions for more information.

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FOR UK

1. Order minimum & case sizes

We ship exclusively in full cases of wine. Your order must be a minimum of 6 bottles and in a multiple of 6 (for example 6, 12, 18 bottles).

2. Where we deliver

We deliver across Great Britain, with a small number of exceptions. Delivery is currently not available to the following locations:

  • Channel Islands (GY, JE)

Please also note that some more remote areas take a little longer to reach. For the postcodes listed below, delivery may take 2–5 working days due to their location, and there is an additional £20 charge applied to these areas:

KA27, KA28, AB31–AB56, IV1–IV63, KW1–KW17, PH15–PH150, PA20–PA78, HS1–HS9, PH42–PH44, ZE1–ZE3, FK16–FK21,BT

3. Delivery timeframe

  • Place your order by midday (12pm) Monday-Friday for next working-day delivery.

  • Saturday delivery is available when you order by midday on Friday.

  • If you order after midday, your delivery will fall on the next working day, and in some cases it may arrive sooner - but this is not guaranteed.

  • Orders placed after 3pm on a Friday will be delivered on the following Tuesday.

4. Courier & delivery options

We use DPD Local for all deliveries with the default method as delivery to your address - handover required. You’ll receive text and/or an email notification to let you know your case has been shipped and another with your 1 hour delivery window, with both giving you the options to:

• leave in a safe place

• leave with a neighbour

• change the delivery day

• deliver to a different address

• deliver to a DPD Pickup ParcelShop

If you choose a safe place or a neighbour and the parcel is delivered to that place or person, responsibility passes to you from that point onwards.

5. Age verification

This site is for adults only. We operate a Challenge 25 age verification policy. When in doubt DPD will request valid photo ID on delivery to confirm you are 18 or over. Accepted ID includes a passport, driving licence or other recognised photographic ID.

6. Damaged goods in transit

If your case of wine is damaged during transit, we will be notified by DPD and will reorder and dispatch a replacement for you at the earliest opportunity and keep you updated throughout.

7. Returns once delivered

If you decide you need to return your order after it has been delivered, please get in touch with us and we will arrange a collection. Returns are handled on a case-by-case basis once you contact us.

8. General provisions

By placing an order you agree to these delivery terms. We may update or amend these terms from time to time - any changes will apply to orders placed after the update.

Customer Reviews

Based on 4 reviews
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D
Donal Matthews (Dublin)
Elegant and well made

Enjoyed recently at home, delicious, fruity with a nice mouth feel and lasting flavour.

C
Carl Lonergan (Dublin)
Surprising

Unlike any Pinotage I've had before. Really light colour but incredibly fragrant and packs a serious punch. It's like a cross between Burgundy and NZ Pinot, the structure of Burg and the fruit profile from NZ. Very good. I'd imagine it will age brilliantly too.

So glad you like it, Carl! Thank you for the review.

V
Vicki (Cork)
Delicious

This wine is one of my new favourites from
Winespark. Light, fruity and smooth. Not just for Saturdays!

Hear hear, Vicki!

D
Declan Burke (Dublin)
A cracker

Eamon may be wrong about coriander but by God he is right about this one. A fabulous wine that completely changed my view of pinotage. Has the lightness of a Pinot noir with wonderful fruitiness.