The estate is the brainchild of Aussie Ben Radford and Brit Alex Dale who crossed paths in Burgundy and later in South Africa. They eventually set up the Radford Dale estate in 1998 in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. Ben returned to the Barossa Valley but Alex remains to continue the tradition of producing excellent wines from vineyards located in the Devon Valley (3ha) and Helderberg Mountain (4ha). The Pinotage grapes for this generous red come from old vines grown on a small patch of exceptional white marl situated at the foot of Mount Helderberg and it is this unique soil that imparts a pronounced minerality to the wine. Aged in old Burgundy barrels, the purity and complexity of this wine shines through. The name, by the way, is a nod to Dr Abraham Penold of Stellenbosch University who in 1925 grafted the unlikely combination of Cinsault and Pinot Noir to create Pinotage in much the same way that Mary Shelley's Dr Frankenstein also created his strange creature by combining mismatched 'donors'.
A dense purple-red in the glass. Aromas of plum, blackberry, tar and liquorice. On the palate, complex and smoky with pure red fruit notes. The tannins are bold and sweet and the finish lingering. Drink with lamb Rogan Josh, roast duck with confit of sour cherries or carpaccio of beef.