Rijk's - Touch of Oak - Pinotage 2021
Rijk's is a winery located in Tulbagh , South Africa , on the eastern side of the Atlantic Ocean with a Mediterranean climate. The Tulbagh Valley is surrounded by a mountain range reaching heights of 1,995 meters. Rijk's was established in honor of Rijk Tulbagh, Governor of the Cape from 1751 to 1771. However, it was not until 1996 that wine production began under the influence of Neville Dorrington , a food lover and wine collector. good wines. It uncovered 137 hectares of virgin soils that had never been cultivated with slopes facing north, south, east and west and analysis of the vertical shale soils revealed the potential for cultivation low-yielding, high-quality vines. The following year, 14 hectares of vines were planted, followed by an additional 12 hectares in 1998. At the time, different grape varieties were cultivated: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Shiraz and Pinotage , to experiment with those that best suit the climate. The first grapes were harvested in 2000 and after 12 years, Neville Dorrington became aware of the natural environment, taste and flavors of the wines produced and decided to focus on the varieties best suited to the farm and soil : Chenin Blanc, Pinotage and Shiraz . In 2016, Tiger Dorrington , son of Neville, joined the estate as head of sales and marketing. The Dorrington family have always shared the dream of becoming a true South African winery and have therefore opened Rijk's Hotel in the winery.
Rijk's Touch of Oak is made from Pinotage (a cross of Cinsault and Pinot Noir). A 48 hour cold maceration period was carried out before fermentation to extract color and fruit. Extraction during fermentation took place with pumping over 3 times a day. Malolactic fermentation took place in barrels and the wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels at 25% 2nd fill, 50% 3rd fill and 25% 4th fill .
Grape variety: 100% Pinotage
