Chocoholic Pinotage is a wine produced by Darling Cellars in South Africa.
Darling Cellars crafts this wine from grapes grown on deep soils of decomposed granite along the slopes of the Darling hills, benefiting from the cooling afternoon influence of the nearby Atlantic Ocean. This area of the Western Cape has gained increasing prominence in the wine world over recent decades.
Pinotage is a uniquely South African grape, created in 1925 by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault. It is the country’s flagship variety, known for its smoky notes, dark fruit character and, at times… hints of chocolate—hence the perfect name for this wine.
Winemaking: the secret behind Chocoholic
What makes this wine unique is its production method. Chocoholic is composed of two very distinct components: 10% of the must is obtained by twisting the grape bunches to induce partial raisining of the fruit while still on the vine. This concentrated juice is then blended with Pinotage that has seen oak contact, resulting in a seductively smooth, sensually soft, subtly sweet and irresistibly flavourful wine.
Fermentation lasts 5–6 days at 20–30°C in contact with the skins, and a portion of the wine is aged for 8–12 months on oak staves to add complexity and aromatic layers.
Aromas and flavours
On tasting, it initially appears somewhat closed and rather flat in expression. However, as it opens up in the glass, it reveals much more character, though it takes its time to do so.
On the nose, there are enticing aromas of lokum (Turkish delight), chocolate, red and black cherries, vanilla and red plum. On the palate, these same flavours are present, complemented by a hint of butterscotch and soft, silky tannins.
It is vibrant and full of juicy cherry flavours, incorporating more complex notes of dark chocolate, plums and vanilla. Smooth on the palate, with plenty of soft, sweet fruit, the chocolate notes shine through on the finish without any sense of excessive sugar.
Sobrelías Redacción
Sobrelías Redacción