Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2016 Paul Cluver

Classification
Type	Rouge
Marque	Paul Cluver
Millésime	2016
Pays	Afrique du Sud
Région	Afrique du Sud
Raisin	Pinot Noir
Volume
État	Parfait
Étiquette	Parfait
Stock	0

Avis professionnels

Jancis Robinson (16.50)

Extensive individual berry sorting prior to destemming, no crushing of the grapes. Cold maceration at 12–14 °C for 6 days. The fermentation in 3.5-ton wooden vats was allowed to start naturally before inoculating with selected Burgundian yeast after a third of the fermentation was completed. During the fermentation, the skin cap was punched through by hand no more than twice per day. After fermentation, the wine was pressed and racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation and remained on the fine lees for 11 months. 38% new oak. TA 5 g/l, RS 2.1g/l, pH 3.63.
Light to mid bricky red. While this has the red-fruit sweetness on the nose of the Village and Estate Pinots, the extra time in bottle and the extra new wood has given this a more savoury character with the start of more tertiary qualities – spice, smoke and a touch of undergrowth. This has good balance of fruit and tannin structure, plenty of spicy fruit and supported by definite yet fine-grained tannins. Nice freshness too. (JH)

Vinous (93)

The 2016 Seven Flags Pinot Noir, Paul Cluver’s flagship Pinot, was racked to 300-liter French oak barrels, where the wine completed its malolactic, and spent 11 months in 25% new oak, the rest second-, third- and fourth-fill. This is easily the best of the three recent Pinot releases that I tasted at the estate, almost Pommard-like on the nose with brambly red berry fruit and fine mineralité. The palate is clean and fresh on the entry, offering tart red berry fruit, gentle grip in the mouth, moderate weight and impressive tension on the stylish and quite persistent finish. This has long been one of the Cape’s finest Pinot Noirs, and this year is no different.

Tim Atkin (95)