Natte Valleij, Cinsault, Coastal Region, South Africa 2022

Natte Valleij is an historic Cape Dutch farm that was first established in 1715. The cellar at Natte Valleij was once one of the largest in the area, but fell out of use in the 1940s. The current owner, Alex Milner, re-established winemaking at Natte Valleij in 2005 and has quickly garnered a reputation for minimally-processed, characterful wines from various parcels around the Cape.

Cinsault, a southern French grape variety, producing lightly concentrated wines with baked strawberry notes, brush and savory, earthy notes. Tannins are soft with medium body and elevated acidity. Cinsault in South Africa is kwon as Hermitage, and one of the parents of Pinotage. 

The Coastal Cinsault is sourced from 5 different regions from vines ranging between 14- 50 years of age. 30% of the wine is aged in neutral French oak foudre, while 70% is aged in concrete eggs for 12 months.