18 Aug Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Bosman Family Vineyards 2019 Pinot Noir, Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley, South Africa

Not that an excuse is needed to open up a Pinot Noir, but today is National Pinot Noir Day! It is a day to honor the most romanticized red wine in the world. To celebrate, I journeyed to the Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley in South Africa and enjoyed the Bosman Family Vineyards 2019 Pinot Noir, the Please The Palate wine of the week.

The Bosman Family has been vine growers in South Africa for eight generations. In 2007, 8th generation Petrus Bosman released the first wines from their cellar. Bosman Family Vineyards has been a pioneer in uplifting the local wine industry with its innovative model that weaves environmental and social responsibility into the fabric of the business. They are devoted to Fair Trade accredited, responsible winemaking. And, in 2008, the estate gave a 26% share of the company to their employees as part of the largest Black-owned land transfer in South African history.

The winemaking team consists of two women, Corlea Fourie, the Head of Wine and Viticulture, and Natasha Williams, the Winemaker. Based in Wellington in the Paarl region in South Africa, they were in search of col climate terroir when they found the the vineyard further south in the Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley. The vineyard is surrounded by mountains and cool breezes originate from the Atlantic Ocean.

The Pinot Noir grapes are picked, hand sorted, destemmed, and then gentle crushed. It is aged for 10 months in 20% new French Burgundian oak. The wine has aromas of deep dark cherries, dried herbs, and earth. On the palate, the medium-bodied wine is fresh with tart acidity and a lush midpalate and was a lovely served slightly chilled and paired with grilled basil chicken.

The Bosman Family Vineyards 2019 Pinot Noir, Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley, South Africa retails for approximately $25.