Du Toitskloof granite Pinotage earns Platinum
Du Toitskloof's granite-soil Pinotage 2024 took Platinum at DWWA 2026. Africa's own grape — Pinot Noir crossed with Cinsault — is landing in the top medal tier.
Pinotage used to fight for respect. Platinum shortens the argument.
At DWWA 2026, Decanter highlights Du Toitskloof Granite Pinotage 2024 among Platinum winners. The grape is South Africa's own: Abraham Perold's 1925 cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Planted on granite, it shows a firmer, clearer line than the jammy stereotype many drinkers still fear.
Mini-lesson: granite soils drain fast and push vines to work. Pinotage on that rock can keep red-fruit freshness and structure instead of tipping into heavy coffee-oak cliches. Medal panels notice when a local grape tastes precise, not apologetic.
For a young drinker in Nairobi, London or Sofia, that matters. Choosing Pinotage is choosing an African original over another anonymous red blend or a sweet can. It is a story you can say out loud at the table: this cross only makes sense here.
The granite detail is the teaching hook. Soft Pinotage jokes usually attack overripe fruit and heavy oak. Rock-grown fruit that keeps lift gives educators a counter-example they can pour. One Platinum bottle will not erase every stereotype, but it gives East African and European lists a confident reference point.
Pattern: local grape, hard granite, top-tier metal. Pinotage belongs in the serious aisle now.
Source: Decanter