2005 Galpin Peak

Filed in archive South African Wines on March 14, 2007

It may have a date of 2005, but this pinot noir is brand new and ready for tasting. Bouchard Finlayson Vineyards is announcing the release of it's newest pinot noir, 2005 Galpin Peak. Looks like it's bound to be pretty popular already according to South African Wines News:

It is one of the most temperamental grapes in the vineyard but in the cellar, given the right treatment and the skilled hands of a well-versed winemaker, it can be made into a superlative single-varietal wine, if not a benchmark, speaking of all the characteristics that drive this varietal.

The Hemel en Aarde valley wine estate, Bouchard Finlayson, is synonymous with the production of this highly sensual wine. Says winemaker Peter Finlayson, "Pinot can so easily offer too much tannin or bitterness", yet he has successfully come up with the right balance to create a beautifully-structured wine with soft tannins for the recently-released 2005 Galpin Peak Pinot Noir.

Finlayson has upped the stakes by tightening up in the final blend selection for the flagship Pinot. He has increased his complement of new barrels and in the quest for excellence has changed coopers, using one from the legendary Nuits St George, whose production is limited.