Scions of Sinai Atlantikas Pinotage

The Wine

I've hesitated to bring in a Pinotage, as I find many of them to be lacking in basic attractiveness, relative to other wines available on the world stage. This one struck me quite differently!

Atlantikas is crafted with a nod to tradition and a focus on purity - fancy words that mean the wine reflects its sense of place and is able to elbow its way onto that world stage next to wines of similar price point. This wine is 100% whole bunch fermented, imparting lightness and freshness. This theme continues through the aging process, which eschews oak influence in favor of stainless steel tanks - a winemaking decision that showcases the wine's fruity and spicy aromatics.

Sourced from two dry-farmed bushvine vineyards near False Bay in southern Stellenbosch, the wine reflects the unique terroir of the vineyard's decomposed granite soils. With its open and textural palate, Atlantikas offers a captivating expression of its coastal origins.

The Winery

South Africa has a surprisingly long winemaking history, pre-dating some of the supposedly "Old World" winemaking regions. For example, winemaker/owner, Bernhard Bredell, is the seventh generation to work in wine, though Scions of Sinai is his own personal initiative, launched in 2016. 

This venture was inspired by the iconic granite outcrop known as Sinai Hill. Nestled within this historic terrain, Bernhard’s vision is dedicated to honoring the ancient dry-farmed bush vines meticulously tended by generations before him. Many of these vines, rooted in the soil by his late grandfather during the 1960s and 1970s, serve as the heart and soul of Scions of Sinai.

Situated in the Lower Helderberg of Southern Stellenbosch, our vineyards benefit from the region’s distinctive maritime influence and the characteristically lighter granite soils. These unique terroir elements contribute to the wine's unique expression.