Aaldering Estate Pinotage Rosé 2025 Devon Valley, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

Aaldering has built its name on Pinotage, and the estate treats South Africa’s own crossing as a serious grape rather than a novelty. From its Devon Valley base in Stellenbosch, the family-owned cellar turns the same prized vineyard into reds, a blanc de noir and this pink, showing just how far one variety can stretch.

The fruit comes from Pinotage planted in 1998 on decomposed granite, southeast-facing at 110 to 160 metres. Made in a dry, pale style, it is built for freshness rather than sweetness, with just enough weight to feel like a proper glass of wine. It gives the range an easygoing summer option without dropping the estate’s standards.

2025 was a lively season. A cold, wet winter gave way to a moderate spring, then heatwaves in December and January pushed picking about a week early. High winds at flowering cut Pinotage yields in particular, leaving small berries and concentrated juice. The estate calls it a tricky vintage that still delivered wines of real character.

In the glass it is bright salmon pink with an orange tint. Strawberry and raspberry aromas mingle with candy floss and red cherry. The palate is creamy and rounded, the fruit carried by fresh natural acidity that lingers nicely. Serve it well chilled at 10 to 12 degrees, ideally within a couple of years of the vintage.

Think of it as a food-friendly rosé in the Provence mould, dry and gently fruity rather than sweet. It shines with antipasti, a ricotta and Parma ham bruschetta, or creamy pasta. Relaxed enough for a weekday and smart enough for friends, it is the kind of pink that empties quickly on a warm evening.