Pour this and your glass smells like someone just brewed a fresh espresso next to a bowl of blackberries. That's the whole trick with African Java: a Pinotage built to taste like coffee and dark chocolate, but it's still a proper dry red. Big, smooth, a little cheeky. Grab it for a slow night with grilled meat, or for that friend who swears they only drink reds that 'taste like dessert without the sugar'. This is the one.
The nose leads with roasted coffee beans and a waft of cocoa, the kind of smell that makes you lean in. Then the fruit shows up: juicy blackberry and mulberry, ripe and dark, with a plummy middle. It finishes long on smoky mocha and rich dark chocolate, with just a whisper of oak holding it together. It reads bold and almost sweet-smelling, but the wine itself is dry. Full-bodied, smooth, soft tannins. Easy to love, hard to put down.
The details
Pairs well with
Where it's from
This comes from Van Loveren, a family winery in South Africa's Robertson Valley run by the Retief family since 1937. They're one of the country's biggest family-owned wineries, and the 'African Java' is their take on the coffee-Pinotage style that South Africa made famous. That mocha-coffee character isn't an additive or a gimmick. It comes from heavily toasted oak working with Pinotage, a grape born in South Africa back in 1925 by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsaut. Properly local, properly distinctive.
Good to know
- What is the price of Van Loveren African Java Pinotage 70cl?
Van Loveren African Java Pinotage 70cl is KSh 1,759 at Oaks & Corks. Order online for fast delivery across Nairobi, usually within the hour, or next day countrywide.
- What does Van Loveren African Java Pinotage 75cl taste like?
Roasted coffee and cocoa on the nose, then dark blackberry and mulberry fruit, finishing on smoky mocha and dark chocolate. It smells rich and almost sweet, but it's a dry, smooth, full-bodied red.
- Is it actually sweet, since it tastes like coffee and chocolate?
Nope. The coffee and chocolate notes come from toasted oak and the grape, not sugar. It's a dry wine with just soft, ripe fruit making it feel generous.
- What is the ABV of Van Loveren African Java Pinotage?
It's 14% ABV, in a 750ml bottle.
- How do I serve it?
Slightly cool, 16 to 18C, in a big red wine glass. If it's a warm evening, pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes first. Drink it neat, no mixing needed.
- What food pairs with it?
Anything hearty and grilled. Nyama choma, lamb, ribs off the braai, beef or goat stew, curry, or aged cheese. The coffee notes love charred, smoky meat.
- Where is it from and what grape is it?
It's 100% Pinotage from the Van Loveren family winery in the Robertson Valley, South Africa. Pinotage is South Africa's signature grape, a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut.
Van Loveren African Java Pinotage 70cl
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Van Loveren African Java Pinotage 70cl price in Kenya
Buy Van Loveren African Java Pinotage 70cl online in Nairobi, Kenya for KSh 1,759. Order now for fast delivery across Nairobi — usually within 30 minutes — or next-day delivery countrywide.