Blackwater Cuvée Terra Lux Pinot Noir, 2022, Elgin, South Africa

Rockstar. Found in hotel bed with six Rieslings – TV smashed, sprinklers going & minibar empty.

About the wine

Rockstar Pinot Noir. Winemaker Francois Haasbroek’s surname may translate in Afrikaans as “rabbit pants”, but his Pinot Noir is no laughing matter. Serious stuff, crafted using grapes sourced from the über-trendy Elgin area, aged in seasoned oak, unfiltered and ridiculously rare as he made less than 2,000 bottles. This is such a rockstar Pinot Noir that if you left it on its own in a hotel room, you’d come back to find it in bed with six Chardonnays, the TV out the window, the sprinklers going off and an empty minibar.

Tasting notes

The nose is delicate yet complex, offering bright red cherries, wild strawberries, and cranberries, intertwined with floral notes, subtle spice, and a touch of earthy minerality. The palate is silky and vibrant, with fine tannins and a lively acidity that carry through to a long, graceful finish.

About the winemaker

Francois Haasbroek is, in our opinion, the man who put Waterford Estate on the map and made it the Stellenbosch legend it is today. But he always had a dream of going it alone.So, after clocking out for the day, he’d set off in search of overlooked vineyards—the kind whose grapes would quietly vanish into big blends. Then, while the rest of the world slept, he’d stay up until 3 a.m., coaxing them into something special. A few hours later, he’d be back at Waterford, ready to do it all over again.