# Hasher Ernest Pinot Noir (2023)

- **Producer:** Hasher Family Wines
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Pinot Noir
- **Region:** Western Cape, South Africa
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.6%
- **Average price:** €40
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** strawberry, cherry, redcurrant, rose, herbaceous, fennel, vanilla, cloves, cedar, toast, forest floor, mushroom

## About this wine

Hasher Family Wines is owned and operated by Belgian couple Frederik and Céline Haspeslagh (Hasher), with family support from Céline’s uncle, Xavier. Located in the cool-climate Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, just five kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, the estate benefits from cooling maritime breezes and ancient decomposed granite soils over clay. This flagship red cuvée, 'Ernest', is named after the owners' eldest son. The estate is a certified WWF Conservation Champion, dedicated to regenerative, low-intervention farming. Winemaker Natasha Williams meticulously guides the maturation and blending of this elegant cool-climate Pinot Noir.

## Interesting facts

- Named 'Ernest' after the owners' eldest son, this flagship Pinot Noir is a true family tribute.
- The estate is a certified WWF Conservation Champion, utilizing regenerative farming and endemic predator insects.
- Won 'Pinot Noir of the Year' and a 98-point Gold Medal at the London Wine Competition 2025.

## Food pairing

This cool-climate Pinot Noir thrives alongside dishes that mirror its high acidity and earthy complexity. The bright red fruit and subtle fynbos spice complement gamey meats like duck or quail, while the wine's vibrant acidity cuts through rich, earthy dishes like mushroom risotto or fatty fish like salmon without overpowering them.

## Wine making process

The grapes are handpicked at optimal phenolic ripeness, hand-sorted, destemmed, and gravity-fed into small open-top fermenters. Fermentation is carried out using a combination of wild yeasts and selected strains to ensure a slow, controlled extraction, accompanied by gentle manual punch-downs. After a soft pressing, the wine is matured for 11 months in 228-liter French oak barrels, with 27% new wood. The wine is kept in barrel for three months, racked, and returned to the same barrels for another eight months before bottling with a high-grade Diam technical cork.