Atlantikas Pinotage 2024, Scions of Sinai

Pinotage like you’ve never tasted it. Forget the heavy-handed, coffee-infused styles—this is a lean, luminous version straight from the windswept coast of Stellenbosch’s Lower Helderberg. Scions of Sinai’s Atlantikas is grown mere kilometers from False Bay, where cooling ocean breezes shape its vibrant, saline character.

Expect a swirl of wild blueberries, tart cherry, and plum skin, layered with rooibos, black tea, and the faintest hint of coastal scrub. It’s energetic and precise, fermented with native yeasts, aged in old oak, and bottled without fining or filtering. The result? A textured, mineral-driven Pinotage that’s just as comfortable with grilled lamb as it is with spicy lentil stew.

Serve it slightly chilled, and you’ll unlock the full expression of this wild, coastal red—a bottle that channels both the soul of the Cape and the spirit of innovation. A must-try for fans of elegant Syrah or muscular Pinot Noir.

About the Winery

Scions of Sinai is a boutique winery at the vanguard of South Africa’s New Wave—a movement defined by low-intervention methods, reclaimed heritage vineyards, and a relentless pursuit of authenticity. The project was founded in 2016 by Bernhard Bredell, a seventh-generation winemaker whose family has farmed vines in the Helderberg region of Stellenbosch for over 160 years. After honing his craft in the Rhône Valley, Portugal, and back home in South Africa, Bernhard set out with a singular goal: to produce wines of place—honest, energetic, and rooted in the rugged soils of the Cape.

The heart of Scions of Sinai lies on the lower slopes of Sinai Hill in Faure, a coastal pocket of Stellenbosch shaped by decomposed granite and sea breezes from nearby False Bay. Bernhard also occasionally sources fruit from the Swartland’s Paardeberg region, where similarly old, dry-farmed bush vines cling to the mountainsides. Across all sites, he eschews irrigation, herbicides, and synthetic treatments. Farming is done naturally and by hand, emphasizing deep-rooted, low-yielding vines that fully channel the complexity of their environment.

In the cellar, restraint is the rule. Fermentations are carried out with native yeasts, sulfur is kept to a bare minimum, and aging takes place in old oak barrels that impart no more than a whisper of flavor. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, reflecting Bernhard’s philosophy that good winemaking is more about listening than controlling.

The name “Scions of Sinai” is both a nod to legacy and a statement of intent: “scion” meaning descendant, a reference to both family lineage and grapevine cuttings; and “Sinai” being the hill that anchors his vision. The result is a collection of wines that crackle with tension and transparency—wines that taste like they came from somewhere, not from someone. Today, Bernhard Bredell is recognized as one of the most gifted young winemakers in South Africa, and Scions of Sinai stands as a benchmark for what thoughtful, site-driven Cape wine can be.