Word Count: 1594

Byline: Jackie Lagus

[Story on Select Wine Estates: Stellenbosch
!"his #ine is a total $alette takeo%er& E%en a'ter you ha%e s#allo#ed it (ust coats your )outh
and $ersists 'ore%er&*
+ a) sitting in the tasting roo) at ,eyneke #ines& -cross 'ro) )e. at a long #ooden table. is
cellar assistant. ,yan /ostert& ,yan is a $assionate con%ert to biodyna)ic 'ar)ing and an
e0ually ardent #ine bu'' #ho is an enthusiastic $ro$onent o' the Chenin Blanc culti%ar&
,yan is one o' a s)all tea) on the 'ar) at 1it2icht $roducing the ,eyneke #ines under the
de't guidance o' Johan ,eyneke& 3a%ing trans'or)ed the 'a)ily 'ar) 'ro) its original syste)
to an organic and then biodyna)ic o$eration since 4555. Johan has #orked steadily to align
the estate #ith his background in en%iron)ental $hiloso$hy. su$$orted by a lo%e o' 'ine
#ines&
-s ,yan $ours the decanted 4515 Chenin Blanc into )y glass. he enthusiastically i)$arts his
take on the 4515 %intage&
!+t is a great #ine in ter)s o' the balance bet#een acid and te6ture& 7ou can 'eel the acidity
but it has got so )uch e6tract on the $alette to back it u$& +t creates a %ery big #ine. e%en
though it )ay be a bit young still. #ith another year or t#o be'ore its $ri)e&*
+ notice the dee$. buttery yello# colour so o'ten associated #ith an intensely #ooded
chardonnay and learn that this is not the conse0uence o' )aturation in ne# oak barrels. as
one #ould i)agine. but rather a re'lection o' the robust 'ruit deri%ed 'ro) ,eyneke8s 9:;year
old %ineyard&
-s a %arietal that strongly re'lects its $lace. the Chenin Blanc o' the ,eyneke #ine range
$robably best e$ito)i2es the ecological ethos su$$orting the #ine)aking on this 95;hectare
'ar) that ai)s to achie%e an o$ti)ally 'unctioning %ineyard #ithout the use o' che)icals and
'ertili2ers&
Located on the eastern ri) o' the <olkadraai 3ills in Stellenbosch. this s#ee$ o' ri$$ling
landsca$e is the last range bet#een Stellenbosch and the sea&
+t ser%es as a 'ocal )arker 'or the start o' a (ourney to so)e o' the select #ine estates that
reside bet#een here and the reno#ned -nnandale route in the southeast. #ith its $ro6i)ate
band o' signature labels that include -lto Estate. 1%a /ira. =o)beya #ines. >uardian <eak.
Ernie Els and ,ust en ?rede&
What )akes this e)barkation $oint such a 'ascinating one. is that both ,eyneke and =e
"oren <ri%ate Cellar are located on the sa)e stee$ outcro$ that banks u$ 'ro) the <olkadraai
road. #here they share a co))on entrance. an incredible 1@5 degree %ie# o' "able /ountain.
Stellenbosch and the ocean. and a cohesi%e $ur$ose A to $roduce beauti'ul #ines&
But that8s #here their likeness ends& - %isit to each #ill re%eal ho# contiguous #ine estates
can occu$y relati%ely si)ilar geogra$hy. e6$erience the sa)e cli)atic conditions. and use
distinct )ethods to achie%e co)$le6. rich and beauti'ul #ines that are inde$endently uni0ue&
"he #inding dri%e to =e "oren al)ost i))ediately sets the scene 'or this e6clusi%e. bouti0ue
#ine estate #ith its i))aculately conser%ed %ines and la#ns that $ro%ide a backdro$ to the
conte)$orary cellar. sho#casing its i)$ressi%e to#er installation&
-s the center$iece a'ter #hich the #inery #as na)ed. the to#er #ith its 4555;litre tank.
'acilitates a $rocess #here the #ine is )o%ed by gra%ity and not 'orce&
"his so't treat)ent o' the gra$e and its (uice is $art o' the broader $hiloso$hy to use
technology in a #ay that su$$orts old #orld style #ine)aking. using the least inter%ention to
coa6 the essence o' the 'ruit 'ro) %ine to bottle&
When o#ners E)il and Sonette =en =ulk $urchased the 4:ha 'ar) in 1994. they had 'e#
%ines and no e6$erience o' $roducing #ines& So they used their 'ortitude and $rag)atis) to
enlist the e6$erts at Stellenbosch 1ni%ersity&
"hrough the =e$art)ent o' ?iticulture and Bneology they )atched culti%ars and rootstocks
to soil ty$es and $lanted )ore than 45 clones o%er the 5 %arieties across 41&9 hectares. to
create so)e o' the best Bordeau6 Style red blends in South -'rica&
With their 'irst %intage o' =e "oren Cusion ? launched in 1999. the estate has increasingly
garnered accolades and a stead'ast client base 'or its t#o signature #ines& +n addition to
Cusion ?. =e "oren no# also $roduces the /erlot;do)inant =e "oren D& "hey ha%e also (ust
released :55 bottles o' their Book E?++ #ith the ai) to $ush the boundaries and create a cult
#ine 'or South -'rica&
-ssisting the) in their ascent through the ranks to sought;a'ter Bourdeau6 Style #ines has
been cellar )aster -lbie Foch&
With an i)$ressi%e curriculu) %itae that $redates =e "oren and includes tenures at Chateau
Ca$ion in /ont$ellier as #ell as ti)e at Chateau <atris. Clos Cigeac. Brun de Es$agne . Le
/oulin. <o)erol and St E)illion. -lbie has been integral to =e "oren8s success&
- 'ir) belie%er in the close #orking relationshi$ bet#een #ine)aker and %ineyard )anager.
-lbie relies on the collaboration o' %iticulturist Ernst /anual and assistant #ine)aker
Charles Willia)s to )aintain keen o%ersight o' the %ineyard #ith its care'ully ear)arked
blocks orientated to creating the 'inest #ines in Bordeau68s le't and right bank style traditions&
!Long gone are the days #hen #ine)akers stayed in the cellar and hardly e%er set 'oot in the
%ineyards& Whate%er ha$$ens out there constitutes @5G o' the #ine)aker8s success&*
"his is e6actly the 'ir) belie' + 'ind at ,ust en ?rede. #here cellar )aster. Coenie Sny)an. has
care'ully ear)arked a 15 year $lan 'or the #ine $roduction at the estate&
Cellar )aster at the estate since 455:. Coenie s$ends a lot o' his ti)e in the %ineyards.
ensuring that culti%ation o' the estate8s three %arietals lead to the intense 'la%ors associated
#ith their $ort'olio o' signature reds. chosen by Helson /andela to acco)$any his Hobel
<eace <ri2e dinner&
"he location o' ,ust en ?rede at the end o' the -nnandale ,oad. #ith its 'inal encla%e o'
e6clusi%e estates accessed by a single $oint entrance. is the $er'ect #ay to $unctuate a tour o'
selected #ine estates bet#een <olkadraai ,oad and -nnandale&
3o#e%er be'ore you reach the so;called /illionaires /ile o' -nnandale ,oad. the likes o'
-sara. Water'ord and =alla Cia $ro%ide notable $oints o' re'erence& =alla Cia is another
e6a)$le o' old style ethos co)bined #ith high end technology to create Bordeau6 style blends
that 'ind their 'ullest e6$ression in the notable =alla Cia >orgio label&
Ha)ed a'ter #ine)aker >iorgio =alla Cia. the originator o' /eerlust8s celebrated ,ubicon.
the Bordeau6 style blend is one in an i)$ressi%e range o' estate $roducts A that includes the
#ood )atured cabernet sau%ignonI)erlot gra$$a under the =alla Cia <re)iu) label&
>iorgio has a 'rank $hiloso$hy to #ine)aking. #hich carries through 'ro) his no;nonsense
character: !Wines are built out o' res$ect 'or the 0uality o' the gra$e and the terroir. blended
#ith your o#n $ersonality& 7ou don8t #ant to cra't the #ine 'or its )arketability. because it is
'ashionable or 'ro) a #ine critic8s %ie# 'or that )atter&*
-nother 'a)ily;o#ned bouti0ue #ine estate that sha$es its #ines 'ro) its uni0ue terroir is
1%a /ira& B#ned by =enise Weedon. the $rinci$les o' the estate8s #ine)aking rely on old
#orld )ethods o' hand har%esting. s)all barrel lot $roduction and nati%e yeast 'er)entation&
Wine)aker and %iticulturist. /atthe# %an 3eerden assi)ilates ne# #orld i)$ro%e)ents and
technology to )a6i)i2e the 0uality and e6$ression o' the 'ruit so that the #ines can achie%e
their 'ullest $otential o' %arietal character. structure. co)$le6ity and elegance& "his studied
a$$roach has not gone unnoticed. ha%ing recently #on the =iners Club 7oung Wine)aker o'
the 7ear 'or 4511&
Heighboring 1%a /ira. is >uardian <eak. a #ine estate #ith an i)$ressi%e %ie# locating a
'ocal $oint to the highest crest o' the Stellenbosch )ountain range a'ter #hich it is na)ed&
Brainchild o' Jean Engelbrecht. the ins$iration took root in 199@ to create accessible. 0uality.
ne# #orld #ines. close to the Engelbrecht o#ned ,ust en ?rede estate. but de$arting 'ro) its
old #orld #ine)aking traditions&
"he #ines )ade by talented #ine)aker <hili$ %an Staden are distinguishable through their
u$'ront 'ruit;dri%en 'la%ours. designed to be en(oyed at an early age and include a tight range
o' blends and %arietals& "hese co)$rise the >uardian <eak /erlot. Shira2. Crontier "annat
/albec. S/> and the 'lagshi$ L-<- Cabernet Sau%ignon&
-ccording to /arketing /anager. Warren >ranat;/ulder. the 'ounding conce$t #as clear:
!"he #hole idea #as to get )ore $eo$le drinking #ines o' a''ordable 0uality. to be en(oyed by
'riends and 'a)ily& "his is re'lected in the >uardian <eak #ines and e6$erience&*
+nti)ate to this e6$erience is the bistro;style restaurant on the estate ser%ing dishes such as
sal)on gra%ala6 and $ickled cucu)ber $aired #ith s$ecially $roduced Sau%ignon Blanc
Jdesigned to acco)$any the 'ood e6$erienceK&
With its e)$hasis on culti%ating $leasure through #ine and 'ood. 'ull;ti)e che'. Louisa >ree''
o''ers a te)$ting culinary e6$erience cast 'ro) a $er'ect dining $lat'or) that looks out onto
the Stellenbosch %alley&
-s + en(oy this %antage $oint onto the $restigious #ine )aking region. + a) re)inded o' the
#ords o' )y 'irst host on this #ine (ourney 'ro) <olkadraai to -nnandale& ,eyneke8s cellar
assistant enca$sulates in #ords the )agic o' this %ocation and the $leasure it i)$arts to all
those #ho en(oy its 'ruits&
!What )akes #ine such a s$ecial be%erage. besides the 'act that #e ha%e been drinking it 'or
thousands o' years. is that it al#ays co)es out uni0ue&
7ou #ill ne%er ha%e t#o #ines that are e6actly alike& 7ou cannot $redictably create a #ine
based on an outco)e you #ant to achie%e& Wine is intert#ined #ith li'e& +t co)es o'' a li%ing
%ine. tasting o' its $lace and re'lecting the year o' its origin and its surroundings&*
EH=S
=e "oren <ri%ate Cellar:
541 @@1 9119
###& de ; toren &co)
,eyneke Wines
541 @@1 951L
###& reynekewines &co&2a
1%a /ira
541 @@5 1:@9
###&u%a)ira&co&2a
>uardian <eak
541 @@1 9@99
###&guardian$eak&co)
=alla Cia
541 @@@ 4145
###&dalla cia &co)
Rust en Vrede
021 881 3881
###&rusten%rede&co)
Ernie Els
541 @@1 95@@
###&ernieels#ines&co)
-lto Estate
541 @@1 9@@4
###&alto&co&2a