A Guide to South Africa
Bordeaux Index
2 September 2024
South Africa has rapidly ascended to prominence in the global wine industry, earning a reputation as a region that can rival the best of Europe.
With a history rich in tradition, diverse winemaking conditions, and a growing roster of exceptional producers, South African wine has firmly established itself as a force to be reckoned with. As wine enthusiasts increasingly turn their attention to this dynamic region, producers like Porseleinberg, Le Riche, Hamilton-Russell, and Lismore are leading the charge, crafting wines that captivate the senses and showcase the unique terroirs of South Africa.
The History of Winemaking in South Africa
The history of South African wine spans over 360 years, starting in 1659 when Jan van Riebeeck, the Cape's first governor, produced the region's first wine. This early success set the stage for a thriving industry, with the sweet wines of Constantia gaining international fame in the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite challenges like the phylloxera epidemic and apartheid-era isolation, the end of apartheid in 1994 ushered in a new era. With renewed investment and modern techniques, South African wines now blend traditional elegance with modern innovation, earning global acclaim.
The Wine Regions of South Africa
South Africa's diverse wine regions offer a range of microclimates and soil types, enabling the production of various wine styles, from robust reds to crisp whites. The Cape Winelands, all found close to Cape Town, form the heart of the industry, benefiting from a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and cool, wet winters. The nearby Atlantic Ocean and the ‘Cape Doctor’ wine provide temperature moderation and diurnal variation, enhancing the wines' freshness and complexity. The country's ancient and varied soils, from Swartland's granite to Hemel en Aarde’s clay, impart unique characteristics, allowing winemakers to express the distinct qualities of their vineyards.
Constantia
A green peninsula descending from the edge of cape town, Constantia is home to some of the oldest wineries on the Cape. At the height of their international fame in the 18th century, Constantia saw higher prices and more global acclaim than the vast majority of European wines. Projected out into the Atlantic Ocean, the maritime influence is key here, with cooling winds and higher annual rainfall than Bordeaux. The soils are relatively similar to Stellenbosch with mountain sandstone and decomposed granite leading to elegant, vibrant wines with ripe fruit. Lush but tangy, grassy Sauvignon Blanc is prized above all.
Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is a household name for a reason, home to winemaking since 1679. The scenery is marked by the soaring mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg, and Helderberg, with cooling winds drawn from False Bay over Cape Town. Although there is increasing diversity and division of subregions within Stellenbosch, at a very basic level the vineyards can be divided the valleys and hillsides. The sandy and silty soils on the valley floors tend to produce riper and more generous wines, while the granite and shale slopes of the mountains more structured and sculptural styles. All over, low yields are the norm providing an extra dose of concentration and richness in the wines. Due to its long history of colonisation and proximity to the trading hub of Cape Town, Stellenbosch has long been more closely related to European winemaking, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay standing tall.
Hemel-en-Aarde
The name of Hemel-en-Aarde, one of the most southerly wine regions in South Africa, translates to 'Heaven and Earth'. It's an appropriate name: the natural beauty of the valley is truly breathtaking. The valley here provides altitude, but perhaps more importantly, channels the cooling ocean winds inland, resulting in bright, bracing acidity. The clay-rich soils and intense sunlight provide all the wines with broad shoulders and some delightfully ripe, intense fruit. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme here and everything is united by minerality: flintiness or river pebbles in the whites and iodine or seaweed in the reds. Although a small region, just 20km long, the terroir expression of these varieties allows for a nuanced range of wines from the range of different producers depending on their precise altitude, soil makeup, and exposures.
Elgin
Elgin is usually reached through the dramatic Sir Lowry’s Pass from Stellenbosch, as the entire region sits 250-400m above sea level in a bowl-like plateau, surrounded on all sides by mountains. The climate here is distinctly maritime: the basin traps winds that pass through the lower coastal mountains, making it one of South Africa’s coolest wine-growing regions. The area also sees significant rainfall, with clouds and cooling fogs gathering over the mountains, providing crucial shade over the basin, and dropping their water before they can move further inland. This allows for a purer style of fruit than Hemel-en-Aarde, along with a leaner body. This is apple-growing country and orchards are far more profitable than vineyards, but those winemakers who have committed themselves to the region are created some stunning wines. Chardonnay in particular has produced some wonderful results, but the sappy, crunchy reds are also showing great promise.
Swartland
Swartland, much further north than the rest of the Cape winelands, is made up of arid plains and rocky hillsides that were long dismissed as too barren for high-quality vineyards until quite recently. In the late 1990s, the rediscovery of some impressively old vineyards drew in adventurous winemakers, and the area has now transformed into a fine wine region, creating some of the most exciting terroir-driven wines in the world. It's difficult to sum up what defines the wines: you can find everything from funky natty blends to polished, oaked single vineyards. The soils are slate, sandstone, or granite depending on the area, and you can find vineyards on the flat plains or hundreds of metres up on mountain slopes. Two key elements stand out: one is the intensity of the sunshine and dry heat, which gives most of the wines a certain weight and textural style - particularly the whites. The other is the access to some wonderful old vines: the area has always been relatively poor so farmers weren't able to replant to follow trends, leaving gnarled bush vines that can produce some amazingly concentrated fruit. Chenin Blanc and the Rhône varieties are the most popular here – but you can find pretty much anything in Swartland if you look hard enough.
South Africa’s Finest Producers
Stellenbosch
Boekenhoutskloof
Nearly thirty years ago, one man put South African Syrah on the map, with the 1997 vintage – the inaugural release – of Boekenhoutskloof Syrah. That man was Marc Kent, and that wine is now legendary – “one of the Cape’s most iconic, mythical wines”, to quote Neal Martin. Today the winery is rightly regarded as one of South Africa’s greatest producing a range of top-class wines. This includes their excellent Semillon, which comes from three Certified Heritage Vineyards (certified by South Africa’s world-leading Old Vine Project), some of the oldest vineyards in the Cape.
Keermont
Keermont Vineyards, located in the picturesque Stellenbosch region of South Africa, is renowned for producing artisanal small-batch wines that reflect the unique terroir of the Helderberg mountains. Known for its elegant, terroir-driven reds and whites, Keermont specialises in Syrah. Their wines are celebrated for their complexity, balance, and depth, often showcasing the minerality and freshness characteristic of the region. Keermont's sustainable and minimal-intervention winemaking approach emphasises the natural expression of their vineyards, resulting in high-quality wines with a sense of place.
Le Riche
Le Riche was established by Etienne Le Riche, “estate-winemaker-turned-garagiste”, after two decades of making wine at the historic Rustenberg estate. At as young as 14 years’ old Christo, Etienne’s son, was helping with the punchdowns at the winery’s open-top concrete fermenters. Etienne and Christo have an intimate knowledge of the Cabernet terroirs of Stellenbosch, working with and sourcing from over a dozen growers in different sub-regions – in Christo’s words they are “stupid about Cabernet”.
Elgin
Kershaw Wines
Kershaw Wines, based in Elgin, South Africa, are known for crafting exceptional cool-climate wines with a focus on Chardonnay, Syrah, and Pinot Noir. Founded by Master of Wine Richard Kershaw, the winery emphasises precision, site selection, and minimal intervention to produce wines that reflect the unique terroir of the Elgin Valley. Kershaw’s wines are celebrated for their elegance, complexity, and finesse, with a particular emphasis on Chardonnay, which showcases refined minerality and crisp acidity. Richard’s commitment to quality and terroir expression has earned the estate a reputation as one of South Africa’s leading producers.
Paul Clüver
Paul Clüver Family Wines is one of Elgin's original pioneers, growing grapes (and still some apples) since the mid-eighties growing grapes (and still growing apples) on the De Rust farm, which has been in the family since 1896. Dr Paul Clüver Senior, a neurosurgeon and a farmer, and a living legend in the South African wine industry, was the first to produce estate wines in Elgin, and has truly put it on the map. The 2,000-ha estate is spectacular, and mostly dedicated to wildlife conservation. Apple-growing still represents a significant part of this fourth-generation family business, but in the late nineties the Clüvers made the definitive decision to become vignerons. Producers like Paul Clüver are the flagbearers of elegant, mineral, site-specific Chardonnays which can stand up to Premier Cru Burgundy with ease.
Hemel en Aarde
Hamilton Russell
Hamilton Russell Vineyards, located in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, produces world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Hamilton Russell focuses exclusively on these two Burgundian varietals, emphasising a minimalist, natural winemaking approach to showcase the distinct soil and microclimate of the region. Known for their finesse, purity, and aging potential, the estate’s wines are consistently regarded as some of the finest in South Africa and beyond.
Restless River
In 1760, Wessel Wessels arrived in Hemel-en-Aarde, then known as Attacquas Kloof, with his family; some historians say it was Wessel who called the valley “Hemel-en-Aarde”. Some two hundred years later, husband and wife Craig and Anne Wessels bought a small portion of Wessels’ original farm, returning the family name to the valley. Craig’s passion lies in the vineyard and he is more farmer than winemaker. Anne shares his passion for the land and runs the business side of their operation. In less than two decades Restless River have established themselves as one of the most exciting growers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in South Africa – as well as producing a fascinating Cabernet Sauvignon.
Swartland
Porseleinberg
Porseleinberg is named after the farm and the mountain on which it is grown, which sits south of the Kasteelberg in the Swartland. Rhône fanatic and visionary, Marc Kent of Boekenhoutskloof bought the property in 2009, and - in an inspired move - hired Callie Louw to manage it independently, farming the vines and making the wine. The windy, wild, brutally exposed hilltop vineyard, with its extremely rocky blue schist soils yields one of South Africa’s greatest Syrahs. This is a wine which can comfortably rub shoulders with the very greatest Syrahs on the planet.
Adi Badenhorst
Adi Badenhorst is the South African wine industry’s “enfant terrible” and is famous for being unconventional and a totally free spirit. For all his maverick character he is very serious about farming well and making wines that speak with a unique sense og place. Adi bought the Kalmoesfontein farm in 2007 with his cousin and left his position as winemaker at Rustenberg in Stellenbosch to establish A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines. The core of Adi’s production is a range of Mediterranean-inspired blends, but Adi has become increasingly known for his limited production single vineyard wines. These wines have a remarkable spark of energy that reminds us of Adi himself.
Mullineux Family wines
Andrea and Chris Mullineux are a formidable husband and wife team who met at a wine festival in Champagne while both doing harvest stints in France. Andrea – who grew up in California – heads up the cellar and winemaking side of the business and works with an incredible precision and attention to detail, while South African Chris is the viticulturist and responsible for sales and marketing. The pair started working with Swartland fruit in the early 2000s when they were making wine at Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards, and were acutely aware of just what exceptional potential the region had. In 2014 they bought the spectacular Roundstone Farm on the southwest side of the Kasteelberg, where they had been sourcing Syrah for almost a decade, and spent the following three years building a new cellar and expanding the plantings. The new vines have been planted along the contours of the land, to minimise erosion and capture as much rainfall as possible, amid natural corridors of fynbos (the native South African shrub-like vegetation). They have become world-famous for their single terroir range, which shines a spotlight on two of the Swartland’s most prestigious varieties: Syrah and Chenin Blanc.
The Grape Varieties of South Africa
The diverse terroir of South Africa lends itself well to a range of grape varietals. Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinotage are among the longest-standing, expressing the South African landscape and producing a broad array of fantastic wines.
Chenin Blanc
Chenic Blanc is the most planted varietal in South Africa, spanning 18.6% off the grapes grown. Chenin Blanc tends to be a very popular grape for wine production because it can create wines of a diverse flavour and style, all with balanced acidity. The grape produces high yields and grows well on difficult land unsuited to other white wine grape varietals. Chenin Blanc was first introduced to South Africa in the 1650s by Jan van Riebeek, South African wine pioneer.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon began as a minor grape varietal in South Africa in the late 1800s, making up just 2.8% of vineyards. It now spans 11% of South African vineyards and has become the most planted red grape varietal in the country. The terroir in which Cabernet Sauvignon is planted can adjust the style, meaning wines often range from spicy, to soft and well rounded, to intense with a strong perfume. Cabernet Sauvignon also produces wines that have the potential to develop into full and complex wines in later age.
Pinotage
Pinotage is, in fact, a South African creation derived from it’s ‘parents’ Pinot Noir and Cinsault, from the South of France. Pinotage was first developed in South Africa in 1926 and has continued to produce some outstanding wines. Wines made from Pinotage often drink well in their youth and can be fruity and complex. Pinotage is also used in the ‘Cape blend’, a term that describes a red blend with Pinotage contributing to 30-70% of the wine.
