Harvest 2022 at De Wetshof
It is hard to believe that De Wetshof’s Chardonnay harvest this year only came to an end on 24 March. Danie de Wet says that since De Wetshof became one of the first Cape farms to plant Chardonnay way back in 1975, never did he imagine seeing the grapes still being picked in the last week of March.
By then the vines should already be harvested, the grapes crushed and the new wines fermenting in the cellar. But the wine world does not live by rules and guidelines, and this for one simple reason: Wine is determined by the moods, temperament, and decision of nature.
This year’s late harvest can be attributed to two primary factors:
First and foremost were the cool growing conditions De Wetshof experienced during spring and early summer. November and December, months during which the vines are usually growing in exuberance due to the warm weather, were cool at the end of 2021, leading to slower phases of flowering and berry-set. It was then already apparent that vintage 2022 would be at least 10 days late.
January and February saw the weather gods making up for the cool spring conditions with the vineyards subjected to a few scorching days. This heat further delayed the ripening. This is because such hot weather practically shuts the vine down, halting photosynthesis and thus preventing the grapes from attaining the required sugar levels.
So, it was this double whammy of a cool, slow growing season and a ripening shutdown due to hot weather that resulted in the extended harvest on De Wetshof.
With the tanks and barrels now full of fermenting and fermented Chardonnay, we could assess the quality of the vintage. The good news is that the wines are showing energy and complexity.
The longer hang time on the vine resulted in the fruit ripening at a snail’s pace which allowed character and depth of flavour to evolve. Thus, when the grapes were ripe, they were completely ripe on all fronts and super expressive of their terroir.
The cellar teams are working on nurturing the offerings of this vintage, which shows tremendous promise.
Chardonnay du Monde
While we were harvesting (or rather, waiting for the grapes to ripen!) the European wine competition season began in all earnest with fantastic news for De Wetshof.
The 2020 vintage of our iconic wine, the Bateleur Chardonnay, was adjudged one of the top 10 wines in this year’s Chardonnay du Monde. Some 546 wines from 32 countries were judged by a panel of international experts at Château des Ravatys, with only 56 Gold medals awarded. De Wetshof’s Bateleur was the only South African wine to make the Top 10 list.
It is just great seeing the statuesque Bateleur taking this honour. The fact that this was De Wetshof's third podium spot at Chardonnay du Monde in the last four years is something that can be seen as a remarkable achievement. In 2019 De Wetshof Bon Vallon 2018 made it to the Top 10, and last year the Lesca 2020 (sold in South Africa as De Wetshof Finesse) garnered one of the competition’s top spots.
It is always a tremendous honour to receive this accolade. But perhaps the most telling aspect of this year’s result is that it went to De Wetshof’s Bateleur Chardonnay, our iconic wine made from a vineyard planted in 1987 from plant material that Danie sourced in 1981 from the famous Clos des Mouches vineyard in Burgundy, France.
The plant material was then propagated and planted 35 years ago on broken mountain rock soils rich in limestone and cooled by southerly maritime breezes. The quality of the fruit warrants aging the Bateleur for 12 months in new French oak barrels as the structure of the wine is complemented by the wood, not dominated by it.
It is most important to acknowledge the fact that this award vindicates De Wetshof’s belief in the excellence of South African Chardonnay. We are honoured to receive this accolade from the world’s leading Chardonnay competition, and we hope this shows the world that South Africa is capable of producing Chardonnay that can compete with the best in the world.
Wine tourism is back on track
The past two years have caused havoc and uncertainty in the tourism industries. This has also given the opportunity to rethink and to re-strategize various aspects of tourism, from national to local wine industry endeavours. And this is exactly what was done in Robertson.
The new Wine Valley Office, under chairmanship of our CEO Johann de Wet, has brought the wineries from Robertson, Bonnievale, and Ashton together in supporting the roll-out of a comprehensive tourism strategy aimed at positioning the region as one of the unique quality offerings in terms of wine and of tourism.
A strong digital marketing presence and pro-active co-ordination of the wineries’ offerings and events will harness the Wine Valley. It will present it as a diverse and exciting destination with fantastic wines; a pastoral environment definitely worth driving to; and a place with spirited hospitality.
Final details are to be revealed shortly. So, watch this space, and in the meantime, do come and visit De Wetshof in the gorgeous season of autumn. We are always glad to see you.
