Spring is underway, and a rather splendid one at that. Just like other parts of the Western Cape, De Wetshof Estate experienced welcoming bouts of rainfall during winter. The rain was accompanied by icy temperatures that saw many a dawn stopping the thermometer at freezing point, with the nearby Boland mountains receiving a dusting of snow.
And so, these wintry conditions have led to a beautiful spring. The vines are resplendent in their emerald green shoots and leaves, cover crops dense and the soils are glowing with health. This all means that it is down-hill to next year’s harvest which, by the looks of things, will be a week or two later than this year’s. Soon the cooling breezes from the southern oceans will begin to fan the vineyards. In the cellar the tanks are being emptied, the barrels prepared. One more harvest to look forward to, and during such a beautiful month it all looks splendid.
Peter de Wet accepting the Amorim Cap Classique Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs from Joaquim Sá of Amorim South Africa.
Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs Cap Classique
Spring in the Cape winelands is also the season for wine competitions, and De Wetshof’s wines put in a number of superlative performances on this front. The most resounding achievement was at the annual Amorim Cap Classique Challenge where South Africa’s sparkling Cap Classique sector is judged by a panel of experts.
The Amorim Cap Classique Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs was presented to De Wetshof for a classic sparkling wine made to the traditional method perfected in the Champagne region of France and using Chardonnay grapes grown on De Wetshof Estate. The winning De Wetshof Blanc de Blancs 2021 is only the second release of this wine, adding to De Wetshof’s range of six Chardonnays, each expressing a different aspect of the farm’s Robertson terroir.
De Wetshof Blanc de Blancs is made by Peter de Wet. A past student of the Geisenheim Institute in Germany, Peter has from the start of his winemaking career shown a love of and passion for Champagne and other bottle-fermented sparkling wines. He has worked at various Champagne houses, gaining experience in the viticulture, cellar techniques and the ethos of the Champagne region’s most famous product.
The Chardonnay grapes used for its Blanc de Blancs originate from a specific site on De Wetshof’s Bon Vallon property, the chalk soils allowing for grapes with the necessary pH and balance between acid and sugar for making a precise still base wine reflecting origin of site.
The base wine was kept in stainless steel and in wood barrels, the latter used for adding complexity. After five months in their respective vessels, the two components were blended before being placed in bottle for secondary fermentation. There the wine spent 24 months on its lees, undergoing secondary fermentation where the characteristic bubbles are formed and where Cap Classique obtains structure, mouthfeel and myriad complexities of flavour and texture. Currently in the market, De Wetshof Blanc de Blancs 2021 is the ideal Cap Classique for enjoying over the warmer days of late spring and summer.
De Wetshof wins more gold
De Wetshof also secured two Gold medals at the annual Veritas Awards, South Africa’s leading wine competition. These prestigious medals were awarded to De Wetshof Limestone Hill 2024, our popular unwooded Chardonnay, as well as to the structured, complex wine that is The Site 2023.
The Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards are unique in the South African wine environment as most of the judges are experts selected from countries beyond our borders. This year De Wetshof’s showing at Michelangelo was most impressive, winning one Double Gold and three Gold medals. Double Gold went to The Site Chardonnay 2023, with Golds being struck by three other Chardonnays: Finesse 2023, Limestone Hill 2024 and Bateleur 2023.
Results like these are not only an important in validating the quality of our wines in the competitive marketing space and attracting the attention of the consumer, but also allow the De Wetshof team to see how their work compares to that of their peers. This year’s results show that De Wetshof is, undoubtedly, the real House of Chardonnay.
Wine on The River 2024
Wine on The River is back! This popular wine festival held on the banks of the Breede River in the Robertson Wine Valley returns after an extended hiatus and will be held on the week-end of 25-27 October. The venue is Viljoensdrift Wine Estate and for three days the wine and hospitality community of Robertson will come together to welcome visitors with wine, food, music and all-round fun-filled activities.
This immersion into the food and wine culture of Robertson, experienced next to the easy flow of the Breede River has been a perennial favourite, attracting visitors from far and wide, and this year a surge of guests are expected as Wine on the River returns to the Cape calendar of outdoor-activities.
Those who have not booked their tickets yet, click HERE.
Do so, and pop in at De Wetshof en route to the festivities. As always, we’d be very happy to see you.