Some wine releases mark a moment in the history of a wine estate, and at Waterford Estate, the arrival of a new vintage of The Jem marks a new decade for our flagship wine, The Jem.
First released with the 2004 vintage in 2006, The Jem was conceived at a time when South African wine was still fighting to change its international image. The farm did not set out simply to make another premium red. The ambition was considerably greater: to make a wine that could stand alongside the finest wines of the world, and in doing so challenge what the world believed South African wine could be.
The statement was made unmistakably clear. The Jem 2004 entered the market as South Africa’s first $100 bottle of wine, a price that was almost three times that of what was then considered an expensive South African bottle. It was a deliberate act of confidence in the country’s potential, placing a stake in the ground for South African fine wine on both the local and international stage.
Almost twenty years later, that sense of purpose remains at the heart of The Jem.
A wine of one place
The Jem has always been unusual in its construction. Rather than relying on the established formula of a Bordeaux or Rhône-inspired blend, we chose to look inward.
The estate’s vineyards provide the palette.
The 2020 vintage brings together eight varieties grown on the property: 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Shiraz, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 5% Sangiovese, 4% Mourvèdre and 3% Barbera.
Cabernet Sauvignon forms the backbone, but it is the combination of all eight varieties that gives The Jem its identity. Each is cultivated on the estate, vinified separately and then brought together to mature in oak, forming a single expression of the property.
This is what makes The Jem an estate wine in the truest sense: not simply grapes grown on one farm, but a blend intended to express the diversity of that farm.
Our philosophy has long been that the varieties should work as tools rather than templates. The estate’s diversity of soils and plant material allows the cellar team to draw on different characteristics from across the property, using each variety to add another layer to the finished wine.
As cellarmaster Mark le Roux explains, “Blending is a powerful tool in the cellar, but the aim is not to make every vintage of The Jem taste the same. Our goal is to create the best possible expression of the estate in each year.”
That philosophy is particularly important to The Jem. The wine has continuity, but it is not static. Each vintage is a conversation between the same place and a different growing season.
The 2020 vintage: cool, long and poised
The 2020 growing season offered conditions well suited to a wine intended for longevity.
Viticulturist David van Schalkwyk says that “rainfall returned to normal levels, while temperatures dropped, making a cooler season reminiscent of the winter in the lead-up to the 2014 harvest.” The result was a healthy crop accompanied by a long hang time, allowing the grapes to develop fully ripened phenolics and tannins without sacrificing the structure required for graceful ageing. The vintage is characterised by structure and elegance, with the potential to evolve beautifully over many years.
That sense of balance is evident in the glass.
The 2020 is bold and expressive from the outset, with concentrated dark fruit sitting alongside vanilla oak and clove spice. Beneath that richness lies a more distinctly South African note. Herbaceous fynbos and a subtle savoury character bring depth rather than weight to the wine.
The palate is luxurious but controlled. Cabernet Sauvignon provides the core, while the supporting varieties broaden the wine through fruit, spice, texture and savoury complexity. The concentration is notable, but it never feels excessive. Instead, the wine has a sense of quiet power, with fine texture and a seamless progression through the palate.
The finish is mineral and fruit-driven, with velvety tannins that pull the wine long across the palate.
It is a style that speaks to our growing conviction that fine wine is not defined by sheer concentration, but by the balance between concentration, freshness, texture and time.
Winemaker Jamie Papenfus's approach has increasingly centred on this idea of natural balance. “We have come to understand that creating a wine that can age is all about achieving natural balance,” she says. “Our philosophy centres on creating wines that authentically reflect Waterford Estate without modifications.”
For a wine built to age, that philosophy matters.
At Waterford Estate, the ambition is no longer simply to prove that South Africa can make fine wine.
It is to help define what South African fine wine can become.
The Jem 2020 is the latest expression of that ambition: a wine rooted in one estate, one mountain and one philosophy, but with its sights firmly set on the wider world.
Join us as we celebrate the wonder that is South African wine, the people who craft it and the terroir that shapes it.