Wilderg winemaker JD Rossouw among old bush vines.
Research shows that old vines, even when inter-planted with much younger vines in the same commercial vineyard, give significantly higher acids at lower balling and thus lower alcohol and better pH levels.
In other words, these beautiful ‘grand dames' can produce a wine that is intense, delicate, textured, and balanced, just by virtue of having survived in the ground for so long.
In South Africa and according to Old Vine Project (OVP) guidelines, a vineyard that is 35 years old (born circa 1987) or older is considered worthy of Heritage status. Wildeberg Wines has contracts in place with 8 of the 250 sites currently registered as ‘Heritage’.
The Wildeberg winery sits on a wild slice of untamed mountain above the gentle town of Franschhoek, an established wine region for some 350 years. Their vineyards are much, much younger than that naturally and their winemaker, JD Rossouw, searches far and wide to find sites that best fit their winemaking philosophy.
All of the low tonnage, old vine fruit that comes into the winery will find its way into Wildeberg’s popular The Tea Leaf white blend or small production Coterie or Terroirs ranges. The very best juice is reserved for the uber-premium Wildeberg range.
The Wildeberg The Tea Leaf Bush Vine Brew is a truly South African blend. Based predominantly on a venerable block of beautifully tended 50-year-old Chenin Blanc, where the Rooibos tea plant grows wild amongst the vines, one can taste the sunshine and feel the mountain breeze in this wine.
Wildeberg’s Terroirs Chenin Blanc is a 100% bush vine Chenin Blanc, sourced from 40 and 45-year-old, dry-grown blocks respectively, planted on granite outcrops that surface in Paarl’s otherwise deep sandy loams.
The Wildeberg White is 100% Semillon and made using fruit sourced from two truly incredible Franschhoek vineyards. We are honoured to be able to work with blocks of old vine Semillon, one planted in 1905 and the other in 1936, as well as mere babies from 1980.
Having only processed their first vintage in 2018, these old treasures have quickly become an integral part of the Wildeberg landscape and our sincerest hope is that the momentum behind the OVP, their vineyard projects and the international support of the old vine movement in South Africa increases exponentially.
“It’s no surprise to me that a significant number of my wines and winemakers of the year have an old vine connection, confirming how important the Old Vine Project is to the South African Wine Industry and why the country’s Heritage vineyards are so unique,” said Tim Atkin.
Please visit our website or contact Lin-Mari at the farm with further queries. We’d love to hear from you.