When Philip Jonker opens a bottle of Weltevrede Calcrete Chardonnay, he warmly shares a story about how he and his wife took part in a house swap with French guests for several weeks.
He discusses the Chablis wine from northern Burgundy that they drank from the cellar, how they became residents in their French enclave and ate and cooked food together.
“Of course,” he says with a smile, “they had access to our cellar as well.”
Their house-swap compatriots tasted the bounty of wine from Weltevrede, the Jonker Family’s Estate in Robertson, as well as treasures from the Robertson Wine Valley.
Calcrete is a dry, unwooded style of Chardonnay, first crafted at Weltevrede, but has permeated through the Robertson Wine Valley under the custodianship of six wineries: Weltevrede, De Wetshof, Rietvalleir, Excelsior, Van Loveren, Bon Courage, and more intend to follow in future vintages.
The vibrance of Calcrete captures much of what has given Robertson its place under the sun. Calcrete refers to the white deposits of limestone in soils. This terroir gives Chardonnay that qualities that Calcrete wine lovers will come to love, as well as many of the attributes that mesmerise lovers of Cap Classique, made using Robertson Chardonnay grapes.
The five custodians of Calcrete.
Philip, whose romantic ‘The Ring’ Cap Classique was made in the traditional method from Robertson grapes. Poet, philosopher and winemaker Philip was so inspired by his barefoot bride that he named ‘The Ring’ in honour of their union.
“I met Lindelize while studying to become a winemaker. My debut wine was a Cap Classique of which I popped the first cork at my wedding with my barefoot bride under an old oak tree in the Karoo. The Ring is a constant reminder of this bond of love,” Phillip writes.
The maiden vintage of Weltevrede The Ring Blanc de Blancs Cap Classique was released on Philip and Lindelize’s wedding day.
By the end of 2022, Chardonnay was the fourth most planted white wine variety in South Africa. At one point, according to fellow Robertson Calcrete Collective compatriot Johann De Wet, 27% of South Africa’s Chardonnay was grown in the Robertson Wine Valley.
Pinot Noir, one of the other varieties that is vital for the production of Cap Classique, was the seventh most planted red wine variety in 2022, according to SAWIS.
While Philip and Lindelize’s love story forms part of the romance that rises throughout Robertson, the eyes of Durbanville rise up to meet a uniquely romantic story. De Grendel Proposal Hill Pinot Noir Brut Rosé Cap Classique is a 100% Pinot Noir Cap Classique named in honour of the hill where the first Baronet Sir De Villiers Graaff proposed to Ena, who later became the Lady Graaff.
In the Robertson Wine Valley, Philip De Wet’s neighbour, Pieter Ferreira has been so synonymous with Cap Classique that the entire sparkling-wine-loving world affectionately calls him ‘Bubbles’. With 32 years at the helm of the Graham Beck cellar in Robertson, Pieter’s passion for bubbles and his dedication to the craft has also formed part of his leadership as the chairman of the Cap Classique Producers Association (CCPA).
With a view towards his future retirement, Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique was founded in 2011.
His wife, Ann Ferreira smiles: “I’m his boss.”
In 2014, Ann invested her entire retirement annuity in Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique. While the two met at Graham Beck, Ann is the owner of Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique. Ann Bubbles and Bubbles Ferreira are both widely regarded in the international wine industry.
Madeleine Strenwerth, MW writes: “Both Pieter and Ann are at the top of the sparkling wine pyramid.”
It is their stylistic similarities, such as the desire for long lees contact that have romanced the palates of wine lovers.
As COO of Graham Beck Estate, Pieter has kept a watchful eye on the vintages since 1990, with the release of the first wine in 1991. Current cellarmaster Pierre de Klerk has worked alongside Pieter at Graham Beck since 2010.
Graham Beck Vintage Pinot Noir Rosé was a pioneering wine for South Africa where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were whole-bunch pressed together to produce a salmon coloured wine. As romantic as the words uttered at sunset, this wine derives sumptuousness from Pinot Noir and a creamy character from a fraction of Chardonnay.
Pinot Noir has also been one of the cards in Brunia’s heavily stacked deck of exquisite playing cards. The Sander family eschewed city life for Cold Mountain Vineyards in the valley of Sondagskloof, with the Koueberg Mountain range in the south and the Tafelberg bordering the northern boundary.
Brett Sander, a proponent of biodynamic and organic farming, envisions viticulture and sustainable farming with fervour and passion. The stunning results are made manifest when tasting Brunia’s exquisite wines. Wade Sander, who was appointed as assistant winemaker at Mullineux and Leeu Family Wines in 2015 after completing his Cape Winemaker’s Guild (CWG) Protegee Programme internship with the Mullineuxs, as well as at Le Riche and Bouchard Finlayson as well as internationally.
Wade joined the Brunia team on a full time basis in 2020 after the Cold Mountain came calling. With adept skill, their sagacity has given the Brunia range of wines a thread of magnificence. From the cool climate Syrah, to the Brunia White and Semillon, their wines are intriguing. But it is the 2022 Pinot Noir that reveals the Sander’s unequivocal prowess,
I had the opportunity to taste a previous vintage of Brunia Pinot Noir 2019 at the Cultivate Collective in Cape Town with Wade’s partner, Natasha Williams.
Left: Brunia Pinot Noir | Right: Lelie van Saron wines
Natasha is the winemaker at Hasher Family Estate, having previously been appointed as winemaker by Corlea Fourie, head of vineyard and wine at Bosman Family Wines. Natasha has also been part of the widely acclaimed Bosman Adama.
Natasha’s internationally acclaimed Lelie van Saron wines are a tribute to Saron, a mission station north of the Swartland from where her parents hail. She, the ‘lily’ to her parents from Saron, was a molecular biology student who connected with wine as many do, through friendship. Her friendship forged at their university residence with Charla Haasbroek, who is now the winemaker at Sijnn led her to her winemaking career. Natasha’s grapes are sourced from the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. It is the alluring mystique of this captivating hamlet between heaven and earth where her celestial wines are grown. Natasha’s creativity extends to the ‘Jade’ Methode Ancestrale and her wisdom extends to the ‘Jade’ Red Blend. The Lelie Van Saron is critically acclaimed, while Lelie Van Saron Syrah 2020 is a sliver of heaven on earth.
Wade’s fellow former CWG Protege graduate at Mullineux Wines, Gynore Hendricks was appointed as the winemaker at Great Heart Wines.
The Great Heart wine range.
“To thank our employees who have shown commitment, we have made those who have worked at our winery for two years shareholders of Great Heart Wines. They will directly benefit from the sales of Great Heart,” Andrea Mullineux explained at the inception of Great Heart in 2021.
Grown and produced at Mullineux and Leeu vineyards and cellars, these wines empower and inspire through the attention to detail for which Mullineux and Leeu Family Wines have become acclaimed. Great Heart professes to be an expression of land, but it is also an expression of love.
“The pursuit of the greater good, especially in business is not a given, but it’s one of those that rings louder and truer for us with each passing moment. Great Heart is our way of addressing an array of important issues in our industry today,” Chris says.
Chris and Andrea fell in love in France before the South African and American committed to South Africa where their wines have revolutionised oenophiles from the Swartland and delighted gourmands in Franschhoek.
Love permeates throughout the South African wine industry. It reaches through every crevice, such that many might miss it.
Alongside the power of romantic love, the love for the planet that we inhabit has formed part of Spier’s Growing for Good initiatives endeavour to empower communities. The Spier Good Natured Wines is an organic range that has none of the funk but all of the fervour and flavour that organic wines desire to exhibit.
Spier Good Natured Organic Chenin Blanc 2022 is a complex wine made by the adept hands of organic pioneer and winemaker Tania Kleintjes. A slice of summer with citrus and stone fruit on the nose, and a good dose of the desire to be loving to the planet which we inhabit.
Spier Good Natured Organic Chenin Blanc 2022.
Acclaimed media maven, Samarie Smith, is the co-founder of Married to Wine, alongside her husband sommelier Georgio Meletiou.
“He told me that I had been under his nose for years and we just kept missing each other,” Samarie confided at her post-nuptial bridal shower at Lanzerac Estate. She had the opportunity to stun guests, many of whom could not attend Samarie and Georgio’s pandemic era-wedding.
Samarie’s WSET compatriot Olive Hamilton Russell and her husband Anthony opened Hamilton Russell Vineyards for a picturesque and private celebration for Samarie and Georgio.
Georgio is the resident sommelier at Spier Wine Estate. Seated between Georgio and Spier MD Frans Smit at lunch in Johannesburg, with Michael Fridjhon across from us, I was surrounded by love.
Frans poured Frans Smit White Blend 2018 especially for Michael’s discerning palate.
For me, he privately shared how his life has become richer because of wine, his family and the love for his wife.
“Love is the most important thing that we do,” he imparted.
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