A visit to De Wetshof while we were in Robertson to taste their superb range of wines was essential
They have seven Chardonnays, some wooded, some not, all excellent
including a Blanc de Blanc Cap Classique that is pure, crisp chardonnay
We do not know another wine estate that has so many good chardonnays, different chardonnays,
that clearly show their different site specific terroirs and they just get better year on year
Dewetshof was the first farm in South Africa to plant this noble grape
Limestone Hill, Calcrete, Bon Vallon, Shard, Finesse, The Site, Bateleur
The other wines they make are Blanc de Blancs Cap Classique, Sauvignon Blanc,
a beautiful pale dry Rosé, Lilya, made from Cabernet Franc, Nature in Concert Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Marketing manager Benny Stipp took us through the tasting
We have known him for many years and it was so good to catch up with him again and hear Dewetshof's news
The floods earlier this year did affect them, but he said they only suffered a relatively small amount of damage,
losing three hectares of vineyards, much less than their riverside neighbours
We were joined by our neighbour and good friend Judi who had been staying in Bonnievale for the weekend
and her friend Simon who brought her from Bonnievale
The wines we tasted
The Sauvignon Blanc 2025 has those welcome green pepper pyrazines on the nose and crisp green melon and lime flavours with minerality on the palate
The onion-skin pale 2026 Lilya Rosé has hints of rose, berries, raspberries on the nose and palate
with long, light, almost savoury Cabernet Franc notes
The 2025 Bon Vallon Chardonnay is shy at first with lime, lemon and some wood smoke
Full and long on the palate with lovely layers of lime and lemon and lots of minerality, it calls for fish and seafood
The popular 2026 Limestone Hill has clean green notes, minerality on the nose and palate,
long lime and lemon flavours, with a hint of grapefruit, a good wine with food
The 2024 Chardonnay, The Site, was superb, it knocked Lynne's socks off. It was fermented in a huge glass vessel
Perfumed with lovely yellow fruit, white peach and melon on the nose
It is delicious on the palate, peach, with apricot, layers of elegance and wood just supporting
The 2024 Bateleur Chardonnay has sophistication, its quite elegant and shyly refined, fruit does show its face
It fills the palate with fruit on entry, silky with full stone fruit and good golden oak support
The 2024 Merlot is the first release. It is a classic merlot with a beautiful nose full of ripe berries
Velvety and silky on the refined palate, raspberry and other layered berry fruits, with chalk and minerality,
and old oak barrels keep it in line
The 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon has good incense wood, and a wow of red berries and perfume on the nose
Dark wood, lovely berry fruit layered with lots of chalky minerality. It has quality but needs time
Again only older oak barrels used
It was a really good tasting, do stop off if you are in the valley, It is definitely worth tasting these wines
Thank you so much your hospitality, Bennie
On our way home we called in very briefly at Springfield who were very badly affected by the floods this year,
losing several large vineyards
They also produce superb Chardonnays, Sauvignons and red blends but, sadly, we didn't have time to stop and taste
Down in their magnificent cellar, which is acting as their tasting room while rebuilding works continue
Storing their wines, the way they do it in France.
The tasting room
Where the deliveries start, an immaculate working area
and so, on we went with our next stop at Siris Vintners trade wine showcase in Woodstock that afternoon and evening
All the stories we have produced since 2012
can be opened from the archive list near the top of the column on the right of this page
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