Kanonkop is situated on the lower slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch, from where it produces award-winning wines. A fourth generation family estate, it was originally purchased by JW Sauer (a cabinet member in the parliament of the Union of South Africa) and has been in the family ever since, now in the talented hands of its current owners Paul and Johann Krige and winemaker Abrie Beeslaar.
Listed as a ‘first growth’ by Tim Atkin MW, Kanonkop is famed for its red wines, particularly Pinotage, which makes up 50% of vineyard plantings, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon (35%), Merlot (7.5%) and Cabernet Franc. The name Kanonkop was derived from a kopje (hillock), from which a cannon was fired in the 17th century to alert farmers in outlying areas that sailing ships plying the waters between Europe and the Far East had entered Table Bay for a stopover at Cape Town. Paul Sauer 2015 is the first South African wine to be awarded 100 points in Tim Atkin MW’s South African Report.
Belhara Estate is a family winery nestled in the Uco Valley in Mendoza, with a focus on crafting artisanal red blends and single vineyard wines. The estate’s 300 hectares of vines are split between three estate vineyards at altitudes of between 850 and 1400 metres.
Stephen Huse, owner and winemaker, trained in oenology at the University of Bordeaux. Prior to establishing Belhara, he worked within the winemaking team at Châteaux Margaux and Mouton-Rothschild, as well as at Harlan Estate and Merryvale Vineyards in the Napa Valley and Almaviva (Concha y Toro) in Chile.
Made by Ventisquero Wine Estates, Kalfu means ‘blue’ in Mapudungun, the language of the aboriginal Mapuche people of southern Chile, representing the influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean and the extensive skies of the region. Kalfu wines are made from 100% estate owned vineyards in the coastal regions of Leyda Valley (pictured above), Casablanca Valley, Maipo Valley and the Atacama Desert, the world’s driest desert.
Situated so close to the Pacific, each vineyard site benefits from cooling coastal breezes and a subsequently longer ripening period.
Sustainability is a core value at Kalfu. Last year in their Leyda vineyard they launched a photovoltaic project which will generate 164,900 kwh of clean energy, meaning that 80 tons of CO2 per year will no longer be emitted.
The Murphy family arrived in Australia in 1909 from Ireland and so are numbered among the Irish ‘Winegeese’ who, from the 18th century onwards, engaged in the wine trade in the countries of their adoption and were instrumental in the viticultural development of some of the finest wine-growing areas of the world. Today the many and illustrious wines and labels of the Winegeese have become synonymous with quality on the international market.
The winemaking philosophy at Trentham Estate has always been to produce high-quality varietal wines with an emphasis on full fruit flavour while offering fantastic value for money right across the range. On trend with varietal plantings and never shy to try the untried, they recently achieved a 5* winery rating from James Halliday; the very first estate in the region to do so.
Lutherans, Johann Christian Hahn and his wife Maria arrived in South Australia in January 1839, sailing from Hamburg. In 1845, Christian purchased land in the Barossa Valley in the Siegersdorf-Dorrien area, north of Tanunda and the family settled there in 1846. Early settlers to the Barossa were able to stake out the best of the valley’s farmland and the Hahns seized the opportunity. The first vines were planted in 1914 by Hermann Hahn (3rd generation) and by the 1970s, the property was fully planted with vines. Grape growing became the Hahn family way of life and six generations later, James and Jackie Hahn continued that legacy, living and working on the land originally purchased by Christian Hahn.
In 1997, James and Jackie decided to produce their own range of red wines and teamed up with Barossa winemaker, Rolf Binder for the winemaking. The JJ Hahn label was born. Over the years the brand grew quickly, with wines such as the 1914 and 1918 Shiraz wines receiving noteworthy accolades. In 2010, the Hahns retired from the business with Rolf Binder retaining co-ownership of the brand, winemaking and vineyard management. In 2022 Rolf handed over to fellow vigneron Tom White of Curator Wine who continues to make the wines under the same label and export JJ Hahn wines into many countries. With Rolf on the side-lines as consultant winemaker, it remains a range of classic Barossa reds that represent exceptional drinkability and value.
Established in 2004, Greystone draws its name from the steep and unique limestone clay hills in Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. With the aim of making exceptional wines from its unique terroir, since 2014, Greystone has managed its 33-hectare vineyard organically. The team are continually searching for new ways to fully reflect the terroir, including vineyard ferments, which capture the vines’ wild yeasts in situ, while exposing the wine to the elements – the ultimate in natural winemaking?
For a relatively young wine company, Greystone has twice won Decanter trophies for Best Pinot Noir as well as earnin the ranking of Top New Zealand Chardonnay in 2018. More recently, Greystone was Raymond Chan’s 2018 Winery of the Year and winemaker, Dom Maxwell, was named 2018 New Zealand Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller Wine.
Waterford Estate is situated in the picturesque Blaauwklippen Valley on the Helderberg Mountain in Stellenbosch. The estate is owned by the Ord family and has been developed under the watchful eye of Kevin Arnold, Cellarmaster and Managing Partner, since 1998. Utilising the latest sustainability research, the estate uses only 120 hectares of their land for vines, to preserve and protect the natural fauna and flora on the estate.
Tim Atkin MW assessed the estate as being a ‘first growth’ within South Africa in his 2019 report. The wines are indeed highly garlanded, recognised for their restraint and poise. The aim of the estate is ‘less is more’ to ensure the wines express their vineyard sites to the fullest. ‘We keep things simple, both inside and outside of the cellar’, says viticulturist David van Schalkwyk, ‘We try to interfere as little as possible, allowing nature to do its job. In this way, our wines also have the best chance of truly reflecting Waterford Estate’s unique environment’. Winemaker Mark le Roux adds, ‘interfering as little as possible doesn’t mean the team gets to go on holiday more often! Finding ways to improve or maintain wine quality without manipulation is an art’.
Located in the Greenock sub region of the Barossa Valley and perfectly suited to producing quality, rich, full flavoured Shiraz. The estate was purchased by the Liu family in 2017 and is managed by a sixth generation Barossa grape-growing family along with world renowned winemaker Kym Milne MW heading up the production team.
This successful collaboration immediately produced it’s first Gold medal at the Mundus Vini International Wine Competition in Germany and thereafter followed by a steady stream of accolades including the highly prestigious IWC Trophy for Best Barossa Valley Shiraz in 2022 for the 2020 Golden Amrita Single Estate Shiraz . Seckford are privileged to be looking after this estate in the UK.
Made by the winemaking team at Rust en Vrede, proprietor Jean Engelbrecht and winemaker Roelof Lotriet have produced this sophisticated range in homage to the town of Stellenbosch and its rich heritage. The wines’ back labels depict iconic Stellenbosch buildings. The Moederkerk, or Mother Church, is arguably Stellenbosch’s most beautiful church, a clean, white, towering example of neo-Gothic architecture which was completed and consecrated in 1863. Ou Hoofgebou, meaning Old Main Building, was built following a desire to erect a monument in commemoration of the town’s bicentenary in 1879. Part of the University, Ou Hoofgebou marks the importance of education in the town. Meanwhile, Kweekskool, built in 1687, was effectively the start of higher education in Stellenbosch when it was inaugurated as the Theological Seminary in 1859.
Some of Darling Cellars’ vineyards enjoy the coolness of the Darling Hills, just three miles from the roaring Atlantic on the west coast of South Africa, while others bask in sun in the flatter hinterland. Their lucky winemaking team thus has abundance of flavour profiles to play with, not to mention a funky mix of varieties. Darling is best known for Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc as well as old vine Chenin Blanc and Pinotage, but their winemakers actually have fifteen red varieties and nine white varieties at their disposal. Their luck continues: 96% of the vineyards are un-irrigated bush vines so yields are very low and the quality proportionately high.
Investment continues in the winery and cellar with some of the most modern and up-to-date winemaking equipment in the industry today. A modern bottling line, new presses, a barrel maturation cellar, a new grape off-loading system and continuing replanting of vineyards, to include noble cultivars, all contribute to Darling Cellars’ advances in contemporary winemaking.
For over 300 years Rust en Vrede has stood peacefully among the vineyards of Stellenbosch, with the original farm buildings built between 1780 and 1825. This prestigious estate was purchased by the Engelbrecht family almost 35 years ago, since when they have specialised in producing only red wine with the focus on Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. These are wines with all the hallmarks of complexity and balance, as well as a sense of place which reflects their heritage. Many accolades have been bestowed upon the estate, including Rust en Vrede Estate Wine being chosen by President Nelson Mandela to be served at the Nobel Peace Prize dinner and hosting the Queen of Denmark for a lunch at the Manor House. Rust en Vrede was nominated as the first South African red wine in the Top 100 Wines of the World and went on to repeat this achievement for four consecutive years.
The estate is now run by Jean Engelbrecht (pictured above) and the winemaker is Coenie Snyman. An outstanding fine dining restaurant opened at the end of 2007 in Rust en Vrede’s original cellar, a cellar which is a registered National Monument.
Founded by recognised winemaker Cathy Marshall in 1997, the Barefoot Wine Company was one of the first true ‘boutique/micro-wineries’ in the Western Cape, establishing a then ground-breaking, alternative approach, characterised by the use of a low-tech, but meticulous hands-on methodology which set the trend for the burgeoning garagiste movement. Thanks to Cathy’s tireless efforts, the company grew from humble beginnings (with a handful of friends and family gathering at harvest-time to press the grapes barefoot) to become an institution – inspiring hundreds of enthusiastic participants to attend the annual BWC foot-stomps! Her prowess has earned her a well-founded reputation for excellence. Since those early days, she has travelled the globe to hone her winemaking skills and is particularly proud of all her wines, especially her Pinot Noir – the change of name from the Barefoot Wine Co to Catherine Marshall Wines just says it all!
Cathy has long term relationships with growers, sourcing her grapes only where the match between terroir and grape are assured of producing the very best wines.
