Kanonkop, Stellenbosch.
The occasion, Paul Sauer 2023 vintage release (read the review here). Hosted as always in the room adjacent to the barrel cellar. Winter light pours through an arched window, the famous cannon outlined on the glass. With no replacement yet appointed for head winemaker after the sudden departure of Francois van Zyl, the task of presenting the tasting fell to COO Louw Strydom. Though he shared some of the duty with viticulturist Michael Malherbe, who stilled the room when he said:
“We are fortunate that we can still afford to plant every year, because in the whole of Stellenbosch last year only 130 hectares went in. It’s scary as that’s less than one per cent of the vineyard footprint. If you drive around Stellenbosch today, you’ll see a lot of people taking out vineyards and not replacing them, and I think that’s a big concern.”
But when I asked viticulturist Etienne Terblanche (VinPro) about this, he agreed that the national vineyard is shrinking. Yet he believes we are living through South Africa’s most exciting viticultural era.
Each year South Africa plants roughly 1,500 hectares, of which Stellenbosch accounts for about 150. “So it’s not nothing,” he points out. The trouble is, of course, that more vines are being pulled out than planted.
Because of this, “the total vineyard area is still pretty much in decline, especially in the coastal areas.” Stellenbosch and the Swartland a bit more sharply, he explains. Whereas inland regions such as Robertson and Breedekloof are more stable and in some years are even planting more than they are removing.
Expanding on this, he says: “The gap between the two sides of the industry is becoming more pronounced.” He points out that 80 per cent of South African wine is sold at very low price points, often without a stated origin, while the top one per cent performs well. In comparison many mid-sized wineries in Stellenbosch and other coastal regions haven’t been able to capitalise in the same way.
“Consolidation and closures remain a reality, but producers need to be financially viable. Whether they’re pursuing quality at the highest level or production at scale, that clarity of purpose is important.”
Vineyards of the future
“But in terms of new plantings and developments, it’s a super exciting time in South African viticulture.”
He ascribes this to world-leading soil mapping as well as the fact that clean nursery stock is now widely available across an increasingly diverse range of varieties and clones. “This wasn’t the case in the past. Wineries simply didn’t have these tools.”
He also cites the people doing the work on the ground. “I don’t think any region does the detailed pre-planting mapping that South Africa does, or puts in as much effort into the design beforehand. My colleague Heinrich [Schloms] does a lot of that work, mapping soils and laying the foundation.” He also mentions viticulturists such as Jaco Englebrecht and Marko Roux as well as surveyor and draughtsman Tian King, who are at the forefront of progressive vineyard design.
Across the winelands estates are being redeveloped with a degree of precision and innovation unimaginable not so long ago.
Terblanche for example is leading the redevelopment at Constantia property, Eagles’ Nest. “It’s been quite a challenge as it’s so steep. We’ve changed the terracing style and moved from VSP to echalas [staked vines] plantings, which allows you to really isolate interesting pockets.”
A major part of the strategy is matching soil type with vineyard areas and individual blocks. “We did a really interesting vineyard at Winshaw, for example, where we isolated rocky sections within a vineyard and planted them using echalas with different varieties. It has its own irrigation system and we can keep everything separate.”
Another factor gaining literal ground, he says, is how they are looking more seriously at integrating fynbos corridors and edge rows into plantings. “We’re moving towards more holistic farming designs.”
Heinrich Schloms agrees that South Africa is at the forefront of integrating technology into soil science. “I use a lot of tech in my workflow,” he says when quizzed about how he approaches each project. Using GPS-enabled soil classification, GIS mapping and terrain analysis, he combines data on altitude, aspect, slope, solar radiation, hydrology, geology and climate to identify optimal vineyard sites. This information guides everything from soil surveys and fertility management to drainage design and precision applications. “All of this and more to ensure new vineyards are planted on the right sites and managed with far greater accuracy than in the past.”
In other good news, the vineyard footprint is slowly expanding. The West Coast continues to be the land of opportunity. Inspired by the viticulture-friendly conditions of St Helena Bay, where Eben Sadie and Jaco Engelbrecht have planted 6.5 hectares of climate-adaptive varieties.
Englebrecht is also leading the charge when it comes, planting new Wine of Origins in the Cape South Coast region, adding Stilbaai district, and Goukou River Valley as its ward. Englebrecht is particularly excited about the potential of the limestone soils.
More plantings are in the works for the Cape South Coast, considering new W.O.s, Shaw’s Mountain and Hartebeest River. Shaw’s championed by the Finlayson brothers of Crystallum is just beyond the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge and here they have grafted a hectare of sauvignon blanc over to chardonnay complementing the existing pinot noir. While what happens with Hartebeest River remains to be seen, the potential is writ large.
Vineyards are also being planted higher than ever before, an example being Rogge Cloof in Sutherland, where plantings are at 1,515m above sea level (pinot noir and chardonnay). Likewise, old-vine champion and vineyard manager Rosa Kruger is consulting on a project in the dizzying heights of the Kouebokkeveld Mountains.
Water scarcity is, of course, at the forefront of vineyard design, and here for her clients Kruger is implementing something called hydrological keyline design in a number of other sites. The discipline uses contour lines to capture and direct rainwater, channelling it into dams, rehydrating slopes while reducing both pumping requirements and soil loss.
Ultimately, Terblanche sums it up as follows: “What we’re doing now in the vineyard is intentional. In the past, there was a lot more discovery involved. People planted in good faith and then went out and marketed the wines. We’ve learnt from that. A lot of the younger generation have had the opportunity to learn from mentors and travel extensively. We have a clearer idea of what we want to do and that gives us the ability to act with more confidence.”
Malu Lambert is a freelance wine journalist and wine judge who has written for numerous local and international titles. She is a WSET Diploma alum and won the title of Louis Roederer Emerging Wine Writer of the Year 2019, among many other accolades. She sits on various tasting panels and has judged in competitions abroad. Follow her on X: @MaluLambert
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