After 109 years, Weltevrede Property, outdoors Bonnievale within the Robertson Wine Valley, has made a couple of attention-grabbing adjustments.
First up, the family-owned and -run property has turned its attentions solely to Chardonnay and Cap Classique. And second, the brand new tasting room was opened in November 2021 – and it’s a winner.
A monumental sand-coloured rectangular constructing, Weltevrede Property’s new tasting room broods over the fields, fronted by fastidiously planted gardens surrounding a cooling water function. To the east are the Langeberg, to the west the Riviersonderend Mountains.
In its centre, a darkish, spherical opening invitations you in. Right here it’s cool and dim, a welcome change from the new and shiny open air. Over-stuffed armchairs beg you to sink in.
However fairly select one – or all – of the excursions.
Chardonnay tastings
To the left, down some stairs, begins the Captivated by Chardonnay tour. Greater than a tasting, it’s a stroll via the historical past of wine-making. The underground cellars have been as soon as the good wine tanks; right this moment they’re a paean to the artwork of wine-making, crammed with artefacts and historic data.
Sit down by candlelight and style the property’s alluring Chardonnays. They’re, as winemaker Philip Jonker envisages, a pure expression of the terroir through which the property is rooted. The wines all have a way of place, the limestone and calcrete including to their minerality.
Place of Rocks is comprised of outdated vines planted on a slope of historic, damaged shale; Calcrete comes from vines on limestone and mineral-rich calcrete soil, on a south-facing slope. Poet’s Prayer is anchored within the lime-rich terroir. From a small choice of outdated vines, the wine is just made in the very best years.
Cap Classique tastings
Beginning within the cellar the place the riddling (the gradual tilting of the bottle neck down, whereas usually rotating it) takes place, the Captivated by Cap Classique expertise takes you on a tour of the making of Cap Classique and Champagne – once more within the outdated cellars.
This time although, the tasting room is brightly lit, shedding a number of the romance of the candle-lit Chardonnay tastings. However right here you might be launched to the most recent vintages of Philip Jonker Brut, beginning with Entheos, a vibrant wine matured on the lees for as much as three years. A mix, it’s 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir. It has a full of life mousse and an extended aftertaste.
The glory, although, goes to The Ring Blanc de Blancs, its maiden classic popped at Philip Jonker’s wedding ceremony.
Make your personal
Lastly, you may create your personal bottle of Cap Classique to take residence, from disgorgement to dosage, corking to capping your bottle with the muselet (the wire hood), and eventually labelling. The cork can take 4 bars of stress.
Do you know that muselet plates are collector’s objects? The interest known as placomusophilia.
The Jonker household has lived on Weltevrede Property since 1912. The farm has 93-year-old vineyards, its unique vine – a Muscadel – planted in 1926. Japie Jonker, the primary winemaker, started making wine in 1933. The 200ha farm has 100ha on vine, producing about 1 300 tonnes a 12 months.
Captivated by Chardonnay takes place on Mondays to Saturdays, 2pm-4pm and Captivated by Cap Classique on Mondays to Saturdays, 10am-11.30am. You’ll be able to Create Cap Classique any time from Mondays to Saturdays.
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