Eight Cape West Coast wine producers to know

See Malu Lambert’s regional profile:

Cape West Coast: Old vines and unfashionable varieties reinvigorate South Africa’s western fringes

This article contains eight producer bios:

1. Cape Rock Wines

2. Fryer’s Cove

3. Gedeelte Wines

4. Groote Post

5. Neil Ellis Wines

6. Piekenierskloof Wine Company

7. Sakkie Mouton Family Wines

8. Tierhoek

Cape Rock Wines

Owned by the Brand family, this small, isolated wine cellar lies between Vredendal and Klawer. The core focus is on Rhône varieties: Syrah, Grenache (blanc and noir), Mourvèdre, Carignan, Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier, further augmented by the West Coast specialities Chenin Blanc and Colombard. Winemaking duties are split between father and son, Willie and Gavin Brand. Minimal intervention winemaking is observed in the cellar for authentic, expressive wines.

Fryer’s Cove

After being independently owned for many years, Fryer’s Cove was recently acquired by DGB, one of South Africa’s largest wine and spirit producers and distributors. DGB is putting substantial investment into the brand, including a new cellar, tasting room and restaurant.

Liza Goodwin, previously of Meerendal in the Durbanville area, is the new winemaker. There are three tiers: the premium Bamboes Bay wines from the eponymous ward, then the Fryer’s Cove and Doringbay ranges, both produced from bought-in grapes, a large percentage coming from Darling.

Gedeelte Wines

The Bouwer family purchased the windswept Brakkuil farm in the early 2000s as a place to get away from it all.

Located 4km from the ocean, the blue surf is visible from the vineyards, which stand in flattened sea sand. Already home to old-vine Barbarossa as well as Palomino, patriarch Wimpie Bouwer planted an additional 6ha of Sauvignon Blanc in the sandy soils. In a cellar that was built at the end of the Second World War, son John Bouwer now does the winemaking.

The wines are all fermented under flor before being drawn off the veil and then matured in French oak. Young Bouwer has also recently added a relaxed tasting room.

Groote Post

Originally dairy farmers, the Pentz family acquired Groote Post in 1972 for that very purpose. However, the rise of the supermarket industry soon spelled the end of home deliveries of milk. Vineyards were established in 1993 and the first wine under the Groote Post label was produced in 1999.

Second generation Nick Pentz is a forward thinker. He introduced the Seasalter in 2015 and the Sauvignon-Semillon blend is a runaway success, a modern label living within a more traditional brand. Pentz also trademarked the name Darling Hills to describe the area which surrounds the estate, and the name is becoming synonymous with quality Sauvignon Blanc. Lukas Wentzel has been at the winemaking helm since 2000.

Neil Ellis Wines

Stellenbosch-based winery Neil Ellis was ahead of its time in South Africa. The eponymous founder had long bought grapes from select vineyards before it became popular to do so, establishing the brand in 1984.

From as early as 1990 he has been making a superlative Sauvignon Blanc from the Groenekloof ward within Darling. He also sources old-vine Grenache from the Piekenierskloof. Neil’s son, Warren Ellis, has now taken on the viticultural and winemaking duties.

Piekenierskloof Wine Company

The Van Zyl family has been farming in the Piekenierskloof since 1923. They planted their first vineyards in 1962, and until 2017 were known as the Citrusdal Co-operative,

For its Old Vine Range, it draws on a cache of old-vine sites planted on the farms Bergendal and Heidedal. Cellarmaster Jaco van Niekerk selects vineyards from the Cape West Coast as well as the nearby Swartland for the three other ranges.

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines

Small batch winemaker of his own label, Sakkie Mouton has big plans for the future. He is committed to the West Coast region. Firmly in mind is building his own cellar, but for now he rents cellar space in the Swartland. He makes eclectic wines from obscure parcels, and the range is growing. It includes his cult Chenin, Revenge of the Crayfish, the white blend Full on Misfit, and the Sand Erf Vermentino.

A Syrah will be released in 2023 and also on the way is an old-vine Colombard, both of which hail from sites on his father’s Vredendal farm.

Tierhoek

This boutique concern is situated at 760m on the Piekenierskloof Mountain. Established in 1886 it is one of the oldest surviving Sandveld farms. Today, the 715ha estate is owned by Tony and Shelley Sandell, who bought it in 2001. All the wines are made from grapes grown on the farm and in accordance to organic principles. There are two old vine blocks: Chenin Blanc dating back to 1977 and Grenache bush vines planted in 1976.

A selection of wines from the eight producers to know from the Cape West Coast

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