Zandvliet is the essence of a place in time,” says Jacques Cilliers, winemaker at the eponymous Cape estate. “It is the echo of history and everchanging influence of Nature.
“Fortunately for us, our vines adore it and it shows in the wine,” he adds.
For many, Zandvliet is the home of Shiraz. The wine estate was among the first in the country to bottle the noble cultivar. But Shiraz is not the only variety that thrives on the farm. It has attained a loyal following among cognoscenti who eagerly await every new vintage of Chardonnay and other classic offerings too.
The sprawling property straddles the Cogmans River, with the great Langeberg Mountains casting a broad arm around from the north and dwindling to the south-east. A small range of low limestone hills lies on Zandvliet’s southern half, bringing the special magic to its calcareous earth, or kalkveld, terroir. Only 130km due south lies the southernmost point of Africa – dynamo of the breezes that cool our hills in summer.
The key to its success with wine grapes is that calcareous Karoo soil with an underlay of red clay and pockets of chalky limestone, which feed the vines and deliver firm acidity, concentrated flavours and trace minerality that are delicately managed via the cellar, from vineyard to bottle.
And so it has been for centuries and continues to be with Zandvliet within the Van Loveren portfolio since October 2019. Here, time-honoured tradition meets modern-day expertise to produce pure luxury in a glass.
Zandvliet wines remain consistently recognised for their timeless elegance, style and quality. Most recently, Zandvliet received Platinum for Hill of Enon Small Berry Pick 2018, Double Gold for Kalkveld 2016 and, Double Silver for the Zandvliet Shiraz 2016 at this year’s NWC/Top 100 SA Wines Challenge, re-affirming Zandvliet’s status as one of South Africa’s leading producers.
Zandvliet wines are available from its online shop and leading retailers and restaurants countrywide.
For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.zandvliet.co.za. Find and share your memories of the estate with ZandvlietWine on Twitter, Instagram and, as ZandvlietWines, on Facebook and Pinterest.
Prize Details: One lucky reader will win a wine hamper from Zandvliet, which includes:
How to enter: Fill out the form below.
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– The winner will be announced at December 27
– Winner will be contacted via details entered on the form
– Winners are required to claim their prize within one week or another winner will be drawn
– Prizes are not refundable and cannot be exchanged for money
– Transport to and from event is not included
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Picture/s: supplied