A Lesson in Farming and Fantastic Food at Waterkloof

Paul Boutinot, custodian of Waterkloof wines, searched for 10 years before he managed to find the perfect site for Waterkloof. Situated 300m above sea level with a close proximity to the sea, the area benefits from cooling breezes. The combination of altitude and cooling winds means that Waterkloof is around 4 degrees centigrade cooler than the average temperature in Stellenbosch. As a result, the grapes can retain their natural acidity and ripen slowly, allowing for the wines to display the elegance of a cooler climate. Furthermore, high wind speeds, reaching up to 50km/h prevent the build up of fungal infection on the vines. Thus it is a perfect location for biodynamic farming, a method in which Waterkloof is certified. Waterkloof describe biodynamic farming as "an imperfect, natural agricultural process of cultivation based on the “sensitive intelligence of an interconnected natural world. As Biodynamic farmers, we work to create a diverse, balanced ecosystem that generates health and fertility as much as possible from within the farm itself". 
http://www.waterkloofwines.co.za/biodynamic-farming/biodynamic-organic-farming/
A kind of organics on steroids, if you like.

I spent the day with Christiaan Loots, the farm manager at Waterkloof and was given a fascinating lesson in all things organic and biodynamic. Unfortunately when I arrived the weather was not being kind. Clouds pervaded the farm and the fog blanketing the vineyards meant the spectacular views were lost.

The cellar at Waterkloof in the distance, shrouded in fog

Cloudy view over the vineyards

Despite the weather, Christiaan and I got into the world-weary bakkie (aka pick-up truck) affectionately known as 'the mule' and began our tour of the farm. He explained to me how as a biodynamic farmer he spends most of his time out on the farm opposed to in his office: "as a regular farmer, you are removed from the farm and nature like some kind of supreme being. As a biodynamic farmer you work within the systems of nature to create vitality." 80% of the labour on the farm is done by horses, with each horse able to pull around 1.6 tonnes of grapes each during harvest. Not only are they strong, but they are quick learners too, with Christiaan saying he can train a horse to plough in 3 weeks. When not working they have an abundance of space to run and graze, "they may be workers but they also need time just to be horses."

Ploughs used by the horses 

Not only are there horses on the farm, but cows, chickens and sheep. All of which play an important part in maintaining the biodynamic status.

The chicken 'coop' (more of a house, really)

The eggs laid by the chickens go straight for use in the fantastic restaurant at Waterkloof (more about that later). The shells from the eggs are combined with dung from lactating cows and left in stone pits for 3 months. This creates one of the most diverse micro-bacterial spray substances, and is sprayed over the vines at a rate of 1kg per hectare.

Christiaan opening the stone pits 

Getting our hands amongst the dungy, earthworm-filled substance

The stone pits where the eggshells and dung are left

Cow dung is utilised again when added to sheep faeces, a substance that is extremely high in nitrogen and healthy microbes. This is used as a compost across the farm, and when Christiaan showed me the composting heap, I noticed a remarkable lack of flies, which he puts down to the natural antibiotics in the mix.

Sheep roaming the farm

Compost heap

Christiaan then took me into a small room in an out-house, where more ingenious sprays and fertilisers are concocted. One sounded particularly unpleasant. Fish emulsion from leftovers at the restaurant are taken and added to microbes and sugar and then left in the sun. The microbes take over and the fish ferments. Despite how it sounded, the mixture didn't smell unpleasant, more like a mild fish oil. Due to the healthy bacteria, the fish doesn't putrify. Another mixture created by Christiaan is an insecticide made from chilli and garlic- far removed from the harsh chemicals found in most commercial farming environments.

Fish emulsion

Chilli and garlic insecticide

It was fascinating to see how the farm could support itself in such a way, exist as a living entity, with the utmost care taken by Christiaan and his farming team to look after the soils, vines and animals in the most natural way possible. This method of farming is conveyed in the winemaking also, which is done entirely using natural fermentation; a celebration of the biodynamic farm and a true expression of site. Christiaan dropped me off at the beautiful tasting lounge, where I was met by the attentive and enthusiastic Zandri to taste through some of the wines. Notes below:

Tasting Lounge at Waterkloof

Circumstance Sauvignon Blanc 2014

A nice change from the predictable, mass produced Sauvignon Blanc. Aged in 600 litre old oak barrels, there was white pepper, gooseberry and elderflower on the nose, followed by a weighty, textured palate with a mineral core. It was crisp and refreshing, but had enough depth to create substance. 

Circle of Life 2012

A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Semillon. Notes of lime, peach and a slight butteriness on the nose. On the palate there are ripe tropical fruits and a fresh acidity.

Waterkloof Sauvignon Blanc 2014

A complex and intriguing example of Sauvignon Blanc, this is the only wine that carries the 'Waterkloof' name. There are lime and elderflower aromas like the Circumstance, but earthy, fynbos notes lend a depth and complexity to the concentrated citrus flavours. 

Seriously Cool Cinsault 2014

The first red wine I tasted, the Cinsault was a light, pale ruby colour with pronounced red berries and cherry on the nose. The palate displayed vibrant strawberry and red fruit flavours. A simple wine that is very fresh and fun to drink.

Circle of Life Red Blend 2010

A blend of Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot. 50% whole bunch press and aged for 2 years in the bottle before release. The nose displayed dark plum and spice, with an earthy, complex palate giving complexity to the soft, juicy fruits and integrated tannin.

Circumstance Syrah 2010

Whole bunch fermented in open topped wooden containers. A dark, brooding nose is lifted by floral, white pepper notes. There is lavender and soft plum on the richly textured palate followed by a grippy tannin.

Circumstance Cabernet Franc 2012

Blackberry and pepper aromas are lifted by green, herbal notes. It is full bodied and deep with elegant, blackcurrant fruits and crunchy tannin.

Circumstance Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

A serious wine with good structure and rich flavours. Blackcurrant leaf and plum on the nose, followed by ripe, opulent primary fruit on the palate, nicely rounded with a slightly toasty finish resulting from the 22 months spent in oak.

Circumstance Cabernet Franc

 After the tasting, I had time to enjoy lunch in the stunning restaurant. The views were breathtaking and the food was quite brilliant, prepared with innovation and meticulous care by Chef Gregory Czarnecki and his kitchen. I can't speak highly enough of the restaurant and can't wait to visit again. Pictures below.

Restaurant at Waterkloof

The view from the table

The Food

Amuse bouche of rare beef, apple puree and apple foam

Stunning: Textures of peas with truffled buttermilk

Scottish Salmon with dill oil and beetroot cremeux

Yellowtail with squid ink vinaigrette and red pepper crumbs

Duck 'a l'orange', confit orange and sultana fritter

Langbaken Karoo Blue cheese, cauliflower and tonka with crackling and pecan nut

Pre-dessert: Chocolate three ways with ice-cream 

Quince and Verjuice Terrine, buffalo yoghurt, toffee powder and pollen

I somehow managed to eat it all, the food was just too good to leave. Needless to say I was stuffed, and needed a strong espresso before I was fit to be on my way.

Thank you to the team at Waterkloof for your impeccable hospitality.


@bobbyfishel

http://www.waterkloofwines.co.za/

Visit to Fable Mountain Vineyards

Fable Mountain Vineyards is a 200 hectare farm situated in the slopes of the Witzenburg mountains, at approximately 600 metres above sea level. There are 32 hectares of Rhone variety cultivars (Syrah, Grenache and Mouvedre) on the farm that grow slowly from the challenging shale soils. The shadows from the mountains are cast over the vines, reducing their exposure to the sun and keeping the temperature down, allowing for the grapes to retain their natural acidity. Wild animals (see first 3 pictures below from https://twitter.com/Fablewines?lang=en), bush fires and exigent weather conditions are just some of the challenges that the vines and the farm face.

A Caracal caught on the motion sensor camera 

A curious Baboon

Leopard spotted at night 

Grazing animals in the lower part of the farm

The view from the cellar 

Zebras on the farm

A biodynamic approach to farming is practiced at Fable, in an attempt to create wines that reflect the site. The cellar was renovated in 2011, and is now completely gravity fed with cleverly designed, shallow fermentation vessels sitting on a level above the large tanks below. The cellar has a 150 tonne capacity, with all fermentation taking place naturally- no yeasts are added and a mixture of tank, barrel and concrete egg aging containers are used. The red wines usually spend 2 years in barrel, with some new oak (around 20-30% being used).

Barrel storage and a concrete egg

Shallow fermentation vessels sitting on the upper layer of the cellar

Paul Nicholls, winemaker at Fable, walked us through the cellar and we tasted some of the new vintages from the containers. We then drove up the mountain to taste the current vintages in bottle. The tasting spot was in a stunning location, situated high on a slope overlooking the farm and vineyards beneath. It also doubles up as an improvised golf driving range.

Tasting sofa/driving range

An essential piece of golfing equipment

The first wine we tasted was the 2012 'Jackal Bird', a white blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Roussane, Chardonnay and Viognier. The batches are all fermented separately, some spending time in stainless steel, some straight into barrel and some into concrete eggs. This lends a lovely complexity to the wine, there are undulating layers of flavour, stone fruits and subtle citrus notes are nicely rounded off by a slight toastiness, resulting from the 500l French oak barrel components. 

2012 Jackal Bird

Next up was the 2012 'Night Sky', a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mouvedre. It was aged for 18 months in barrel, including 30% new oak. Vibrant cherry, plum and red fruit stands out on the nose and herbal, fynbos characteristics create an earthy edge. There are notes of vanilla and oak on the finish, it is slightly too much for my tastes and Paul explained that there will be slightly less new oak contact for the next release. Even so, it was in no way overwhelming and is still a delicious, complex wine that should develop very favourably over the next 5 years or so.

2012 Night Sky

The third and final wine we tasted was the 2012 Syrah. 30% whole bunch press, there was a lavender, herbal touch which, when combined with the distinctive black pepper and crimson fruits made for a refined, layered wine. The tannic backbone adds structure and leads to a finessed, elegant expression of Syrah. It should age well, with winemaker Paul stating you could drink this 'anytime within your lifetime'. If you can resist the temptation, that is. 

2012 Syrah

 http://www.fablewines.com/#home

@bobbyfishel

Testalonga: A New Home, A Fresh Start.

Those who know me well will be familiar with my obsession regarding the Testalonga wines. Craig Hawkins made the first wines that opened my eyes to the unique and diverse world of natural wine and they remain one of my major sources of inspiration. Thus when, due to 'investor relations' (I'll say no more), Craig and his family had to leave Lammershoek, the farm where he used to make his wines, it left a sour taste. However, it also means that Craig, Carla and the family have the opportunity to start a new chapter in their lives, leave Lammershoek behind them and focus solely on the Testalonga brand.

Craig, his soon-to-be wife Carla, her parents and Craig's father are all relocating to a new farm in Piketburg, approximately an hour and a half drive from Cape Town. I had the privilege to be shown around the farm and I was bowled over by the sheer beauty of their new home.

The new farm in the Piketburg Mountains

The farm is nestled high in the Piketburg mountains, with a stunning view overlooking the vineyards and land beneath.

It was not only humans that had to be moved to the farm, and the Nguni cattle and Donkeys were successfully and safely transported to their new home.

The farm is alive and bustling with all manner of fauna and flora. The farm animals will be sharing their home with a wide array of wild creatures; we saw baboons, eagles and there are even leopards and other small cats high in the mountains. There is an abundance of plant life, from small bushes of tea plants and fynbos to wild olive trees.

Wild Olives

Tea plant

Spoor of a small cat in the sand, maybe a Gennet

Craig and Carla walked us round the farm, and Craig explained how the soils should make a perfect location for growing grapes. The soils are an unusual mix of schist meeting sandstone, and such a mixture should impart unique and complex flavours into the grapes. The vines are still in the process of being planted, and won't be fruit bearing for another few years but it will be interesting to see how the wines from the farm turn out.

Craig and Carla patrolling the farm

A gap by the side of the cellar shows a perfect cross-section of the rocky soils.

The farm is supplied by water from a completely natural source running from the mountains. We followed the pipeline that carries the water into two large dams all the way up into the mountain, climbing over rocks and ducking under bushes and trees until we reached the source. We drank the water directly from the pipe and it was clean, pure and delicious. 

Craig cleaning up the baboon's mess in one of the dams

On the farm they are also building a large new cellar and winery, where the wines will be made and stored. 

The inside of the new cellar

The farm has a life-giving aura, an atmosphere of being at one with nature and spending the day there made me excited about the future of Testalonga. There is undoubtedly a lot of work to be done, and the building will be timely and expensive, but it is a lifelong project and the foundations are in place for something truly special.

After sharing a drink on the veranda overlooking the farm and taking some time to savour the view, we drove back to the Paardeberg, where the wines are currently being stored, to taste through the new vintage.

We started with a new wine for this year, the 'Baby Bandito'. It is 100% Chenin Blanc from bush vines planted in 1972. The wine is tank fermented and very fresh as a result. It is tight and focused, showing bright lemon notes on the nose and a bracing acidity.

Baby Bandito in tank

Next we moved onto to the 'El Bandito Cortez'. Again 100% Chenin, the grapes were harvested at different levels of ripeness with some aged in barrel and some in tank. The wine is clean and vibrant, with vivid citrus notes complemented by an underlying oxidative, nutty complexity. The 2014 Cortez is one of my favourite wines on the planet and the '15 is shaping up to be similarly brilliant.

Cortez Chenin in barrel

I was delighted to hear that Craig will be continuing to make a Harslevulu after the move, as the Cellarfoot Harslevulu he made whilst at Lammershoek was a gorgeous wine. We tasted the '15 vintage in barrel. The wine had some skin contact, and was a deep, golden-bronze colour. The nose showed fresh floral notes with undertones of darker, earthy herbs. There was lovely depth to the wine and a slight grip on the finish with a fresh acidity giving life to the rich, complex flavours.

Harslevulu in barrel

There was some more good news, as the 'Sweet Cheeks' Muscat is also making a comeback after there was no 2014 vintage due to mildew problems. Also a skin contact wine, the nose was extremely aromatic with the distinctive Muscat aromas of litchi and grape given a depth and complexity from the time spent on skins. A sensual wine with a fascinating mineral core that is unusual and stimulating.

Craig is also making a single vineyard Chenin this year, intriguingly called 'Karl Marx'. The vineyard is only one hectare in size, thus the quantities are extremely limited. Out of the barrel the wine was very taut and pure, with a lovely structure. It is always interesting to see the way that different vineyards produce completely different wines.

Karl Marx Chenin in barrel

Next up was the final white (well, orange) wine of the day, the famed skin contact Chenin, El Bandito. After 21 days on the skins, the wine is aged in old spirit vats, which allows the wine to take on oxidative, nutty notes which add to the already deep, complex flavours created by skin contact. A characterful and interesting wine, there is a real crunchy tannin which provides a bedrock to layer after layer of flavour. 

Craig sampling the El Bandito out of the spirit vats

We moved on to Craig's 2015 Zinfandel Rose. A pale, salmon-pink in colour, the wine was fermented in stainless steel and was fresh, bouncy and fun to drink. It showed gentle strawberry and red fruit character and would be perfect drinking on a balmy summer evening.

Wines in barrel at the cellar

Next up were the reds. First was the 2015 Zinfandel. An exuberant, ruby-red colour, the wine had a reductive, oniony nose that will blow off with time in barrel. The palate showed fresh primary fruits, cherry and ripe plum with a crisp acidity.

This was followed by the 'King of Grapes' Grenache, another real stand-out wine from the Testalonga range. Pale in colour, the wine has an alluring elegance with refined raspberry and cranberry on the nose given depth by an intense earthiness on the palate. The integrated tannin gives the fresh, drinkable wine structure and finesse.   

Another 'Baby Bandito' wine was next. 100% Carignan, the colour was bold and deep and the nose was full of savoury characteristics highlighted by a peppery spice. 

Craig talking us through his Baby Bandito Carignan

Craig's Syrah was the final red we tasted. In 2014, he released a Syrah entitled 'Redemption'. It was a wine with heart, soul and meaning behind it (think aforementioned investor relations), and made a stunning point regarding the quality of the Testalonga wines. The 2015 won't be called Redemption, so we wait in anticipation for the name, however the wine is tasting like it will live up to the 2014 vintage. Dark, peppery spice and restrained black fruits lead to an assured, brooding wine. This is light years away from a jammy, oaky New World Shiraz and instead is elegantly confident and displays Syrah at its best. A wine to be excited about.

The 2014 Redemption Syrah

Before the afternoon was over, we had time to pick up a bottle of Craig's 2015 Pet Nat, a sparkling wine rather amusingly entitled 'I wish I was a Ninja'. At 15g/l of residual sugar, you probably won't find this in your dentist's cellar, but it had a nice, creamy mousse, gentle peach flavours and was a lot of fun to drink. We drove up to the vineyards on top of the Paardeberg and shared the bottle whilst watching the sunset. It was a prophetic end to a day that was a celebration of a new beginning for Testalonga. 

  

@bobbyfishel