Move over youth! Age take centre stage!

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Here age refers to the vine rather than wine (or humans!). These vines, 40 years and older, are now receiving the respect they deserve. This, thanks to a project undertaken by viticulturist, Rosa Kruger and authorised by Johann Rupert, businessman and owner of Franschhoek property, L’Ormarins, to search out and list all South Africa’s old vineyards, many scattered around the more remote areas of the Cape.

Due to leaf roll virus, an on-going problem, which eventually leads to uneconomically low yields, it is unusual to find vineyards older than 25 or 30 years in South Africa.

The undertaking reached its current culmination on 4th May with the launch at L’Ormarins of the Anthonij Rupert Cape of Good Hope range of five wines, mainly from some of the 97 old vineyards already identified. These treasures cover no more than 250 hectares – a drop in the ocean of the Cape’s just over 100 000 ha of vineyard – but Kruger is sure there are more waiting to be found, and the search  continues. Prior to  L’Ormarins going into partnership with some of the owners of these vineyards, the fruit was sold off or delivered to co-operatives, where it was blended away.

Apart from their age, what makes these vines special is that they have assimilated with the conditions around them; as Kruger puts it, ‘The years of weather stored in their memory banks have seen them adapt to their environment; most are unirrigated and grown as bush vines. They now produce extreme root systems, grow shorter canes and naturally produce fewer grapes.’ Her view is that the wines they produce say less about the variety and more about the terroir in which they grow.

Very different from what Vriesenhof’s Jan Boland Coetzee described in his inimitable English as “‘badge engineering’ – taking a bit of this and that, putting it in a bottle with a name on the label, but it tells you nothing.’

Kruger also believes that due to their age, some of these vines are not clones as we know them; they have become indigenous clones.

This is supported by Professor Alain Deloire, Professor in Viticulture & Chair of the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University: ‘Old vines have had time to adapt to the climate; they have to either shine or die, these have chosen to shine. We have a responsibility to make new clonal selections from these old vines. These now indigenous South African clones could be exported.’

Rupert emphasised the major challenges facing South African wine in the future are high alcohol levels and leaf roll virus; these old and well balanced vineyards play a vital role in offering improved and distinctive wines. ‘But he made it clear that, ‘If we want the farmers to survive off three to four tons a hectare, it’s up to the producer and media to persuade consumers they’re getting something special and should be prepared to pay R100 to R120 a bottle.’  He encouraged the many winemakers present to get involved and help save these old vines.

The maiden Cape of Good Hope releases consist of:

Van Lill & Visser Chenin Blanc 2010 (from properties on Skurfberg near Lamberts Bay; 28 and 36 years old respectively)

Laing Semillon 2010 (from a 50-year old vineyard between Lamberts Bay and Clanwilliam)

Serruria Chardonnay 2010 (from Elandskloof near Villiersdorp, 8 year old vines)

Basson Pinotage 2007 (from a 40-year old vineyard in the Paardeberg)

Parel Vallei Farmstead Merlot 2007 (from 10 year old vines on Johann Rupert’s own Somerset West property)

To set the tone of the evening, guests were treated to an international line up of wines from old vines, including Terroir Al Limit Les Manyes Priorat 2008, made by local winemaker, Eben Sadie, who has assisted Kruger in her search and made his own local Old Vine Series.