Working with all the heritage vineyards in the Piekenierskloof and Swartland areas is a privilege. Apart from the small, concentrated yields they produce, old vines have a great ability to adapt (like proper South Africans!) to changing weather and rainfall patterns, and are able to deliver and ripen grapes under very difficult conditions.
With its extreme conditions at 900m above-sea-level, a grape (if it could talk) would tell you that the is the spot that produces tough vines and top-class wines. Dryland bush vines are rooted in a layer of sandstone and granite soils with just enough water for grapes that add depth and complexity to every single sip, bringing great purity of fruit and a fine texture to the wines.
The Swartland is all about big skies, good vibes and wines that sing of their origins. The vines here can produce small, concentrated berries of deliciousness that produce well-balanced and deep-flavoured wines. Chenin Blanc from the granite slopes of the Paardeberg are lean, tight and show a lot of minerality. Then, about 15km from the Paardeberg is the Kasteelberg, with mostly schist soils that deliver well-structured wines that have good acidity and can form the backbone of any blend.