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SOUTH A<strong>FR</strong>ICA<br />
VINEYARDS<br />
mineral gloss. The grapes were hand-picked,<br />
whole-bunch pressed and fermented in 228-litre<br />
Burgundian barrels before the wine was matured<br />
on its lees. The fruit for Place of Rocks hails from<br />
the slope where the vines are anchored in shale.<br />
It fermented in a combination of 1st, 2nd and 3rd<br />
fill barrels and spent eight months on the lees<br />
with regular batonage. The result is a wine with<br />
mouth-watering acidity and a long, limy finish.<br />
MARTHINUS RADEMEYER, PRODUCTION MANAGER AT BONNIEVALE WINERY<br />
A VALLEY OF PASSIONATE<br />
FARMERS<br />
Bonnievale Winery is also situated in this last ward<br />
of the Breede River Valley. Marthinus Rademeyer<br />
started here in 2009 as an assistant winemaker<br />
and today fulfils the role of production manager<br />
overseeing four premises within an 8 km territory,<br />
including Wandsbeck (Wine of Origin Robertson)<br />
“While 90% of the wine produced here is destined<br />
for bulk wine, we also experiment with smaller<br />
pockets. We broke through the bulk stigma when<br />
our Bonnievale The River Collection 2022 was<br />
awarded an FNB Top 10 accolade earlier this<br />
year. Our wines offer that mouth-filling tropical<br />
fruit pungency while it is hemmed with a slight<br />
herbaceous tone that adds freshness.”<br />
From the 30,000 tons of grapes supplied to<br />
them by “passionate farmers” from an enormous<br />
playing field of 100 km by 50 km, 50% of the wines<br />
produced are exported. Their offering attracted<br />
the attention of French and American importers,<br />
with the likes of New Zealand and Senegal now<br />
also pursuing their wines.<br />
Rademeyer affirms: “We really have a plethora of<br />
North and South-facing slopes to choose from,<br />
vineyards planted in different directions and cultivars<br />
that are blissfully happy on the best-suited<br />
soils. It is all about balance and finding that sweet<br />
spot. And as soon as the white stinkwood trees<br />
outside the tasting room are embellished with<br />
lush canopies in summer, visitors gather here for<br />
pizza and delicious wines. Ultimately, it is the<br />
pleasure of drinking that the consumer is after.”<br />
THE BONNIEVALE WINERY WINEMAKING TEAM<br />
WINTER 2022 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE <strong>FR</strong>ENCH EXPERTS ON WINE<br />
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