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SOUTH AFRICA<br />
GRAPE<br />
CELLAR MASTER CHARL COETZEE AND WINEMAKER KLAAS STOFBERG<br />
TASTING TOGETHER<br />
too much like “Rhône” versus “Roam.” So, Fairview<br />
orchestrated a march to the French embassy defending<br />
their honour, presenting the ambassador with a<br />
magnum and goat manure for his lawn. The uproar,<br />
captured in video footage that made its way to the<br />
press and CNN, became a legendary tale in the<br />
annals of South African wine.<br />
“We receive 250,000 visitors annually, so the tasting<br />
room and restaurant are the perfect places to test<br />
drive small experiments. To see how guests react to<br />
these wines gives us plenty of clues, and the tasting<br />
room staff also loves dishing up a few surprises for<br />
a captivated crowd.”<br />
With a sense of adventure running in the company,<br />
they don’t mind the wind in their hair.<br />
“The South Easter drives us crazy at times, but the<br />
movement of the canes also keeps the vines healthy,<br />
letting the sun into the fruit zone and keeping the<br />
humidity under control.”<br />
They don’t make all their accomplishments public,<br />
but it is worth noting their next-door Spice Route<br />
farm is 100% organic with 670 solar panels allowing<br />
them to run entirely off the grid if there is sunshine.<br />
Dedicated to exceptional Swartland fruit, the Spice<br />
Route Chakalaka 2021 and Limited Edition Red<br />
Blend 2022 scored 90 points, respectively, from<br />
Gilbert & Gaillard.<br />
BABYLONSTOREN, FARM TO FORK<br />
AND BACK TO THE FARM<br />
THIS IS THE 18 TH CENTURY MANOR HOUSE AT BABYLONSTOREN W<strong>IT</strong>H<br />
THE WORKING DUCKS<br />
Babylonstoren is situated on the Simondium road<br />
outside Paarl and has unfolded as a true phenomenon.<br />
The circle of life is also evident in how they<br />
take from the earth and give back two-fold, an ethos<br />
that permeates their vegetable and fruit farming,<br />
restaurants, and wine production. The spotlight is<br />
on the distinctive Babel wine (53% Shiraz, 19% Pinotage,<br />
8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 3%<br />
Petit Verdot, 3% Mourvèdre, 2% Grenache Noir, and<br />
1% Marselan 2022) that scored 90 points, along with<br />
their Viognier 2023.<br />
Winemaker Klaas Stoffberg, drawing from experiences<br />
in Cornas and St Joseph in the Rhône,<br />
reflects on Babylonstoren’s unique position.<br />
48 WINTER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE