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SOUTH AFRICA<br />
TERROIR<br />
“In harvest time, we line up samples and encourage<br />
assistants and interns to learn and ask questions,”<br />
she shares proudly, “so I am a winemaker<br />
and a teacher and will never stand back for doing<br />
the hard graft either. It comes with the territory!”<br />
WILLIE DREYER, LEEUWENKUIL FAMILY VINEYARDS’ OWNER, AND WILLIE DREYER JNR<br />
LEEUWENKUIL, A SAGA OF<br />
TRADITION AND<br />
AUDACIOUS INNOVATION<br />
At Leeuwenkuil, a spirit of innovation and<br />
commitment to tradition converge to drive the<br />
vineyard towards trailblazing projects.<br />
Yes, lions did roam freely back in the 1700s when<br />
Leeuwenkuil (Lion’s Lair) before its subdivision<br />
was still known as Schinderkuijl (a German name<br />
referring to the tradition of gathering materials<br />
from demolished buildings or shipwrecks to<br />
create something new), which was what they did<br />
on the farm. In 1851, the Dreyer family became<br />
the new owners, with Willie and Emma Dreyer at<br />
the helm of Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards today<br />
comprising more than 1,250 hectares.<br />
The Leeuwenkuil Reserve Chenin Blanc 2022<br />
(92) has an alluring intensity of stone fruit and<br />
pineapple with a creamy full palate adding to the<br />
richness. The Reserve Red (92), a blend of Shiraz,<br />
Cinsault, Grenache and Mourvèdre, also delivered<br />
with a balance of smokiness and tart fruit<br />
forwardness.<br />
Kara van Zyl, the marketing manager, has a firm<br />
understanding of the Swartland offering. She<br />
reflects on their journey:<br />
“Their success is 15 years in the making, and everything<br />
is starting to come together. The best word<br />
I can use for their actions is audacious - a family<br />
that is resilient and forward-thinking.”<br />
She adds that these bold initiatives are embodied<br />
by their “gregarious” winemaker, Pieter Carstens,<br />
who embraces this dynamic era wholeheartedly.<br />
Situated in the southernmost part of the Swartland,<br />
the vineyard’s shale soils imbue their wines<br />
with a distinct saline character, particularly<br />
evident in their Chenin and Shiraz.<br />
“While Shiraz and Chenin remain at the centre,<br />
LEEUWENKUIL’S JOURNEY BEGAN SEVEN GENERATIONS AGO, AND TODAY,<br />
WITH ALL THEIR CHILDREN INVOLVED TO SOME EXTENT, THE VISION<br />
OF ITS OWNERS CONTINUES TO EXPAND<br />
SPRING 2024 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE<br />
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