SA wines from really old vines up to several dozen and counting
OLD AGE isn’t always a good thing when it comes to grape vines, but man, in many instances, can it make a positive difference to what’s in the glass! Big time! Thankfully, very good wines can originate in young vineyards too; the old stuff is scarce and what’s made from it tends to sell at a premium that can be off-putting after a point. No doubt there will be some chancers, folks hoping to impress with numbers on top of average wines, but consider the fine examples that have proved themselves on the world stage or which come from cellars with exemplary track records in one or other category – including a whole bunch of South Africans.
Among the world’s Chenin Blanc kings, Stellenrust of Stellenbosch produces their seriously good Barrel Fermented version from vines planted in 1964. The Black Label flagship from Kanonkop, of Paul Sauer and Pinotage fame, was born – so to speak – on the slopes of the Simonsberg in 1953. The Sadie Family outside Malmesbury has made a series of beauties originating in various parts of the Cape winelands using a number of varieties, with some of the vines planted back in the 1920s. And there is Semillon and Cinsau(l)t from Franschhoek and Wellington well into a second century of sharing the wisdom that comes with age…
Grape vines can be used for winemaking once they turn three or four. All things being well, they generally become suitable for making really good wine from the age of eight or so, and they qualify for special ‘heritage vineyard’ certification after their 35th birthday – if they haven’t been dug up in their 20s to make way for youngsters offering higher yields. For the names of SA wines originating from plantings that date back to pre-1970, click here.
