Springfontein in the Autumn

Features

Springfontein in the Autumn

October, 2009

I had tasted and enjoyed a couple of Springfontein wines before at previous tastings, the Terroir Selection Chenin Blanc and the Red of Sopiensklip which is a 100% merlot, but knew little about the estate and its history other than it was located at Walker Bay, wherever that may be.

I had a quick look at the Springfontein website the night before as way of background information and noted phrases like:-

The soil is poor and sandy, the vegetation wild.

in the first years we learned what pioneer work means

One problem follows the next and after two steps forward at least one step back.

we that are Johst and Anja Weber from Essen with like-minded German partners

setting up such a pioneer project from the distance does not exactly make the undertaking easy

It seemed to me that these translated snippets belied a considerable struggle and effort to get a wine estate established to produce wines that were of obvious quality.

Springfontein consists of 25 ha of cultivated vineyards surrounded by 500 ha of wild Fynbos vegetation and Bushveld, on the eastern edge of Walker Bay some 120 km east from Cape Town. The nearest vineyards are over a mountain range many kilometres away and the soil is a mixture of sand and calcified limestone.

So how did a group of Germans come to pioneer not only a new wine estate but potentially a new wine region thousands of miles south of their homeland?

Anja and her husband Johst dreamt, like many others, of having their own vineyard and making good wine. They realised that it was very expensive to buy existing vineyards or suitable land in decent wine regions in Europe and Anja through her profession as a geographer had visited Africa several times. Coincidently at the time, in 1996 an advert appeared in Decanter wine magazine for 350ha of land near the sea with old farm buildings and a spring.

Anja and her husband thought they needed to get the bug out of their system and decided to visit South Africa and this parcel of land, fully expecting that it would be unsuitable and unattractive.

They flew to Cape Town, Anja either had a small baby or was about to have one, and made their way along potholed dirt roads to this mysterious parcel of rugged coastal land, which they immediately fell in love with. There were ancient milkwood trees and low scrub, a spring and a river flowing into the sea, and mountains in the background. They thought it was beautiful and had potential for vines and quality winemaking.

So in the same year, having convinced friends and colleagues to invest, the land was purchased with the view to not only plant vines but to become custodians of the natural environment of this corner of Africa. A suitable site for a vineyard was identified and prepared but because the South African wine industry was growing so rapidly and therefore there was a high demand for planting material, the Webers had to wait two years to get the vine cuttings they wanted to plant.

Thus in 1998 with guidance from local wine consultants Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chardonnay in the whites and Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot in the reds were planted. In order to finance the project the Webers continued to work and live in Germany but visited the property every three months or so. Renovation of the farm buildings in traditional Cape style was also commenced and a study of the flora and fauna of the area made to plan the protection of the landscape.

Due to the harsh environment, irrigation problems and on the ground management issues the uptake of the original plantings was very poor, with many having to be replanted and a new manager found. Finally in 2003 Springfontein was looking to have its first harvest of grapes only to discover the local bird life enjoyed the bounty also and very little of the crop was left. However what was left was made into wine and the quality was such to give the Webers and the investors great hope and joy. The first bottling was in 2005 nearly 10 years after purchasing the property.

Now nets are used at the end of the rows of vines as each of the grape varieties ripen at different times which minimises the loss but their feathered friends still take a share. Whilst initially the Springfontein wines were made at other wineries it was always the plan to build their own cellars but again they were thwarted and had to wait for two years for development approval. The cellars now have a capacity to handle 150 tonnes of estate grown grapes.

Anja feels they now have the right team on board since 2007 Christo Versfeld joined as winemaker. He and his wife Nikki manage Springfontein which now also has 4 holiday cottages dotted around the main buildings to provide accommodation for guests.

All the investors are still on board and the wines are sold in South Africa, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and here in the UK by Private Cellar.

Anja believes their original vision was right and that the wines reflect the cooler southerly location, unique soils, proximity to the sea, respect for the environment and a minimalist approach to winemaking.

There is a delightful sense of place about the wines I have tasted from Springfontein, with an underlying minerality that no doubt comes from the calcified sand dunes the vines grow on. There is also generally a good balance between fruit, acidity, oak and tannin. The wines are getting better as the vineyard matures and the winemaker gets to know the estate even more.

Noted wine writer and TV presenter Oz Clarke chose the 2008 Terroir Selection Chenin Blanc as one of his top 50 wines in his new book '250 Best Wines - Wine Buying Guide 2010'

There are signs that Springfontein will go ahead in leaps and bounds rather than two steps forward and one step back.

2008 Terroir Selection Chenin Blanc, Springfontein, Walker Bay, South Africa £11.95

Swirling mass of pineapple and citrus aromas present a wine with plenty of lime, straw and fruit salad flavours and some oak. It has a mouth-filling texture, minerality and fine acidity which add to the complexity. Fresh scallops and prawns are the go.

2007 Red of Sopiensklip, Springfontein, Walker Bay, South South Africa £7.43

This is a juicy mouthful of a wine with cherry and red currant flavours with some plum. Very vibrant and attractive it has reasonable length and tasty background oak. Good fun and will handle spicy food really well.

2006 Terroir Selection Pinotage, Springfontein, Walker Bay, South Africa £9.95

Worthy Pinotage from South Africa can be a little elusive and it is not liked at all by some; however it is pretty unique to the southern tip of this vast continent. This is a good example of what can be achieved and reflects its pioneering location. Lifted scents of damson, greengage plums, spice, some earthiness, oak and even maraschino cherry. Good concentration on the palate, plumminess, mineral tones, well worked oak and acidity makes this a pretty impressive package with a good sense of place. A slightly rustic wine ideal for rustic dishes such as good stews or cassoulet.

2005 Ulumbaza Shiraz, Springfontein, Walker Bay, South Africa £11.45

This wine has upfront savoury spiciness backed by bright black fruit aromas and integrated oak giving some complexity. To drink there is good balance between ripe fruit, minerality and earthy spice combining with the oak and a long finish with fine tannins. It certainly says South Africa but has cool climate influences and would be great with marinated steak or venison.

If you are interested in buying these wines contact:-

Private Cellar Ltd
51 High Street
Wicken
Ely
Cambridgeshire, CB7 5XR

Tel: 01353 721 999
E-mail: orders@privatecellar.co.uk
www.privatecellar.co.uk

Springfontein Wine Estate
P O Box 71,
Stanford 7210
South Africa

Tel: 028-3410 651

Fax: 028-3410 112

E-mail: info@springfontein.co.za

cellar@springfontein.co.za

www.springfontein.co.za

In Germany:

Anja Weber

Tel: +49 (0)201-171 1625