May is an enchanting time in the Cape – we find ourselves amidst the breathtaking beauty of autumn with its rich palette of golden hues. The still-warm days give way to swiftly cooling evenings, carrying a crispness that lingers into the early mornings. The once-dominant summer winds have subsided, allowing the mountains encircling the farm to cast their majestic silhouettes in the soft glow of dawn, and again at dusk.
The pace has slowed in the cellar, with vintage 2024 slowly coming to rest in its barrels. A few wild yeast fermentations are still bubbling away on the Chardonnays, but this year they have successfully gone through fermentation much faster – allowing Nic to sleep more soundly! The reds are generally in malolactic fermentation and by mid-June they will also be at rest. Harvest ’24 has been one of the smallest in recent years, however Nic is pleased that what we lack in quantity is more than made up by quality. I am looking forward to tasting the wines after winter when they have had time to begin to develop and show their character.
Every once in a while, it is a good idea to take stock, and during May I had a chance to sit with Christo and discuss the remarkable progress of our Generation 3 project. As a reminder, this is the project to eradicate the farm of leaf roll virus and simultaneously upgrade our vineyards – to build on our knowledge and experiences. It began in 2016, and over the next couple of months (eight years later) we will be completing the last few blocks, a testament to our conviction towards Rondekop. The evidence of the first vintages from a few newly planted blocks is revealing and encouraging.
Over time, and particularly with all the new plantings, our vineyards on Rondekop resemble a jigsaw puzzle of different blocks made up of many cultivars, clones, rootstocks, trellising methods, planting densities and block sizes. The farm is 55 hectares in total, with just under 25 hectares under vine. We have 35 individual vineyard blocks planted on 14 soil types. This replanting – which was truly a deep dive into viticulture – is one of the more interesting stories out there. The dedication of our team is evident as each piece of the puzzle finds its place with pin-point precision viticulture. As the replanting nears the endpoint, just like a jigsaw, the picture is becoming crystal clear – exciting times.
The Cape continues to experience a dry spell with the rainfall over the past six months being below average. May is the month for establishing cover crops, for which rain is necessary. With only a couple of rainy days during the month to work with – it is needed to soften the soil for planting and then required again to germinate the seeds – the vineyard team managed to plant the entire farm in between what seemed to be the only rainfall – quite a feat! Christo has gone all out, planting various seeds for various objectives, such as radishes to loosen the soils and peas for nitrogen fixing – in total, he planted 14 different seeds, and as the end of May approached, the farm was bursting with new growth and looking a brilliant and very healthy green.
The release of our latest vintages of Rondekop wines has been a success, and I encourage visitors to the Cape to join us for a tasting in The Tasting Room to try these beautiful wines for themselves. As winter approaches, our jigsaw puzzle of vineyards on Rondekop is stunningly beautiful, and the fireplaces burn wood harvested from invasive tree species to create a cosy and relaxed place to pass an hour or two in the company of our talented sommelier team.
