In 2015, starting with the Sauvignon Blanc, they decided to improve their grape sources for the range and concluding with the Chardonnay in 2017, that vineyard voyage is now complete.
“We felt that now was the perfect time to give those grapes the vessels they deserve. Striking new labels that tell their unique stories,” shares cellarmaster for both brands Nadia Barnard.
“If we do in fact use grapes from old coastal vineyards, ferment them spontaneously with wild yeast and then age the wine in large wooden casks, why weren’t we tying our flag to the mast and communicating those facts on the labels?”
Grammy-nominated graphic artist and renowned illustrator Stanley Chow was commissioned to draw a descriptive icon for each of the six wines, to give each their own identity and striking new look.
“It’s all in the name. Each one is different but we harness the same natural ingredients: fantastic coastal fruit, old vines and wild yeast abound, with additions avoided,” adds Nadia.
Back in 1994 when, long before founding Waterkloof, Paul Boutinot came to the Western Cape to seek out and rescue grapes from old, under-appreciated vineyards. These treasures were otherwise destined to be lost in the large cooperative blends that were dominating South Africa's wine industry back then.
Unusual for that time, Boutinot transformed those Cape gems into wines of minimum intervention: wild yeast ferments, no acid additions...you know the drill. A familiar story to many ‘pure wine' lovers now, but back then he was swimming against the tide.
