Reyneke
Biodynamics at the Cape! Biodynamic wines shaped by their terroir come from Reyneke wine estate. Johan Reyneke Junior's farm lies in Stellenbosch itself, at the heart of South African winegrowing. Since taking over his parents' business in 1998, his aim has been to produce biodynamic wines. So far, only a few South African winegrowers have introduced this demanding approach.
The estate's outstanding sites around Stellenbosch offer ideal conditions. Reyneke's philosophy is to capture the individuality of the different sites, in terms of soil and microclimate, and of each vintage in the bottle with as little alteration as possible. In the vineyard, Reyneke sees the appearance of disease as a sign of an imbalance in nature. Biodynamic methods seek to address the cause rather than just the symptoms. For example, the soil is worked gently with stone axes that seem to belong to the Stone Age. In the cellar, the addition of enzymes, proteins or stabilisers is avoided altogether wherever possible. The result is expressive wines of complex concentration and subtle structure. Incidentally, part of the proceeds from sales of the red Cornerstone blend goes into a fund providing pensions for farm workers.