WeeklySA_AdminPASSION: Many a delectable wine has been crafted at far-flung Perdeberg Cellar, scooping awards over many years…
By Len Maseko
As South Africa’s signature white grape, Chenin Blanc boasts quite a number of pedigreed addresses in the Cape winelands, where it is pampered with tender-loving care akin to a parent dotting on an off-spring.
One such fixed abode is Perdeberg Cellar, which has credibly claimed the distinction of being the home of Chenin Blanc while sharing it graciously with other wineries also driven by the passion for the same grape.
Situated in the triangle of Paarl, Durbanville and Swartland, and its vineyards boasting the goodness of four microclimates, Perdeberg has reaffirmed its status as one of South Africa’s leading Chenin Blanc wineries by consistently producing world-class wines showcasing its expertise garnered during its evolution over the past 82 years of its existence.
A mere 50-minute drive northwards on the N1,and off-ramping at the Klapmuts signage and turning left, the trip away from the Cape Town metropolis beings to transition into a scenic countryside plains and a long and winding stretch of a road leading a good half an hour to Perdeberg Cellar, nestling on the foothills of Paardeberg Mountains.
Here, cellamaster Albertus Louw and his winemaking team oversee an operation that produces nine wine ranges, some for local consumption and others for overseas markets. Louw represents a young generation that has – over time – succeeded an older generation of farmers who laid the foundation in 1940 for the establishment of Perdeberg Cellar. Today, the cellar stands as a shrine to the resilience and fighting spirit of the then farmers of the region, who grew dissatisfied with the low prices they were getting for their premium quality grapes, prompting one Jan Rossouw, an astute local farmer, to suggest that local farmers begin producing their own wine, and so Perdeberg Cellar was born. And, so too a posse of local farmers began their journey as pioneers of their own destiny, starting from humble beginnings with pressing their first grapes manually in 1942.
Since then, the journey has been highlighted by many milestones and most memorable the cellar’s 80th birthday celebrations in 2021, which were cemented with the launch of the super premiums range Rex Equus, a limited edition of only 1941 bottles made and 80 magnums created at R1 200 a bottle each.
This was later followed by The Endura range, which Louw says is made to reflect the true character of the chosen varietals and showcase the diversity and uniqueness of the local terroir. The next tier is the ultra-premium Dry Land Collection made from grapes that showcase the uniqueness of the wines grown in this testing terroir. For this range, specific vines in predetermined dry land vineyards are selected and intensive vineyard practices are employed to reach the desired wine profile.
Louw says the wine is made in a new world style, complex with ample fruit and structure. Red wines are matured in vats and only some of the white wines have wood contact.
For their passion and dedication, members of the team have been rewarded with a string of accolades, and so too for their painstaking attention to detail and determination to preserve the legacy of their forebears. Recently, the international industry-acclaimed publication, the Drinks Business, awarded the 2021 Endura Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc and 2022 The Dry Land Collection Courageous Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc (Old Vine) Gold medals, respectively, at this year’s Global Chenin Blanc Masters competition. The 2020 Vineyard Collection Cap Classique Chenin Blanc (Old Vine) was awarded Silver. The competition identifies the best Chenin Blancs from around the world in every price category.
On the local front, the 2022 The Dry Land Collection Courageous Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc (Old Vine) was named the Paarl District region winner in the Certified Heritage Vineyard: Natural Wine category at the 2023 SA Terroir Wine Awards.
Hot on the heels of this recognition came news recently from the annual review of South African wines Perdebe by British wine connoisseur Tim Atkin, giving Perdeberg Cellar 91 points for the 2021 Endura Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc – another reaffirmation of the cellar’s dexterity in handling the South Africa’s signature white grape.
Last month, Perdeberg unveiled a new packaging as a homage to the heritage and marking the journey back to its roots – and giving the range of its classical wines the impression of elegance and quality without raising the price.
The changes include a refreshed screwcap colour option as well as an updated label design, “which incorporates the cellar’s heritage and creates the impression of minimalistic warmth”, according to the winemaking team’s descriptor accompanying the news of this development.
A day-long, glaze-eyed experience in the countryside visiting the cellar can also be heightened – as happened with me – with dining at the in-house restaurant which offers a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. There are also hiking trails for the keep-fit enthusiasts.
For me a long and idle gaze into the breezy horizons was all I needed while sipping on some of the exquisite wines produced by the cellar team, especially their dessert wine.
