Springfontein
Springfontein is the result of a brave decision by Anja and Johst Weber in 1996 to put previously virgin land down to vines east of Hermanus, around Walker Bay. Here the soil based on calcified sand dunes has a high natural lime content, excellent drainage, warm days and cool nights, allowing superb ripening for the fruit.
The Springfontein philosophy is to express the characteristics of this extraordinary terroir with as little intervention as possible. Winemaker, Christo Versfeld, is able to capture the essence of this philosophy by keeping production low and literally hand-crafting the wines. Considering the youth of their vines and the intensity of flavour they are already achieving, Springfontein is an estate to watch.
We have steadily added to our Springfontein range of wines over the years – the wines consistently offer excellent quality and value and are closely followed by our customers. We are constantly being asked when the next shipment is coming in!
Wines and grape varieties
White Wines
Terroir Selection Chenin Blanc
100% Chenin Blanc, barrel fermented and aged for a short time in 30% new oak.
Ikhalezi Botrytised Chenin Blanc (half bottles)
This noble late harvest wines is made from 100% Chenin Blanc aged for 14 months in new oak. Catch it while you can – it sells out quickly!
Red Wines
Sopiensklip Red
67% Merlot and 25% Cabernet with a smattering of Petit Verdot and Shiraz in 2007, aged for 13 months in 2nd and 3rd fill French oak.
Terroir Selection Pinotage
100% Pinotage, the wine spent 5 days on the skins before being pressed and put into barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation. After racking, it was aged in barrel (30% new French oak and 70% 2nd fill French oak) for 9 months
Ulumbaza Shiraz
100% Shiraz aged for 16 months in 33% new French oak – this is bottled unfiltered and unfined to preserve the natural flavours of the wine
Springfontein Estate
42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Shiraz, 9% Mourvèdre, 9% Petit Verdot with each variety vinified and matured separately for up to 14 months in barrel (33% new French oak) before being blended together. The final blend rested in barrel for around 2 months for the flavours to fully integrate.
Springfontein on E-RobertParker.com!
From limestone-rich vineyards only a few miles in from the Atlantic (and a facility only recently completed), Springfontein’s 2006 Pinotage Unfiltered Terroir Selection boasts a clarity of fruit and lift that was lacking in other pure Pinotage bottlings I tasted for this report. Bitter black currant, black olive, and beet root inform this particularly dark yet not at all heavy red, whose silken texture and long, bitter-sweet finish introduces suggestions of wet stone and toasted nuts.
Springfontein’s 2005 Ulumbaza is 100% Shiraz, and like all of their reds I tasted, raised in barriques. Scents of blackberry and cassis mingle with fennel and green peppercorn on the nose. In the mouth, pure, tart black currant is spiced with pepper and cinnamon, and there is a satisfying juicy freshness, but vegetal notes harmonize less successfully than they do in the estate’s Cabernet-based flagship (see below). The sappy, clean finish may gain further complexity if one follows this wine for another couple of years, although the tannins are quite refined and savory.
The 2005 Springfontein flagship bottling has no further name. It represents a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with 25% Merlot, 15% Shiraz, 9% Mourvedre, and 9% Petit Verdot, as well as one of the most fascinating and alluring South African wines I have tasted. Black currant, smoky Latakia tobacco, cedar, mint, dark chocolate, roasted red peppers, and black pepper rise from the glass. In the mouth, this is dense and fine-grained, with distinct character of chocolate-covered almonds and a bright, saline, chalky side that keeps it enticing and refreshing. A long finish reprises the complexity adumbrated in the aromas, ripe but without any superficial sense of sweetness. I can taste no reason to defer the pleasure of this wine’s company, but it would nevertheless be interesting to follow it for a few more years in bottle.
Robert Parker, E: RobertParker.com
Buy these wines here, or call us on 01353 721 999. For marketing queries, please contact Laura Taylor on 01353 721 602 or at laura@privatecellar.co.uk.
Find out more about Springfontein at www.springfontein.co.za
