The discovery of a wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation. The universe is too full of stars – Benjamin Franklin
It was early January as I sat on the stoep of David Nieuwoudt’s quaint old farmhouse nestled into a rocky outcrop overlooking the rugged Cederberg landscape.
My palate was as dry as the dusty roads which wind their way through mountain tops to this magical cellar.
Out came David with his customary grin and nestled in his burly arms was his “new baby” wrapped in a wet towel to keep her cool. Here she is he proudly proclaimed, as he carefully unbundled her.
This is our “new baby” in The Ghost Corner range he said, pouring me a glass of the Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc. Like magic my parched throat started to awaken…
Following on from Carl Schultz’s insight into the soil side of terroir, I asked David Nieuwoudt – owner of Cederberg Private Cellars – and his assistant Tammy Turck to reveal some secrets about the terroir behind his legendary Ghost Corner range in the Elim ward.
Ghost Corner range
On a dark and stormy night at Cape Agulhas – the southernmost tip of Africa – when the wind is churning up the waters of the chilly Atlantic and the warmer Indian Oceans, ghostly voices seem to groan on the wind.
The sailors christened this treacherous coastline “Ghost Corner”, where more than 130 ships were shipwrecked. Stormy, misty weather made the seas difficult to navigate, and in this area compass readings show no deviation between magnetic and true north.
Inland from Cape Agulhas lies the Elim wine ward, part of the Cape Agulhas wine district. Elim is the coolest ward in the Western Cape, thanks to high winds and its proximity to the ocean. Cool sea breezes keep the daily temperatures moderate, with the mercury rarely exceeding 28°C.
The maritime climate is crucial for the development of the intense flavour of sauvignon blanc grapes.
“Methoxypyrazine levels, which give the grassy, capsicum and green fig flavours in grapes, are at higher levels in areas such as Elim,” says Tammy Turck. “The soil in this area – grey slate, coffee stone and Bokkeveld gravel deposits – are ideally suited to growing Semillon and Pinot noir grapes.”
The magical synergy between soil, climate, wind, temperature, proximity to the ocean and position makes Elim an optimal area for the production of phenomenal wines.
The Ghost Corner range, consisting of a Semillon, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Noir (still to be released), and “The Baby” – a wooded Sav Blanc (still to be released, exclusive to La Cave) – bears testimony to this: wines that linger on the palate and evoke a sense of mysteries past.
Buxtons La Cave in La Lucia Mall are offering the following wines on special for May only:
Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, R145 each. Both limited stock.
031 572 6073
e-mail lacave@telkomsa.net