Made by the Cape

Made by the Cape

The diversity of terroirs, even solely in the region of Stellenbosch itself, is extraordinary. Rugged mountains carving out perfect high-altitude sites for cooler microclimates; ancient soils untroubled by fault lines, access to sea air for freshness.

‘I like a vineyard that I can see the ocean from,’ Graham says, ‘and the vast majority we can see the ocean from. We stick to our principles of trying to source high, at altitude. That’s something that I certainly believe in a massive way.’

Though most of their fruit comes from Stellenbosch, South Africa’s finest region, Graham and his team love the complexity they find from broadening their lens. Graham talks excitedly about the chalky white soils from Robertson – ‘a lot of richness that comes out of there’. Then there’s the purity and elegance of the Veiplaas vineyard in Klein Karoo and the ancient, ultra-high Kaaimansgat vineyard in Overberg.

‘The diversity of the Western Cape is astounding,’ Graham says. ‘Two sides of the Atlantic Ocean and a couple of mountain ranges which give you not just climactic diversity but soil diversity. Completely different to what you’d get in California or Burgundy.’