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| Tamboerskloof Syrah by Kleinood |
Today, among several producers visited, I stopped by Kleinood Wine Farm, not far along the Blaauwklippen Road from Dornier. I was lucky enough to meet with the owner of the operation, Gerard de Villiers, who not only runs Kleinood, but also designs wineries around the world. He has worked with such recognisable names as Nyetimber as well as plenty of other South African wineries and has a remarkably intellectual approach to everything he does.
Before I tasted any of his wines, I was shown around the winery. Not a huge winery by any means, but it maximises it's efficiency by using several devices of Gerard's own design. A remarkable system of pulleys and cranes attached to a runner around the ceiling means that the machinery, including the basket press itself can be lifted and moved around the winery floor with ease. Alongside this, the larger fermentation tanks, far too big to be punched down by hand have computer-operated punch-down mechanisms along for maximum extraction in the wines.
In addition to the space-age technologies in use on the winery floor, the selection of the grape varieties was the result of careful monitoring of the weather patterns and comparing them with those of other regions around the world. I saw incredibly detailed analyses of soil conditions, rainfall and annual climate mapping which indicated the definitive correllation between Kleinood and the Norther Rhône, in particular Côte-Rôtie. Therefore, they went to the Côte-Rôtie and got a hold of their Syrah clones to make sure everything went according to plan. The resulting red is a powerful, peppery and briney Syrah that I find infinitely attractive!
For the white they use Viognier and vinify in a method similar to Condrieu, though the end result is laced with bracing acidity and crisp minerality with hints, though no more of elegant oak-aging coming through. Gerard said that formerly the winery produced a much more buttery style of Viognier but have moved this year to a more restrained, poised interpretation. Future years will see the incorporation of a small amount of Roussanne to the end result. Though I could find no fault with the wine as it is now, I am confident that Gerard's decision is based on very sound scientific reasoning.
The use of oak is restrained. Though all the wine, aside from the very pleasant rosé is matured in barrel, most of it is older, large French oak barrels meant to soften and unite the flavours of the wine but not to confect them with buttery toastiness.
Wine is an art to a winemaker and Gerard feels no differently. For him however their is an artistic science that he puts into his work. He is not trying to cultivate an image of some idyllic rural farmhouse operation, because he doesn't have to. He is conducting a balancing act between his innovative techniques and his traditions in such effortless fashion that I marvel at the absence of pretense. Tamboerskloof wines, made by Kleinood are really very impressive!
Much Love,
George
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