New Releases: A New Addition and Returning Favourites

There's something special about a new vintage release: that moment when months (sometimes years) of careful work in the vineyard and cellar finally make their way into the bottle. We're particularly excited to introduce a brand-new wine to our range, alongside fresh vintages of two established favourites featuring new labels.

A New Look for the Landscape Series

Before we dive into the wines themselves, we're thrilled to share that the Landscape Series has been reimagined with new labels painted by artist Roderick Freemantle. What makes these labels truly special is that Rod created each one using pigments he derived from the actual vineyard soils where these grapes were grown, mixing them with natural binders to create earth-based paints. Each label literally contains the ground beneath the vines: a true representation of the diverse landscapes that shape these wines.

Introducing: Oxalis 2023 Syrah | R900

95 pts Tim Atkin | 94 pts Christian Eedes (Winemag.com)

We're thrilled to unveil Oxalis, a new addition to our portfolio and perhaps our most meaningful release yet. This top-end Syrah is limited to just 1,000 bottles. It is named after the rare and endangered Oxalis duriuscula, a bulbous geophyte endemic to the Overberg region between Botrivier, Heidelberg and Bredasdorp. The wine celebrates both botanical conservation and terroir expression. Like the delicate flowers of Oxalis duriuscula, which bloom in white, rosy purple, or combined hues with yellow tubes, this Syrah can only be made in this precise place, reflecting the unique character of Gabriëlskloof's terroir.

The fruit comes from three blocks on our property at 150m above sea level, planted in 2003. We'd previously sold these grapes, but retained them from the 2023 vintage onwards to capture their exceptional site potential. Block A1 (100% shale) contributes 50% of the blend, with the remaining 50% coming from two sandstone blocks.

Following our minimal intervention philosophy, 50% of the fruit was fermented as whole bunches. The wine then spent 14 months in 500L French oak barrels (2nd and 3rd fill Vicard and Sylvain cooperage) before being bottled on a waning crescent moon.

This powerful maiden vintage shows a dense bouquet of red and black fruit, violets, white pepper and dried sage. The palate is pure-fruited, succulent and intense: black cherries, muddled blueberries and cocoa nibs, while the dry, sappy tannin structure from whole bunch fermentation delivers texture and length. Poised, powerful and finessed, it's a wine that delivers early but carries the added promise of ageability.

Technical details: Alc 14% | RS 2.1 | TA 5.5 | pH 3.6

New Vintage Releases

Magdalena 2024 | R440

93 pts Tim Atkin | 96 pts Christian Eedes (Winemag.com)

The latest vintage of Magdalena is a thoughtful blend that brings together the best of several distinct vineyard sites: 39% Sauvignon Blanc from Botrivier and Olifantsrivier, 35% Chenin Blanc from Botrivier and Swartland, 23% of our own Semillon (planted back in 2006), and 3% Muscat d'Alexandrie from Olifantsrivier.

After whole-bunch pressing and 100% wild fermentation, the wine spent nine months on its lees in 400- and 500L French barrels (20% new, light toast). The result is layered and absorbing, featuring notes of pear, green plum, and nectarine with herbal accents of sage, Thai basil, and lemon thyme. As in previous vintages, a lovely, lightly flinty reduction adds depth and smokiness, while quince, ginger, and nougat bring weight to the mid-palate.

Technical details: Alc 13.64% | RS 2.0 | TA 5.6 | pH 3.19

Elodie 2024 Chenin Blanc | R440

94 pts Tim Atkin | 93 pts Christian Eedes (Winemag.com)

This latest vintage of Elodie continues to showcase two remarkable old Swartland bushvine blocks. Thirty per cent comes from Jakkalsfontein, with its granite soils and vines planted in 1986. The remaining 70% is from Nuweland, characterised by iron-rich soils and vines dating back to 1981.

All fruit was whole-bunch pressed and 100% wild fermented, then matured in older 400L and 500L barrels. Nine months on lees before blending and bottling have created a generous vintage: an array of orchard fruits, citrus, and thatch aromatics leading into a densely flavoured palate. The core of apricot, wild honey, and lemon rind melds with an oatmeal-like roundness, leading to a long finish that's given tension by a crunchy apple-skin texture.

Technical details: Alc 13.17% | RS 2.3 | TA 5.9 | pH 3.18

All three wines are available now at our tasting room and through our website. We're particularly excited for you to experience Oxalis: it's been a long time coming, and we think it captures something special about this corner of the Overberg. We'd love to share these wines with you and hear your thoughts.