Waterkloof Wine Estate

In 1993 Paul Boutinot commenced his search for a vineyard site with the potential to produce truly fine wine with a defining sense of origin. The classic areas, capable of growing naturally balanced grapes such as the Cote d’Or, Chablis, Paulliac, Barolo, etc. were either unavailable or unattainable (rich men’s toys), so he had to find a new classic. It took ten years to narrow the search down to a small area on the south-facing slopes of the Schapenberg, overlooking False Bay in the Cape. As soon as he was led up a steep ravine opening out into a hidden amphitheatre of potential, all his experience and intuition told him: THIS IS IT! Waterkloof was born, and the hard work began.

Our aim is to produce “honest” wines that truly express our unique site on the Schapenberg. At Waterkloof we are fortunate enough to be looking after a vineyard, capable of producing naturally balanced grapes, imbued with their own character and sense of place. To respectfully transmit this character and balance into the bottle, we believe it makes sense to turn those grapes into wine with minimal intervention and maximum care (click here to learn more about how we make our wines). We monitor, we do not dictate. With this in mind, all fruit is hand-picked and handsorted. Following this careful selection, our red and white grapes are handled differently, but are both treated with an equally natural approach.