Waterkloof Seriously Cool

In 1993 Paul Boutinot went on a quest to find a vineyard site with the potential to produce high class wines expressive of terroir. The more prestigious growing areas in popular regions were unattainable, too costly for him to afford. Passionate in his search, Paul was led up a steep ravine opening out into a hidden gem of potential. It took Paul nearly a decade to narrow down his search to a plot of land in Schapenberg (Afrikaans for Sheep Mountain) overlooking False Bay in the Cape of South Africa. Schapenberg’s name was born from former Cape Colony Governor Adriaan van der Stel’s love for his sheep. This was his favourite place to take them out to graze, but it also gave him an advantage to see docking ships, allowing him to get a head start against his competition into town to sell his produce.

In the 1970s grapes started being planted in the area with the best wine making equipment becoming available at the start of the 1990s. In 2004 Paul Boutinot bought Waterkloof Winery. After taking over the winery Paul along with his winemaker, cellar master and Old-World-winemaking wisdom of his French colleagues decided which vines to plant and to set aside a part of the farm to preserve the natural vegetation growing there. In May 2008, Waterkloof was awarded champion status by the World Wildlife Funds Biodiversity and Wine Initiative for their conservation efforts. From the outset of their vineyard plantings in 2008, Paul decided to farm the vineyards using organic and biodynamic farming practices to keep the integrity of the land. In 2009 a state-of -the-art cellar, tasting room and restaurant were created to welcome guests from around the world. They also began exporting their brand.

Historically used in blends, this 100% Cinsault is a rare find, because it comes from 30-35 -year-old bush vines that are known to bring out the intense fruit flavours and impart a richness into the wine. This allows the winemaker to create truly exceptional quality wine made from this grape variety. Hand-harvested, aged 12 months in French oak and undergoing malolactic fermentation to create a smooth crème brûlée-like finish. We call this wine seriously cool because unlike most reds this wine should be enjoyed at a lower temperature of 14 ºC. Enjoy now or in the next 5 years.