The 2021 harvest in Franschhoek and Darling can best be described as “late, slow, and steady.” A cold, wet winter provided excellent dormancy for the vines and replenished water reserves ahead of the growing season. The cool conditions carried through into spring, leading to a delayed but even bud break, flowering, and fruit set. A moderate summer further extended the ripening period, pushing harvest about two weeks later than usual. February, typically the warmest month, was unexpectedly cool, allowing the grapes to ripen gradually while retaining fresh acidity and vibrant flavors. The result is an exceptional vintage producing outstanding wines that are approachable yet have wonderful ageing potential.

Our 2021 Merlot grapes were carefully hand-picked and placed into small lug boxes before being transported to the cellar in refrigerated trucks to preserve their freshness. Upon arrival, the whole berries go through a thorough double-sorting process, including optical sorting, and are gently gravity-fed into wooden fermenters. Each parcel undergoes a cold soak for a few days before gradually being warmed for a natural fermentation to take place. After fermentation, the wine is left on the skins for an extended 5-day maceration period to extract even more depth and colour. The wine is then matured for 24 months in 40% new French oak barriques, bottled, and aged in the bottle for an additional three years. The grapes for this Merlot are sourced from our vineyards planted on L’Ormarins in Franschhoek and Rooderust in Darling.

The 2020 Merlot harvest in Franschhoek brought a renewed sense of optimism. After the prolonged drought years, increased rainfall provided much-needed relief to the vineyards, leading to improved vine health and larger yields compared to 2019. Moderate temperatures during the ripening period allowed for slow, even maturation, preserving fresh aromatics and depth of flavour. The resulting wines show excellent balance, with ripe tannins, refined structure, and a vibrant fruit profile. With it’s richness an d complexity, the 2020 vintage stands out as one of the most promising years for Merlot in South Africa.

Our 2020 Merlot grapes were carefully hand-picked and placed into small lug boxes before being transported to the cellar in refrigerated trucks to preserve their freshness. Upon arrival, the whole berries go through a thorough double-sorting process, including optical sorting, and are gently gravity-fed into wooden fermenters. Each parcel undergoes a cold soak for a few days before gradually being warmed for a natural fermentation to take place. After fermentation, the wine is left on the skins for an extended 5-day maceration period to extract even more depth and colour. The wine is then matured for 24 months in 50% new French oak barriques, bottled unfiltered, and aged in the bottle for an additional three years. The grapes for this Merlot are all sourced primarily from our Franschhoek vineyards and selected vineyards from Groenekloof in Darling.
Only 12 barriques were produced for the 2020 vintage.

The 2019 Merlot vintage in Franschhoek marked a significant turnaround from the tough conditions of previous years. After enduring three years of intense drought, the vineyards bounced back, resulting in a much higher yield compared to 2018. Although the fluctuating weather during the crucial flowering and fruit set in October caused some uneven ripening, the overall growing season was marked by moderate conditions that encouraged strong vine growth and lush canopies. The slightly cooler temperatures leading up to harvest allowed the grapes to develop beautifully, with a great balance of acidity and exceptional flavors.

Grapes are hand-picked, placed in small lug boxes, and transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck. The whole berries are double-sorted in the cellar using optical sorting before being gravity-fed into wood fermenters. Each batch is cold-soaked for a few days and then gradually brought up to temperature, where fermentation occurs naturally. After fermentation, the skins can be macerated for 5 days. The wines were matured in 50% new French wood for 24 months before being bottled unfiltered and bottle-aged for an additional three years. The grapes come primarily from our Franschhoek vineyards, with a small percentage coming from our Groenekloof vineyards.

Due to a prolonged drought that was possibly the worst in a century’s worth of records, the harvest season of 2018 was especially challenging. The dry weather that persisted throughout the season had some positive effects, namely that the vines were in better health and there were either fewer or no instances of pests and diseases recorded. Because of the stress caused by a lack of water, the berries were significantly smaller than usual, which led to a reduced harvest. Smaller berries offer higher colour and flavour intensity, and the 2018 vintage is expected to be of high quality due to the milder temperatures during harvest.

Grapes are hand-picked, placed in small lug boxes, and transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck. The whole berries are double-sorted in the cellar using optical sorting before being gravity-fed into wood fermenters. Each batch is cold-soaked for a few days and then gradually brought up to temperature, where fermentation occurs naturally. After fermentation, the skins can be macerated for 5 days. The wines were matured in 50% new French wood for 24 months before being bottled unfiltered and bottle-aged for an additional three years. The grapes come primarily from our Franschhoek vineyards, with a small percentage coming from our Groenekloof vineyards.

Vineyards selected for the Anthonij Rupert range of wines are chosen from vines planted on very specific sites and soil types. The canopies of each block and the final yield of each site are managed precisely to express the character of the specific varietal and its location.

Grapes are picked by hand, placed into small lug boxes, and transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck. In the cellar, the whole berries are double-sorted with optical sorting and then gravity-fed into wood fermenters. Each batch is cold-soaked for a few days and then slowly brought up in temperature, where fermentation takes place naturally. After fermentation, 5 days of maceration on the skins are allowed. The wines were aged for 24 months in 60% new French oak, bottled unfiltered, and then bottle-aged for 3 years.

The vineyards selected for the Anthonij Rupert wines are chosen from vines planted on very specific sites and soil types. The canopies of each block and the final yield of each site was managed precisely to express the character of the specific varietal and location.

Grapes are picked by hand, placed into small lug boxes and transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck. In the cellar, the whole berries are manually double sorted and then gravity fed into fermenters. Each batch is cold soaked for a few days and then slowly brought up in temperature, with fermentation taking place naturally. The wines were aged for 18 to 24 months in 80% new French oak, bottled unfiltered and furthermore bottle aged for 2 years.

Grapes are picked by hand, placed into small lug boxes and transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck. In the cellar, the whole berries are manually double sorted and then gravity fed into fermenters. Each batch is cold soaked for a few days and then slowly brought up in temperature, fermentation takes place naturally. The wines were aged for 18 to 24 months in 80% new French oak, bottled unfiltered and bottle aged for 2 years.

The vineyards selected for the Anthonij Rupert wines are chosen from vines planted on very specific sites and soil types. The canopies of each block and the final yield of each site was managed precisely to express the character of the different varietal and location.

Grapes are picked by hand, placed into small lug boxes and transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck. In the cellar, the whole berries are manually double sorted and then gravity fed into fermentors. Each batch is cold-soaked for a few days and then slowly brought up in temperature. Fermentation takes place naturally. The wines were aged for 18 to 24 months in 80% new French oak, bottled unfiltered and bottle-aged for 2 years.

The vineyards selected for the Anthonij Rupert wines are chosen from vines planted on very specific sites and soil types. The canopies of each block and the final yield of each site were managed precisely to express the character of the different varietal and location.