The wines of Waterkloof, Stellenbosch, South Africa

The wines of Waterkloof
An interesting producer from Stellenbosch, South Africa

Paul Boutinot

Stellenbosch winery Waterkloof was purchased by UK wine merchant Paul Boutinot in 2003. ‘It’s an indulgence,’ says Paul. ‘I want to make wines that I like.’ He reveals that he spent 10 years actively searching for the right vineyard site: one that could make fine wine in natural balance.

There are around 20 hectares of vines planted here on the slopes of the Heldeberg, the coolest part of Stellenbosch; Paul has been taking out things he didn’t like (around 5 hectares, mostly Chardonnay) and has also been removing alien trees, which are a big problem in the region.

‘The farm is biodynamically farmed,’ says Boutinot, ‘but only because I think it makes better wine. We are slowly developing it. We built the winery to make wine the way we wanted to, which is very simply.’

There is no temperature control, and added yeasts and enzymes are eschewed. The goal is to make wines that evolve in the bottle, and some of them take a long time to ferment. For example, the 2009 Chenin Blanc took 15 months, and most whites take 7–10 months to ferment. ‘We are not in a hurry,’ says Boutinot.

Winemaker Werner Engelbrecht is moving the winemaking here in a more natural direction, and this is a winery to watch, I reckon.

THE WINES

Waterkloof Circumstance Sauvignon Blanc 2009
13.5% alcohol. Intense and quite powerful with a herby edge to the grassy, slightly tropical fruit. Nice depth and intensity. Quite a savoury style. 90/100

Waterkloof Circumstance Cape Coral Mourvèdre Rosé 2010
13.5% alcohol. Very pale pink. Light, fresh, bright and racy. Well balanced with delicate strawberry notes. Provence style, with good texture. 89/100

Waterkloof Circumstance Syrah 2008
This was picked a bit later than normal, but it’s still a lovely wine. Ripe, sweet and bold with cherry and berry fruit as well as some meaty savouriness and a smooth texture. But there’s also some attractive peppery freshness. A portion of whole bunch was used here and it adds interest. Beautiful with real potential. 92/100

Waterkloof Circumstance Merlot 2008
Supple elegant berry fruits with some sweetness and a gravelly edge. Quite deep and full with an attractive mineral, savouriness. 90/100

Waterkloof Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Really intense and full with lovely grassy, green pepper notes and ripe bold fruit. The palate is dense and concentrated with herb and mineral notes. Very bold style but still fresh. 91/100

Waterkloof Circle of Life White 2009
Sauvignon with some Chenin and a dollop of Semillon, a mix of oak and stainless steel fermentation and ageing. Lovely taut, focused, mineralic nose with some depth. The palate is toasty and nutty with freshness and nice minerality. A hint of nice reduction, too. Some white peach fruit adds richness. 93/100

Waterkloof Circle of Life Red 2008
Smooth, pure, supple berry fruit with a meaty, herby edge. The palate is supple and fresh with nice acidity and appealing cherry and berry fruit. There’s a bit of herby, meaty character that detracts a little: apparently the 2009 doesn’t have this character. 88/100