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Delheim
Friendly Stellenbosch winery, owned by the same family since 1938,
Stellenbosch revisited part 7
The
view from Delheim, looking towards Table mountain
The property that’s now the home farm
of Delheim was originally a large estate called Drie Sprong on the
southwestern slopes of the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch. In 1938 a
German named Hans Hoheisen purchased a 200 hectare portion of this
property, clearing some of the scrubland and planting Pinot Noir,
Cape Riesling, Cabernet and Hanepoort. He built a cellar with 25
concrete storage tanks of 4500 litre capacity each, and began making
wine. He named the new venture Delheim, after his wife (Deli’s
home) in 1949.
In 1951 Hans’ nephew Michael
‘Spatz’ Sperling joined them from Germany to help with the
venture. It was quite a struggle, and in 1957 Hans left, leaving
Spatz to run the farm. The home vineyards – 50 hectares of sandy
loam, high up the Simonsberg (with a cool climate and higher
rainfall) are better suited to white varieties and lighter reds. For
this reason, Spatz had his eye on buying more vineyard land
somewhere a bit warmer. In 1975 he purchased 80 hectares on the
Kaptutskop, next door to what is now Kanonkop’s vineyards. This
site was named Vera Cruz by Spatz, after his wife.
The Vera Cruz vineyard
Current
winemaker Reg Holder
When I visited, winemaker Reg Holder was
relatively new on the job, so he was showing me mostly someone
else's wines. [I always feel a bit sorry for winemakers in this
position.] He's planning to reduce the wood a bit and get better
fruit definition, which sounds promising. He reckons Shiraz is one
of the varieties that has a lot of potential on the farm, so he will
make this a focus. Reg also thinks Chenin could do well at Delheim,
but there's a struggle with the price points in South Africa.
Delheim isn’t widely considered to be
in the top tier of Stellenbosch estates, but they do have some
really good vineyard sites, and with a new winemaking direction
provided by Reg, this could change.
THE
WINES
Delheim Chardonnay Unwooded 2011
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Fresh and fruity with attractive rich pear and peach fruit.
Dense and pithy with nice fruit. 89/100
Delheim Chardonnay Sur Lie 2011
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Fresh and a bit nutty with nice savoury texture and some nutty
depth. Nice density here and some peachy, spicy richness. 90/100
Delheim Pinotage 2010 Stellenbosch,
South Africa
This is a barrel selection from the cellar. Sweet, lush, pure
black cherry and blackberry fruit. Some spicy oak notes and
chocolate/coffee richness, too. Very attractive in a ripe style.
90/100
Delheim Shiraz 2008 Stellenbosch,
South Africa
Lush, slightly minty, meaty nose. The palate is rich, dense and
bold with tar and spice. Nice definition, in a very ripe style.
89/100
Delheim Grand Reserve 2008
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Vivid and fresh with direct black fruits, some plums and a bit
of tar. Good structure and definition. Youthful and taut, and quite
stylish. 92/100
Delheim Grand Reserve 2001
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Smooth, supple and elegant, with a savoury, gravelly edge and
subtle hints of earth and leather, as well as sweet black fruits.
Fruit-driven but starting to develop some complexity. Fine tannins.
94/100
Delheim Noble Late Harvest Riesling
Edelspatz 2011 Stellenbosch, South Africa
From 2.65 hectares of vines, with low yields of 15 hl/hectare.
Spicy apricot fruit. Viscous and rich with some citrus and nice
balancing acidity. Fine and fresh. 93/100
STELLENBOSCH
REVISITED
 Part
1, Waterkloof
Part
2, Waterford
part
3, Reyneke
Part
4, Kanonkop
Part 5, Rustenberg
Part
6, Meerlust
Part
7, Delheim
Part 8,
Thelema
Part
9, Neil Ellis
Part
10, Tokara
Part
11, Oldenburg
Wines
tasted 03/12
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