Sunshine in a wine glass

by | Dec 1, 2024 | Newsletter Subscribers

Swartland recently welcomed a proud new wine brand among its top producers. Hailing from the vineyards of Du Toit Family Wines, Knolfontein is a new boutique wine range that reflects the family’s heritage of grape-growing excellence through the local expression of its Kasteelberg vineyards in the Riebeek Valley.

The farm has been successfully growing wine grapes from the beginning, and their prize grapes support all the activities on the farm. “There were vineyards on the farm when my great grandfather Daniël Stephanus du Toit bought the land in 1907,” says Pieter du Toit, the fourth generation of grape growers. “When my father, Danie, began farming here 52 years ago, he harvested 300 tonnes. When I came to the farm in 2006, the average harvest was around 1400 tonnes, and today we get around 3000 tonnes from 140 ha under vine.”

Pieter was raised in the area and studied viticulture and oenology at Elsenburg Agricultural College before taking a sabbatical to play rugby in France. But knowing the potential of the farm’s grapes – a key ingredient in other producers’ award-winning wines – the plan to establish the family’s own brand and identity has never been far from his mind. In 2019, he visited Australia to gather inspiration and plan the way ahead.

Pieter du Toit, owner of Knolfontein

Pieter du Toit, owner of Knolfontein

No place like home

All that preparation bore fruit when Pieter bottled the first Knolfontein wine in 2020, from a special block of Shiraz. “You work the vineyards all year round, and it’s quite satisfactory to see all your hard work in your own label,” he says.

For now, the range comprises three single-cultivar wines from varieties that the Swartland is best known for: Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, and Cinsaut – only seven tonnes in total from a selected section of the farm. The Rhône varietals are better adapted to the region’s heat and can yield premium wines even with summer temperatures easily breaking into the 40s.

The Chenin Blanc is made from 30-year-old bush vines. “Older vines have a much better balance of vigour and yield. They produce better natural acids, which improve the wine’s ageing ability and quality. With age comes lower yields, which improve flavour intensity and complexity.”

Strict suckering and leaf-breaking actions were applied to ensure quality, with supplementary irrigation to keep heat waves at bay. “Removing the extra shoots allows better sunlight penetration, colour and taste,” he says. “Monitoring the sugars is of utmost importance to get the timing of the grapes’ harvest spot-on.”

Their vineyards grow on a plateau near Kasteelberg known as the Panorama Afset. The well-drained, deep soils are excellent for producing quality wines. Other varieties grown here include Pinotage, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Touriga Nacional, Chardonnay and Marsanne. The family also planted some Malbec last year. “There’s potential here for Grenache Noir, and I think a Grenache-Mourvèdre-Shiraz blend would also do quite well here.”

A new beginning

Knolfontein’s new tasting room has been converted from an old cellar that was part of the original farmhouse. The slate building dates back to the early 1800s and was originally used to distill brandy and make wine for their own consumption. Outlines of the old cement tanks are still visible on the floor, and an articulated wooden pipe mounted against the wall reminds visitors of how the juice used to be pumped from a nearby press.

While the range is still small, his wines are vinified by Sheree Nothnagel at the Riebeek Valley Wine Company’s boutique cellar down the road. “It makes financial sense to do it this way,” Pieter says. “It’s certainly a dream to have my own cellar one day, but for the moment, this arrangement works well.”

Pieter’s father, Danie du Toit, is still very involved in the farm’s operation; here tilling the soils for future plantings.

 

With the coveted Wine of Origin Swartland on the label, Pieter has his work cut out to set Knolfontein’s wines apart from more established labels. It’s a challenge, and a privilege, that he relishes. “It’s about attention to detail,” he says. “Do things right and at the right time, and you will bear the fruit down the line.”

For now, most of the wine will be sold from the farm and online while Pieter focuses on developing the domestic markets, but exports are certain to follow as the brand grows. “We share a century of experience between father and son, and we already know where the best vineyards with the best soils are,” Pieter says. “That will reflect in the wines.”

It’s a new era for the Du Toit family. “It’s still small, but each generation on the farm must do something else to give the next generation a reason to stay. You always have to think ahead and try something new.”
Who knows, one day Pieter’s eight-year-old son Daniël might well be the fifth generation and future winemaker of Knolfontein.

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