The Story of Our Cool Climate Wines
Vineyards with views of the Palmiet Mountains & Bot River Lagoon
Basked in sunshine yet cooled by maritime winds, Benguela Cove proudly boasts some of the most sought-after terroirs in the Western Cape of South Africa. If we were in a dance with Mother Nature, she most definitely takes the lead.
The vineyards here are brought to life on the shores of the Bot River lagoon where this special Walker Bay terroir holds the key to create wines that are layered with fruit and poised on natural and bright acidities.
Dedicated to the craft of allowing each wine to tell its own story, only estate-grown grapes are used to encapsulate this quintessential cool climate.
The Story is Told from the Roots Up
Our vines are thoroughly adjusted to the marginal conditions close to the sea, anchored in diverse soil types and on different aspects that in turn creates various micro-climates to harbour different varieties. Exposed to the wrath of the stormy Cape, the wind is also our friend, keeping the vines healthy and cool in the peak of summer.
While warm days ensure phenolic ripeness, moisture-laden sea winds are chilled by the Benguela current welling up from Antarctica.
This helps to establish the needed diurnal temperature ranges and a cooler median daytime temperature that allows for slow ripening to preserve gentle characteristics.
The estate is planted with a variety of red and white cultivars, as well as various clones thereof to create a diverse winemaking canvas. All the vineyards are farmed as naturally as possible, micromanaged to nurture each vine to its full potential.
Vineyards cooled by the Benguela Current
Harvest time in the vineyards at Benguela Cove
Plantings are mainly driven by Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, complete with smaller parcels of Semillon, Mourvedre, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that has risen to the occasion with outstanding quality.
The vineyards are all site-specific, pushing viticultural boundaries to produce characterful wines packed with flavour. This includes attention to single vineyards and subsequent limited releases to showcase the magnitude of expression in a single estate.
Being a 95% dryland estate, huge efforts have gone into the vineyards which are now between 14 and 18 years old that will lead to a great outcome in the long run.
Thoughtful Viticulture - The Art of Winemaking
Infrared photography was applied to identify any differences in growth strength and the vineyards are managed accordingly.
Precision viticulture affected the way in which the irrigation and fertilizers were applied, introducing an irrigation strategy that includes the conversion to drip irrigation, a game-changer in years of water scarcities.
The grape’s journey is concluded in an innovatively designed cellar where modern and traditional wine-making techniques are utilised with minimal intervention to guide the journey of each grape cultivar into becoming wine.
400-ton state of the art gravity-fed winery
Complete with grandiose chandeliers extending from the ceiling, the 400-ton state of the art gravity-fed winery was custom built to house both traditional and modern fermentation vessels to ensure quality control.
Equipped with modern technology, creative applications are further encouraged with foudres (large wooden vats), smaller barrels, stainless steel, concrete eggs, terra cotta pots and ceramic clay pots to chisel each wine to perfection.
The Benguela Cove wine team is committed to a long-term relationship with this terroir and we are looking forward to sharing every drop of this discovery with you.
Inside Benguela Cove’s Cellar
Cellar complete with chandeliers
