Region: Tulbagh

Varietal: Red

Winemaker: Johan Delport

Medium bodied blend of four unique cultivars. Taste of a medley of red fruits and spices, soft tannins with a lasting taste.

Purchase Online from: Cybercellar

This year’s Sauvignion Blanc has developed surprising characteristics with a greenness noticeable on the nose and the palate, most unusal for a warm climate sauvignon and very pleasing with a balanced acidity that gives a very fresh and lively taste.

We have made an unwooded Chardonnay for the first time in a fashion that attempts to emulate some of the style of North Italian Chardonnays, with good varietal character while remaining fruity, fresh and dry, without the overbearing use of wood.

Viognier, one of my favourites, is again showing signs of fresh apricot and peach, this dry wine is starting to show the character of the vineyard or terroir and we expect it to develop as the vines age, showing a more serious character and less of the exuberance of youth.

The 2009 Blanc de Blanc has been made in the style of the past few years, fruity, fresh and dry, a pleasing blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin, Muscat and a touch of Viognier.

This year’s harvest of reds is still undergoing malolactic fermentation and causing the winemaker, Suzanne Miller pictured above, the usual headaches as the season drifts into the winter’s lower temperatures. First indications are for a lower alcohol with good colour, structure and body.

We have just bottled the first wine under the Schalkenbosch label. A 2006 southern Rhone style wine made from Shiraz, Grenache, Mouverdre, Cinsaut and Viognier. The wine spent 18 months in new and 2nd fill French and American oak before being transferred to older barrels to mature. This is a really good wine with full body, dense colour and a complex structure. The nose is very appealing and it is clear that we did not make enough of this big, fruity wine. Only 2200 bottles will be released in June. This maiden vintage will sell out very quickly and “Schalkenbosch Stratus” will only be available in years where it can match or better the 2006 vintage.

Speaking of winemakers headaches, the Baboon population were a real problem this year and still managed to do damage to the crop in spite of us having people patrolling the vineyards. They are clever enough to know when it is knock off time and how to get up earlier than the workforce. Baboons are really destructive, as they break off a bunch, take one bite, then throw the remainder away before moving on to the next. In desperation, we set a cage trap, which does not harm them, in order to try and capture and relocate them. The trap works on a simple trigger plate which the baboon must cross to get to the food, once triggered the door slams down and the Baboon must sit and wait until he is released. So far, this has not proved very effective but the cage did cause some excitement. I arrived at the trap early one morning to find a really annoyed large male porcupine. He didn’t understand that I was trying to help him get out and kept charging at me, tail first. Even though there was strong wire netting between us, it took quite a while to get the door open and let him out. He scuttled off somewhat imperiously, rattling his quills as he went. Some of the quills he left behind were a good half metre in length. I have not seen such a big and handsome specimen before. The porcupine’s tactic is to present his backside full of quills and rush backwards at a predator which is enough to put off any but the most hungry or the most stupid. In the wild a quill can inflict serious injury which often becomes infected and larger animals have been known to die as a result.

The leopard population have also been active recently and the spoor of large male was seen 50m from the manor house, two days ago. These beautiful creatures are mainly nocturnal and there are several pairs living in the mountains behind the house and evidence of their presence is seen often. They appear to be rearing young families as the spoor of the cubs walking with their mother is also evident.

We were pleased to see our two Secretary birds back on the farm this month, these large and serious looking birds stride through the fields looking for snakes and rodents and are quite rare in this part of the country. In past seasons they have nested here and we hope they will do so again this year.

We have had the first rains of the season with a fall of 60mm being recorded last Saturday, they bring a freshness to the valley and evidence of new growth and life is everywhere. The cattle have started calving just in time to benefit from the new food supply, but elsewhere, trees are losing their leaves and the vines are almost dormant, waiting for the winter’s pruning.

For those of you who know Rusty the Ridgeback – more popular than his owners with the farm’s guests – he is well, though showing signs of age (like his owner) and getting a bit windy (not like his owner!). He still has a problem with Nelson, one of the gardeners whom he often chases, but he is not quite as dedicated as he used to be and soon retires to a shady spot after a couple of barks, growls and a few mock charges.

With warm wishes to all our friends!
Jill, Peter, Suzanne and Rusty

Artist Impression of the planned 27 hole Schalkenbosch Golf Course, to be designed by Robert Trent Jones II.

Robert Trent  Jones, Jr. (born July 24, 1939 in Montclair, New Jersey) is a noted golf course architect. He is the son of legendary golf course designer Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and the brother of golf course designer Rees Jones.

After attending Yale and graduate studies at Stanford University, he joined his father’s firm, Robert Trent Jones Incorporated. He rose to become vice-president of the company and assumed control of west coast operations in 1962.

In the 1960s, he began designing courses on his own and formed his own company, Robert Trent Jones II, in the early 1970s in Palo Alto, California. He has designed or remodeled more than 200 golf courses during his career.

Jones continues to design courses and currently resides in Woodside, California. He has also served as the president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and has published a book on entitled Golf by Design designed to help players understand golf course layout .

Schalkenbosch wines are crafted from carefully selected, hand picked and sorted grapes which are vinified in the cellar behind the main house.

Biodiversity highlights: Area conserved – 850ha.
The estate has some of the last remaining fragments of Breede Shale Renosterveld, a critically endangered vegetation type. Three rare and endangered bulb species (seen in photo above) were discovered by the Custodians for Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) project team. A further 600ha is in the process of being added to the area under conservation.

Botanical field work was conducted on the estate in 2005 by the CREW (Custodians of Rare & Endangered Wildflowers) project team, who made the exciting discovery of three rare and endangered bulb species.

Photo’s of the Schalkenbosch Estate situated in Tulbagh, South Africa, an easy 80 min drive from Cape Town. The estate is a working farm of approx 2500ha.

Click on any thumbnail below for a larger view:

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Groups By Appointment

There are three self-catering cottages on Schalkenbosch which are comfortably furnished with DSTV and cosy fireplaces. The kitchens are fully equipped with small stove, microwave, fridge/freezer and all basic cooking utensils. Each cottage has its own private braai/BBQ area for which firewood is supplied. Safe parking is available on the farm outside your cottage. Should you wish to relax and unwind without the bother of cooking we would be happy to book a table for you at any one of the various local restaurants.

VINTAGE: 2005
ORIGIN: Western Cape
CULTIVAR: Sauvignon Blanc 45%/Chenin Blanc 45%/Shiraz10%
WINEMAKER: Johan Delport
ALCOHOL: 13.61%
pH: 3.44
SUGAR: 1.6g/l
ACIDITY: 5.9g/l

WINEMAKER`S DESCRIPTION
Fruity and refreshing dry wine with flavours of guava and raspberries. Elegantly aromatic bouquet and pleasing finish.
MATURATION POTENTIAL
This wine is ready for immediate enjoyment now.
SUGGESTED FOOD
Serve on its own in summer at the pool. This wine is the ideal companion for cold meat or dessert.
SUGGESTED SERVING TEMPERATURE
13-15 °C

VINTAGE: 2006
ORIGIN: Western Cape
CULTIVAR: 45% Sauvignon Blanc/ 45% Chenin Blanc/ 10% Muscat D`Alexandrie
WINEMAKER: Johan Delport
ALCOHOL: 12.36%
pH: 3.32
SUGAR: 2.8g/l
ACIDITY: 7.4g/l

WINEMAKER`S DESCRIPTION
Elegant white wine with flavour of green peppers, ripe apples and figs. Smooth and refreshing with aromatic, flowery bouquet and pleasing finish.
MATURATION POTENTIAL
This wine is ready for immediate enjoyment now.
SUGGESTED FOOD
Serve on its own in summer time at the pool or at a party.
SUGGESTED SERVING TEMPERATURE
14 – 16 °C