The Babylonstoren estate located between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch in South Africa is many things to many different people. To some it is a healing garden, to others it is perhaps the finest farm shop the Cape Province has to offer, and you can argue over its hotel and fine dining opportunities the estate offers. What you cannot dispute however is that the Babylonstoren estate is one heck of a winery.
Babylonstoren makes ten different wines (four white, one rosé, four red and one Cap Classique). They are produced and bottled in a purpose designed winery and delightfully showcase the soils and climate where their grapes are grown.
Thirteen different grape varieties are grown on the estate. Some of the highest vines, the pinot noir vines lie against the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain at some 650 metres above sea level.
Before the present owners acquired the estate, the grape growing Louw family, had lived here for four generations. The Louws grew grapes the former Simondium Co-operative Winery and other large wineries in the area.
Ten different wines
Some of the vines on the farm were planted by the farm’s previous owners, the Louw family, who lived here for four generations. The Louws were grape growers for the former Simondium Co-operative Winery and other large wineries in the area.
Now cellar master Charl Coetzee, and winemakers Klaas Stoffberg and Jeanne Pienaar, create a series of limited-edition wines exclusively for members of the Babylonstoren Wine Club.
Echoing the farm’s 17th-century Cape Dutch architectural vernacular, the modern winery was designed by Gerard de Villiers has been fitted with custom-made processing equipment. This includes six types of red-wine fermenters. The adjacent building houses the underground barrel maturation cellar that is temperature and humidity controlled.
We have flown here, yes flown, by Cape Town Helicopters. Their fleet of airbus choppers are frequently involved in location transfers that are quick, safe and efficient. The aircraft operator is working in tandem with Ker & Downey Africa the high-end tour operator. And it is they who are choreographing our whirlwind tour of the area.
This is where you need to be
Ker & Downey Africa have brought us here to join a tutored wine tasting. It was one of the highlights of the tour they organised for us.
Sarah Morris, General Manager of the Private Clients Division told us “If you are in Cape Town and have a love of wine, this is where you need to be.”
Roscoe was our tutor, and he had a fine sense of humour and an in depth knowledge of the wine he was showing off.
Each wine was served with a selection of delicious platters designed as a light snack in conjunction with the wine tasting.
His passion for his wine was infectious and these are the notes we made while tasting
Candide
A blend of chardonnay, chenin blanc, sémillon and viognier. Refreshing yet complex, with lovely tropical flavours rounded off with a lingering, fresh acidity.
Chenin Blanc
Light, crisp, and elegant dry wine. Unwooded with refreshing guava, pineapple and melon flavours. Great with salads, light fish dishes or on its own.
Viognier
Dry, slightly wooded, medium-bodied white wine is creamy with a floral nose and lime zest finish. French oak finish makes this bold white seem fuller on the palate.
Chardonnay
Matured for about 11 months in French oak. Characterised by tangy citrus fruits softened by undertones of vanilla and a nutty complexity. Big wine for special occasions.
Mourvèdre Rosé
The Babylonstoren Mourvèdre Rosé is the official rosé of the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show held in the UK. Elegant, dry wine of a sophisticated salmon colour and delicious hints of raspberries and rose petals. Knocks the socks off Whispering Angel
Babel
Blend of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, petit verdot, cabernet granc, pinotage, mourvèdre, grenache noir, barbera and marselan. Black fruit held together beautifully with smooth tannins.
Shiraz
French oak, matured it has a surprisingly fresh mid-palate with layers of blackcurrant, new leather, wood spice and white pepper with a velvety mouth-feel and long, lingering finish.
Nebukadnesar
Flagship Bordeaux, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot, and malbec. Well-balanced wine with a spicy warmth and intense undertones of blackcurrant and tobacco.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Matured for 18 months in large oak barrels. The nose shows red and black berries, violets, some vanilla, while the palate is medium bodied with pure fruit, fresh acidity and ripe tannins.
Sprankel
Sparkling white made from 90% chardonnay and 10% pinot noir. Vibrant, fruity and crisp. Earthy, Lime and grapefruit with a long finish.