Le Bonheur’s new winemaker brings in her first harvest

Friday, 28 March, 2014
Le Bonheur
Stellenbosch wine farm, Le Bonheur, has a new winemaker at the helm. Lauren Behrens’ predecessors make up a line that has tended the wines at this top estate, part of the Cape Legends collection of acclaimed brands, during more than two centuries.

Behrens joined the team as assistant winemaker to Sakkie Kotzé at the beginning of last year, before being appointed to the new position.

“My first solo Harvest - Awesome, but also challenging! I am very pleased with the season’s grapes and their potential,” said Behrens. “My hope for my 2014 wines is for the whites to be aromatic, fresh and crisp (in the cellar the aromatics of the whites fermenting have been amazing; for the reds (which look good,) I am expecting Big wines, rich in flavour and bold in colour. But I am taking one small step at a time and hope to make Giant leaps in the future!”

Behrens is 30 years old and has achieved two of her goals: to become winemaker at a top estate and to have 10 - in fact she has 11 - harvests under her belt. After enrolling for a BSc Chemistry at the University of Stellenbosch, she soon realised she wanted to balance laboratory work with her love for the outdoors, so she switched to Viticulture and Oenology (Spec).

In 2005 Behrens went on a nine-month internship at Diemersfontein Estate in Wellington. In 2006 she joined Neethlingshof Estate as assistant winemaker and during the following six and a half years, experienced harvests in France at Chateau Antugnac in 2008; and in California in the US at La Crema Winery in 2010.

She says: “Neethlingshof winemaker, De Wet Viljoen, mentored me throughout this time, presenting me with the opportunity to learn as much as possible from him and also making me aware that in this industry one never stops learning.

“I believe it is important as a young winemaker to taste and to see what is on the market, and to be open to more than just a one-sided style of wine.”

The 163-hectare Le Bonheur wine estate on the slopes of Klapmuts Hill in the northern region of Stellenbosch dates back to 1790. Grapes are handpicked, placed in small baskets to prevent bruising and hand sorted to select only the best fruit.

Le Bonheur held huge appeal to Behrens as it carries a long history of making classical, elegant wines. The estate has been completely redeveloped to produce fine quality wines, including perfecting the structure and composition of the soil to best suit the vines.

The estate has small vineyard blocks, from which only around 30-tons can be harvested per day, she explains. “The grapes are handled gently and only the free-run juice is used for Le Bonheur’s wines. Red wines are aged in 300-litre barrels for 18 to 24 months and mostly in new oak.

“Le Bonheur is a beautiful farm. I am excited and keen to learn each vineyard block’s niche terroir, to ensure the true identity is retained in the wine that is made from them and to always ensure balance and complexity of that wine.”

Behrens lists the most important aspects of producing the best results from grape to glass as:
- Keep the vine and fruit healthy
- Pick the fruit at the correct ripeness, so taste your fruit in the vineyard
- Allow clean and healthy fermentations
- Preserve the true identity of each vineyard block in the wine
- Always be open-minded because each year is not always the same as the last

Her two favourite varietals are Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which are found at Le Bonheur. “They are both varieties that should not be judged early in their making or underestimated as they age. They surprise me every time.”

She adds: “I think we can be proud of all the wines at Le Bonheur as they are classical wines, wines that truly age well. Some might not know but we have a very special red wine between our well-known Prima and Cabernet Sauvignon, known as the Tricorne. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Cabernet Franc and aged in French oak barrels for more than 26 months. This wine has only been made in 2009 and 2012.

“For me, 2013 was Sakkie’s and my year,” she says. They did the harvest together, as well as the blending of the Sauvignon Blanc 2013 and Chardonnay 2013. These white wines will be released soon, while the reds are resting in barrel and will be blended for 2013 in 11 months’ time. Behrens explains her focus as winemaker: “I want to see the high quality, richness of flavour and aroma, the identity of where the fruit comes from - the true terroir of Le Bonheur and the potential to age gracefully.

“There is also the passion of all the hands that have helped make the wine. I encourage my cellar staff to suggest ideas and I feel that each of them is also a winemaker in their own right. Additionally, I like to have the input of my vineyard team, so that we can make stunning wines together.”

Behrens is excited about this next chapter in her career as well as her life. She married fiancé, Hartmut Behrens in December 2013 and they both share a love of the outdoors. Le Bonheur means “happiness”, which is fitting for its new, young winemaker.

For more information about Le Bonheur and its wines, visit www.lebonheur.co.za. Details about the Cape Legends fine wines can be found at www.capelegends.co.za.