2003 - 2007
In 2003, I decided that the time had come to bring the Oldenburg vineyards back to life. I was born on an adjacent property but left a turbulent South Africa around 1967. I would return to the Cape almost every year for Christmas and have always found the beauty of the valley captivating. To my mind the chance of capturing Oldenburg's enormous potential by producing high quality wines seemed like an opportunity too good to miss. The decision was made to completely replant all the vineyards on the farm. This created the opportunity for us to leverage our terroir through planting specific cultivars in appropriate soils and areas.
2007 - present
In 2007 we produced our maiden vintages. Despite the vineyards being so young, they truly showed their potential by producing some exciting wines. Our first Syrah was named "Joshua" after my son as he celebrated his sixth birthday on our first ever harvest day. Our maiden Cabernet Franc was called "Les Quatre Enfants" as a celebration of my four children.
The 8 Natural Elements
We believe that Oldenburg is a place of extraordinary peace and beauty. It has become clear to us that there are 8 Natural Elements - rarely ever found in a single location - which all contribute to the uniqueness of our farm, and the potential to produce wines of singular quality.
The influence of two oceans (the Atlantic and the Indian) in close proximity to our vineyards, the mountain ranges throughout the Cape Winelands, the mountain amphitheatre that creates our corner of the Banghoek, the elevation of our vineyards (we are situated in a hanging valley, between 300m and 410m), the cooling effect of the south-east wind, our mineral-rich soils and the 8th element at the centre of it all: Rondekop itself.