About Durbanville Hills

 

Although the Durbanville area is renowned for its Sauvignon blanc that excels under the cool conditions where it is grown mostly on the cool south facing slopes, the range of red wines also benefit from the warmer valley outskirts and opposing northern slopes.

 

 

The hills of Durbanville rise above the flat surrounding landscape which is virtually at sea level. In the early morning they are often shrouded in mist. Together these hills and valleys provide an almost endless variety of slopes, soil types and micro climates that make it possible to grow a range of classic cultivars with equal success.

 

The Durbanville area is among the coolest wine-growing areas in the Cape Winelands and has the benefit of receiving little rain in summer. This cool character has not so much to do with the height of the vineyards above sea level as with the southeaster wind which, during the summer months and then mostly in the late afternoon, blows off False Bay over the Cape Flats. It is surprisingly cold as it comes sweeping over the contours of the hills, drenching the vineyards in cool, moist air even on the hottest day. And when the southeaster is not blowing, a westerly wind comes off the cold Atlantic to do the same.

 

In the winter months the prevailing northwester blows off the Atlantic Ocean from exactly the opposite direction as the reigning summer wind. Rainfall is relatively low, around 400 mm per year, but the deep, favourably structured soils are able to absorb and efficiently retain water, thereby ensuring an adequate water supply to the vines during the dry summer months.

 

The trellised vineyards are mostly dryland but can be given ancillary irrigation when the water table drops too low and the vines become stressed. We know exactly what to expect from each block and we are able to develop a unique style that is a true reflection of the area, a style that combines the elegance of the Old World with the outspoken fruitiness of the New.

 

 

Durbanville Hills would not have existed without the enthusiasm of the winery's producers and their faith in the high potential of their high-quality grapes. In the late 1990s seven grape farmers and Distell agreed to build a cellar as part of a joint venture to make their own wine. Since the first vintage in 1999, there are nine member farms, all located near the cellar. The member farms are Klein Roosboom (the site of the fresh-water spring that prompted the first farmers to settle in the area), Ongegund, Hillcrest, Maastricht, Morgenster, Bloemendal and Hooggelegen. Another two producers from the farms Welbeloond and De Grendel recently joined the cellar. Such is the heritage of the region that the youngest of these farms, Klein Roosboom, was established in 1714 and the oldest, a mere three years after those established in the Constantia area in 1685.