Vilafonté

Mike Ratcliffe, Zelma Long and Phil Freese not only share a winery, but also a dream - namely "to produce wines that can compete with the world's greats. Wines with elegant complexity, structure and longevity."

The founding team of Vilafonté Vineyards combines international experience from the most renowned Californian wineries and viticulture in South Africa.

Founded in 1997, the company owns 42 hectares of land in the Simonsberg Mountains in the Stellenbosch region. Despite all the differences in the region, the climate here is generally Mediterranean in character. Wet, cold winters are followed by dry summers; good conditions for elegant and exciting wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec are planted on the almost untouched soils, which are up to 1.5 million years old - in high density, for small vines, deliberately low yields and correspondingly rich in extract.

In essence, cuvées are produced in two styles. The "C series" stands for soft, round, fleshy and fruit-emphasised wines. The "M series", on the other hand, is more powerful and more structured. All wines are unfiltered and matured in wooden barrels.

© Images: Vilafonté