4G Wines
G. is set to become the Premier Cru or First Growth of the Cape – THE iconic wine of South Africa. Not because it builds on centuries of tradition and history – but the exact opposite, in fact.
4G Wines emerged from a mad idea of two oenophile friends who believed it must be possible to create an iconic wine, even without a professional background. One of which, Philipp Gerhard Axt, was enthralled – or downright obsessed – with the idea, and developed it further with tenacity, meticulousness, passion, savvy, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Two more friends joined subsequently: Giorgio Dalla Cia and Sohn Georges of the Meerlust Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa. All four have names containing the letter G.
Red wines from 4G Wines
from 4G Wines
The project’s purpose was clear from the very beginning: to press the very first Premier Cru and the primordial iconic wine of South Africa. A wine that could measure up to the great wines of the world.
Numerous international comparative tastings have shown G. to be close, or already part of the top echelon. 2010 was the first vintage of the Bordeaux blend with Syrah, which may vary in its composition for each vintage. In 2011, none other than Denis Dubourdieu, professor at the University of Bordeaux and consultant to some of the best wine producers of the world, assumed responsibility for the project, alongside his longstanding associate Dr Valérie Lavigne.
Nothing is left to chance for the work in the cellar and vineyard. A highly qualified team carries out the actual precision work in the leased parcels - "precision viticulture". There are about fifteen different vineyards, some of which are only a few rows in size, spread over the entire Western Cape. The selection of the grapes is one of the biggest success factors. Each grape berry is checked before it enters the fermentation vat.
Philipp G. Axt is only satisfied with the very best, also in the selection of barrels, when buying the best corks, with the specially made bottle, the wooden crates from Ghana, the labels designed by the up-and-coming Berlin artist Sebastian Blinde, etc. He does not have his own cellar built by a star architect. In the simple, rented building, the flagship G. and his little brother THE ECHO OF G. mature towards their destiny: to show the world of wine that there are also wines to be found on the Cape that can be ranked among the world's best.
Producer
Merryvale Vineyards
At a young age, Jack Schlatter travelled from Switzerland to Dallas in the 1950s to work in the cotton trade. He later moved to Mexico and São Paulo (as a coffee tester) and back to Zurich to develop the cotton business in the Eastern bloc. But he always had one foot in Dallas and entered the real estate business there. The wine business also appealed to him early on. But it was a while before he met Bill Harlan, the owner of Merryvale.
Maria Casanovas
The Bodega or Cava Maria Casanovas is located in the heart of the Penedès, in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, the centre of Cava production. It is owned by the Casanovas family and managed by three children of Maria Casanovas. Jordi and Jacint are responsible for the vineyards and the cellar, Rosa for administration and marketing.
Nautilus Estate
In the stunningly beautiful wine-growing region of Marlborough, located in the north-easternmost corner of New Zealand's South Island, the Nautilus Estate of Marlborough, founded in 1985, produces expressive, structured and precise wines inspired by the mathematically perfect spiral of the nautilus shell (sea snail).