De Toren
De Toren is one of the first wineries in South Africa to producing classic Bordeaux-style wines. Since its foundation, the De Toren vision has been and remains the reinterpretation of the Bordeaux concept and to create unique South African wines from the five grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. De Toren is one of the first wineries in South Africa to producing classic Bordeaux-style wines. Since its foundation, the De Toren vision has been and remains the reinterpretation of the Bordeaux concept and to create unique South African wines from the five grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
This acclaimed winery is located at the highest point of the Polkadraai Road in the Polkadraai Hills, boasting a view over False Bay and onward to the Atlantic Ocean.
Red wines from De Toren
from De Toren
The name of the vineyard farm «Kleine Uitzicht» - or «Little Vista» in English - relates to its splendid 180-degree panorama. Ranging from Table Mountain in the west, across Muizenberg and Somerset West on the Atlantic Ocean in the south, then on to the mountains of the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve in the east, the views and scenery are simply breathtaking.
As visitors progress up the road towards the vineyards they are immediately struck by the sight of the tower («de Toren» in Dutch and the Afrikaans vernacular). De Toren was the first wine estate in South Africa to convey its wine over the various levels exclusively by gravity. This is achieved via a lift installed inside the tower that employs this force to gently displace the wine, rather than the harsher mechanical procedure using pumps.
A sensitive approach and a profound respect for nature in the care of the vineyards, combined with meticulous attention to detail in the cellar environment, have determined all processes from the outset. From those very early beginnings, Albie Koch was responsible for De Toren's outstanding reputation and overwhelming success. Unsurprisingly, by 2016 already, De Toren had positioned itself among the top 10 red wine producers in South Africa according to the South African Wine Index. Just one year later, the winery was voted New World Winery of the Year by the leading Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
De Toren has been mainly in Swiss hands since 2018 with Cédric Nicolas Schweri as Managing Partner. Albie Koch is CEO and responsible for the wine farm.
Charles Williams took over from Albie Koch as Cellar Master in 2011. Charles, also a Managing Partner, is passionate about and cultivates the knowledge and skills passed on to him, with a love for nature, to produce unique wines full of character that truly reflect their origins, the soils and the microclimate of South Africa in a unique way in the glass..
Producer
Château Raymond Lafon
Located in the heart of the Sauternes area, this winery comprises 18 hectares, 16 of which planted with 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The maximum yield by law is 25 hectolitres per hectare. The yields at Raymond-Lafon average only 8 to 10 hectolitres per hectare; in other words, one vine will produce only one glass of delicious wine. Over several pickings, the grapes are harvested one by one according to their level of maturity. In some years, this can result in up to ten selected hand harvests. This alone lets one appreciate the great value of this wine.
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