Stellenbosch: Bottelary Pocket

The Bottelary pocket forms the next sub-route of our Stellenbosch Wine Route. It is situated on the Northern slopes of the Bottelary range of granite hills and is about 12km west of Stellenbosch, forming one of seven wards in this intensively farmed district.

The Bottelary pocket consists of an L-shaped area so the meso-climates vary with the location of vineyards. Elevation and aspect also vary greatly. The rolling hills provide sites ranging from plateau positions which benefit from cooling summer sea breezes to lower–lying, north-facing vineyards which experience warmer conditions and where the truly South African variety, Pinotage, has found a home!

On the hills a selection of red and white vines are cultivated on warmer and cooler slopes, depending on the aspect. The north and west aspects favour Shiraz and Pinotage, producing wines with firm tannins and dark fruit.

Shiraz in Bottelary tends to have less pronounced white pepper and spicy notes, showing more sour-cherry and plum fruit backed by savoury and beef notes. Frequently oaked with a percentage of American oak, the wines show definite sweet vanilla sweetness and dark chocolate aromas.

Bottelary can be described as Pinotage headquarters with excellent and award winning examples from Beyerskloof and Kaapzicht. Most Pinotage vineyards, as well as many Chenin Blanc vineyards, are cultivated as bush vines, reducing watering requirements. The plants have shorter shoots and are also less susceptible to wind damage. Bush vines give lower yields of highly concentrated fruit which show more of Pinotages Pinot-like character.

Cabernet Sauvignon also fares well with structured single varietal examples from Hartenberg and Cabernet Sauvignon blends from Mulderbosch. Other very good examples of Cabernet blends come from Kaapzicht with their Steytler Vision which includes a big dollop of Pinotage.

Sauvignon Blanc fares well here too and planted in lower lying vineyards on Mulderbosch, produces aromatic and more structured examples than the cool high lying Sauvignons found in SA.

Sources: Wosa.co.za, Wineroute.co.za, Wine Magazine, The Essential Guide to South African Wines, John Platter Wine Guide 2008 & 2009