Rijks Private Cellar
History:
After working in Cape Town for 20 years, Neville Dorrington and his family decided it was time to move to the country. Lovers of good food and collectors of good wines, the search for a wine farm began. Months and miles later, it was decided to buy an undeveloped farm. “Lets do it all from scratch” We could then do proper deep ripping of the soil, install drainage and plant virus free vines.
They fell in love with the Tulbagh valley. The splendour and scenic beauty of the Tulbagh valley is hard to beat. One hour from Cape Town, the little valley lies in a fertile basin almost completely surrounded by the majestic Winterhoek and Witzenberg mountains, often snow-capped in winter. The Klein Berg River snakes its way across the valley floor, providing ample water for irrigation. The town was named after Rijk Tulbagh, governor of the Cape from 1751 to 1771. Steeped in history, the beautiful Church Street has 32 National Monuments, more than any other street in South Africa.
The farm was found. Extensive soil tests were completed. 136 hectares of virgin soils not ever cultivated. Slopes facing north, south, east and west. Excellent drainage. Sufficient water. What potential. Soil tests were done. Perfect for low yielding high quality grapes. The offer to purchase was accepted. Now the Challenge. In honour of Rijk Tulbagh, it was decided to name the farm RIJK’S PRIVATE CELLAR.
What better way to enjoy great wine than with a good meal, in relaxing and beautiful surroundings. It was decided to build a 15 room luxury Country Hotel.
Development of the farm began in May 1996. In July, 1997 14 hectares of vines were planted. A further 12 hectares were planted the following year. Our first wines were released in 2000.
Philosophy:
Elegance, finesse, complexity and concentration of fruit are the hallmarks of the wines of Rijk’s Private Cellar. Situated in the picturesque valley of Tulbagh, South Africa, we produce fine food wines to satisfy the sophisticated palate of wine enthusiasts from around the world.
Our wines are grown in the vineyards. With pride and patience, our people are dedicated to producing optimum quality grapes from each vine. Picked in the cool of the night, our philosophy of gentle handling and minimum interference reflects the true character of our terroir, labour, soil and climate.
Rijk’s Private Cellar wines spend up to 20 months in the barrel, are then bottle aged for 2 to 4 years and only released when winemaker Pierre Wahl is content. We release “older vintage” wines with tremendous ageing potential. Our latest wine releases are listed on the right of this page.
Rijks Private Cellar
PO Box 400, Tulbagh, 6820, South Africa
Tel: +27 23 230 1622 Fax: +27 23 230 1650
Web: www.rijks.co.za
