SOUTH AFRICAN WINERY BABYLONSTOREN
Dating back to 1692 this farm estate is rich in South African history, located about an hour north of Cape Town. One of the original Cape Dutch farms in the Drakenstein Valley has preserved farmland, vineyard and a winery. The 200 hectare estate (nearly 500 acres) has one of the most revered gardens in the world. Growing everything from fruits and vegetables, harvesting honey from bees, and using sustainable agriculture. Seized by Dutch settlers in the late 1600’s the original farm was set up by Pieter Van der Byl. It is the oldest European farm in South Africa. Van der byl became a prominent citizen of Stellenbosch, which became another well -known wine growing area. The winery name developed from the koppi (small conical hill) that the estate sits below. The Dutch dubbed it Bablinische Tooren, which later became translated as Babylonstoren. The main house dates to 1777 and is a beautiful example of traditional Cape Dutch architecture.
Phylloxera hit Babylonstoren in 1886, and all the vines and fruit trees had to be pulled. In 1844 the farm was sold to the Louw family, who stayed until 2007. Current owners are Koos Bekker and his wife Karen Roos, who have restored many of the outbuildings and farmhouse and now operate a 14-room boutique hotel and spa on the property, as well as restaurants and shops. Karen is the former editor of South Africa’s Elle Decoration, and her husband Bekker, a former telecom billionaire, have lovingly and painstakingly restored everything from wall paint colors to architectural features of the estate. The gardens are awe inspiring, as well as the vineyards and winery.
The pipe on the logo represents the farm, the flower represents the garden, and the bird represents nature- the philosophy of the family is truth and simplicity for the earth. The state of the art wine making facility showcases the region’s terroir. Over 230 acres are planted to vine, the Babylonstoren label’s first official vintage was 2011. The winery exports several varietals that we carry here at Ed’s. All of them are stellar examples of the world-renowned wines South Africa is capable of producing.
BABYLONSTOREN
Candide is a blend of Chardonnay, Semillion, Chenin Blanc, Rousanne and Viognier. The growing areas where the grapes are sourced are high elevation on the slopes of Simonsberg Mountains between Stellenbosch and Paarl, on the Western Cape. The wine is dry and crisp, medium bodied showing a beeswax character with hints of melon and lemon. We give it three bones.
Chenin Blanc (often referred to as “Steen” in South Africa) shows tropical fruits and melon, elegant and refreshing with flavors of pineapple, and gooseberries. The wine is fruit driven, with a slightly acidic finish. We give it two bones.
Viognier is made from 100% estate fruit from Tabletop Mountain. 20% of the wine underwent fermentation in French oak barrels. Succulent white peach, apricot, and apple blossom aromas followed by a creamy depth and complexity on the palate. Floral and rich, we give it three bones.
Rose’ of Mourvedre The grapes for this wine rested on the skins for a mere two hours, then the wine rested on the lees for three months before bottling. Strawberry and rose petal notes and a juicy acidic finish. We give it two bones.
Cabernet Sauvignon The grapes here are picked from eight different vineyard blocks, each sourced with care by head winemaker Klaas Stoffberg , who grew up among his family vineyards, also in South Africa. The wine is matured in new and used French oak barrels. Opening aromas of plum, blueberry, and rich dark fruit. Flavors of cassis and cherry with gripping tannins garnered 92 points from The Wine Advocate, we give it three bones.
Shiraz A beautifully seductive, full bodied, fruit forward Syrah- blackberries and spiced plum with hints of new leather and a cherry mocha finish that lingers, this 100% Shiraz is from the Paarl Region. We give it two bones.
Babel This red blend of Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot are hand harvested separately and vinified separately before the blend. Succulent black fruit with a savory edge of graphite and cigar box. Blackberry, mulberry and plum lead to a finish that has a touch of sweet spice and dark chocolate. We give it two bones.
Nebukadnesar is Babylonstoren’s flagship Bordeaux style red blend using all five Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec are vinified separately and matured in French oak for 23 months before marrying in a tank to meld into perfection before bottling. An intriguing essence of violets and herbs such as thyme, and intense blackberry are up front, then the superbly crafted palate with great balance of cigar box, black currant and dark cherry fruit offer a multi layered experience, with silky tannins and a long finish. We give it three bones.
Sout Africa’s winemaking story has been up and down; a glut of wine produced, over production associated with poor quality and consistency. Add to that the politics of Apartheid, by 1990 less than 30% of grapes harvested were used for wine production. In 1973 the WO program, Wine of Origin was put in place, legislating wine growing regions and overseeing labeling, and things began improving. The main growing regions include Constantia, Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek Valley. Irrigation is necessary for most regions due to the dry climate, and chapitalization (the addition of sugar in winemaking) is illegal. Most problems associated with the climate have been a lack of acidity in the grapes. Over the last two decades the main focus of the industry has been improving the quality of production. South Africa represents a kind of melding of Old World and New World styles, producing “international” styles that appeal broadly. Most wineries are located within 100 miles of Cape Town, the southernmost tip of the African continent. The mild Mediterranean climate, coupled with the ancient graphite, sandstone and shale soils is friendly to Bordeaux varietals and even sparkling wine production. Take a trip to South Africa with us here at Ed’s with Babylonstoren’s many wonderful offerings. See you soon! Salute’
By CRBrown