As one of South Africa’s most celebrated brands, our decision to source all its components in the Swartland has manifested itself very positively. The Chocolate Block relies vastly on our own fruit from Porseleinberg and Goldmine farms – this has an immense effect on the flavour and energy of this unique wine. Porseleinberg offers purity of fruit, where Goldmine brings structure. The vineyards on these two stellar properties have become well-established and are beginning to show their potential.

The 2024 harvest has been one of the earliest in recent years- completed entirely during the month of February. Syrah during the first and second week, Cinsault and Grenache during weeks two and three respectively and concluding with Cabernet Sauvignon during the final week. An ideal wet and cold winter preceded the 2024 growing season which provided enough groundwater for the dry spring and summer. The dryer conditions ultimately lead to lower yields, but due to the small berries and clusters, the fruit shows intense richness and flavour. The sporadic weather changes experienced over the last few vintages have emphasised the importance of accuracy and precision in the vineyards, specifically picking dates. The numerous micro-appellations in the Swartland all react differently to these changes and require constant monitoring to ensure a continuation of exceptional vineyard, grape and ultimately wine quality. Syrah and Cinsault were matured in a combination of seasoned 2,500L French oak foudres and barriques. Grenache was matured in seasoned 600L demi-muids. Cabernet Sauvignon was the only component aged in new French oak barriques. The elevage ranged between 12-14 months, depending on component and vineyard parcel. 3741 barriques were selected for our 2024 vintage.