This is an exciting new player in the Pinot Noir offerings from South Africa. In the past 15 years South Africa has made impressive strides with the overall quality of its Pinot Noir. The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and surroundings seems to be the focal point of most of the Pinot Noir we see, although there are a few other cooler climate areas showing great promise as well, including Elgin and Upper Ceres Plateau. The high end wines have really started to show more complexity, but the way one can tell if you are heading in the right direction is when you see the quality on offer at the more price sensitive part of the spectrum.
Good quality, value oriented Pinot Noir isn’t the easiest thing to find, so when you find one that has some merit, it’s notable. Recently we were fortunate to try a new venture from the folks at Boekenhoutskloof, a small Pinot Noir and Chardonnay venture in the Upper-Hemel-en Aarde Valley. Sourced from a 15 hectare plot, the project is just now starting to produce wines from their estate grown fruit and their introductory label.
$19.99
91 pts James Suckling August 2024
A fresh and crunchy red that has cranberries, raw mushroom, sour cherries and citrus peel on the nose, followed by a medium-bodied, juicy and bright palate. Vegan. Sustainable. Drink now. Screw cap.
4 ½ Stars 2025 John Platter’s South African Wine Guide
With bright red berry fruit & enlivening tannins, 23 (90 pts) is textbook cool-climate pinot, like 22. Character & freshness abetted by 25% wholebunch ferment in concrete, aging in older oak, year. Vanilla & dried herb spicing. Notably well-priced, as sibling.
Marc Kent is the owner, chief winemaker, and driving force behind Cap Maritime. Marc has always considered the Hemel en-Aarde Valley as one of the most exciting places to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in South Africa, and with Cap Maritime, Boekenhoutskloof has created wines that capture the essence of their origin, while at the same time representing a style of wine to which the winery aspires. A maverick spirit, he is unafraid to experiment with the unconventional, but his principal commitment is to quality on every level and in every detail.
The Walker Bay district, surrounding the seaside town of Hermanus, is reputed for the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines which emanate from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley – this encompasses the wards of Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, Hemelen-Aarde Valley, Sunday’s Glen, and Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The cool climate is the sought-after attribute in this area where vineyards benefit from persistent cooling winds from the nearby ocean. The soils – predominantly weathered shales – and terroir are also ideal for cool-climate loving varieties.
A small parcel of grapes from the Upper Hemel-en Aarde Valley is vinified in a way that is fundamentally true to the Cap Maritime philosophy. Transported in refrigerated trucks to the winery, the grapes are then carefully selected to ensure that only healthy whole berries are transferred into the concrete fermenters.
