Reyneke

Biodynamics is not a philosophy for the faint-hearted. A holistic system that believes everything on a farm and in nature is interconnected – plants, animals, and even the cosmos itself – it is not something you can do by halves. Fortunately, Johann Reyneke is fully committed, and has been since buying his Stellenbosch farm in the 1990s. Fully herbicide-, pesticide- and fungicide-free, Reyneke was the first certified biodynamic wine estate in South Africa. Its mantra is ‘no greatness without goodness’ – and they live it to the letter.

In biodynamism, vines are simply part of a bigger picture. Cows provide manure, wild ducks eat slugs and snails, and the judicious use of cover crops helps promote soil health. Planting, pruning and harvesting all take place according to natural cycles. Such unadorned reflection of a winery’s terroir is, as they put it, the ‘holy grail of winemaking’. The whole range is strong, but the Reserve Red (whole-bunch Syrah, fermented in open concrete tanks) and Reserve White (finely-crafted wild-ferment, oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc) are stand-out.