Stellenbosch: Keermont – Terrasse 2020

In 2001, the Wraith family moved to the Western Cape from Gauteng and in 2003 bought two adjacent farms which today make up Keermont Vineyards. A tight-knit team of 15 people work at Keermont, from tending the vines to packaging the bottles for final release, all work is carried out by this team to ensure that the same attention to detail is followed throughout the wines’ production.

Keermont Vineyards is blessed with some very special and unique vineyard sites. The farm is situated high up in the picturesque Blaauwklippen Valley, otherwise known as Paradyskloof (Paradise Valley). The Blaauwklippen River, which bisects the farm, is also the boundary between the Helderberg and the Stellenbosch Mountain Range. This means that some of the vineyards are on the warmer north-facing Helderberg slopes and others on the cooler west-facing Stellenbosch range. Due to the steepness of the terrain, the altitude climbs 200m within the 1.7km length of the farm and the vineyards are planted between 250m and 400m above sea level. Thus the vines planted over these different terrains produce wines with good complexity and a variety of flavors. In addition, just over the Helderberg mountains, False Bay and the Atlantic Ocean are just 12.5km from the farm, which also contributes to the microclimate on the farm.

Guardian Peak towers over the farm on its eastern side. The highest point of the Stellenbosch mountain range is just over 1000m. The sun rises from behind this peak year-round, resulting in a much later sunrise than in the rest of the area. This effect, combined with the altitude at the top of the valley, results in very cool night-time and morning temperatures which are excellent for the slow ripening and good phenolic development of our grapes. The cool south-east breeze that blows off the Atlantic Ocean during summer also helps to keep afternoon temperatures fairly moderate. And the Blaauwklippen River runs through the middle of the farm. It is fed by five streams which flow through the farm throughout the year. These streams have resulted in the formation of darker stony soils which give us areas of medium textured young alluvium. The mountainous terrain and differing soil types have given us pockets of excellent and varied terroir. These pockets are separated by tracts of pristine mountain Fynbos and Renosterveld (endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa). The winery works with great respect towards this incredible environment, aiming to achieve more natural, well balanced vineyards and ultimately better quality wines.