Villiera is a leading South African producer of award winning Cap Classique and still wines. Since producing their first Cap Classique in 1984, they have been pioneers in the category bringing excitement and recognition to bottle fermented wines in South Africa. The brand also has a strong reputation for Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet which are characterised by their reflection of Villiera’s unique terroir. By continuing to focus on consistency and excellence they have garnered a multitude of awards for their Cap Classique and still wines.

At Villiera there is an old, single bush vine vineyard with the weather station
clone of Sauvignon Blanc. It has the ability to produce a unique, intense style
that we felt was worthy of its own platform. The bush vine system is a
traditional training method especially suited to unirrigated vineyards. This
vineyard block was planted in 1984 and now has a limited yield ensuring early
ripening.

Winemaking

The grapes are handpicked from certified OLD VINES and sorted. Picking
occurs in the morning to take advantage of cooler conditions and the fruit is
protected from oxidation. Picking from bush vines requires a back breaking
effort but it is worth it. In 2024 the grapes were crushed and destalked
to allow for 24 hour skin contact. The juice was then racked to barrels (80%
new French oak /20% older barrels) where it underwent spontaneous
fermentation. Malolactic was avoided to retain freshness and batonage
occurred weekly. After 6 months the wine was removed from barrel and was
stabilized before bottling. This approach resulted in a more structured wine that required longer bottle maturation before release.

Tasting notes

The green pepper and tropical aromas are nicely complemented by some oak spice. This wine should keep for up to 5 years and the new style typifies the terroir it grows in. This wine embraces new trends in winemaking to ensure greater versatility with food.