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Demorgenzon Winery Guide

Winery Overview

There are many contestants for the Stellenbosch region’s most beautiful vineyard prize, but we can assure you that Demorgenzon is ten leaps ahead of the rest. Indeed, the first glimpse of this majestic estate never fails to solicit countless oohs and aahs from visitors, its mountain vineyards clinging to the mighty Ribbokkop and its notable terroir. These ancient mountain soils yield slow-ripening, highly aromatic fruit of the finest kind.

Demorgenzon, which means ‘the morning sun,’ takes its name from the first Afrikaans settlers, who aptly named this part of the Stellenbosch zone, which has long basked in the first rays of sunshine over the valley due to its high altitude. They planted vines across the Stellenbosch hills in the early 18th century, finding favorable climate and growing conditions. Yet despite the historical lineage of vine growing in this part of Stellenbosch, Demorgenzon is, in a sense, a very new face in the region, having been purchased by legendary businesswoman Wendy Appelbaum in 2003. A former deputy Chairman of an investment group dedicated solely to women, Wendy, in collaboration with her husband Hylton, has channeled her considerable business acumen into quickly transforming Demorgenzon from an unknown entity into a first-class wine producer. The equipment has been replaced/upgraded, vines have been replanted, and a monumental amount of resources and time has been invested into propelling Demorgenzon into the Premier League of World wine estates.

Today, Demorgenzon is celebrated for its majestic beauty and for crafting some of South Africa’s most exciting and original wines. Winemaker Carl van der Merwe boasts an enviable palate of resources to choose from; his mountain vineyards on the slopes of Ribbokkop rarely give anything other than outstanding fruit quality. Besides, Demorgenzon encourages greater ripening by playing Baroque music to their vines and inside the cellar 24 x 7. Hylton Appelbaum believes that the vines respond positively to the music’s waves. Although a definitive scientific study has not been undertaken, the inherent quality and complexity of their wines are not denied. All impress, however, it is the Reserve Chenin Blanc that critics and connoisseurs really swoon over. Crafted from old Chenin Blanc vines in the finest terroirs across the mountain, it is arguably the Cape’s greatest wine offering to the world. Or, in other words, a majestic, beguiling, and utterly wonderful drink.

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Further Reading

Author

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James lawrence

With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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