With dedication and vision, Pieter du Toit has extended his domain to build an expansive future.
“Success depends equally on suitability of terrior and skill of winemaker.”
Pieter du Tiot, Winemaker
An experience to remember
As you drive through the graceful gateway leading to the manor house of Kloovenburg, you sense the atmosphere of pride and purpose. This is a place where the age-old virtues of the soil and climate are harnessed to the vision of the future held by owner and winemaker, Pieter du Toit. Just how long he had cherished this future dream is aptly demonstrated by the tale of his making a secret bid to buy the neighbouring farm when he was only eight years old. The farm was bought, his domain extended, and his vision of a proud range of wines is now reality.
Earth and respect, climate & cultivars
Kloovenburg stretches along the lower contours of Kasteel (Castle) Mountain, where the north-easterly slopes have proved ideal for the Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon cultivars and the south-westerly and easterly slopes favour Shiraz.
Here the climate is perfectly balanced, with the warm, low-rainfall months tempered by cool afternoon south-westerly breezes blowing in from the Atlantic ocean. Kloovenburg's mountain-side situation ensures higher winter rainfall than is usual for this area, thus replenishing the water table and reducing the need for summer irrigation. The cold winters allow the vines to rest and build up better reserves.
The soil is mainly Malmesbury shale, with strong loamy soil on the higher ground. The more sandy loam lower down the slopes is supplemented by the area's rich Hutton soil. This varied selection of soils lends itself to planting proportion of 60% red and 40% white, comprising Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Colombar, Pinot Noir and Pontac.
Of the farm's 300 hectares, 130 are under wine grapes, 25 under table grapes and 30 under olives. 20% of the best grapes are reserved for making Kloovenburg's own wines.
The keepers of the gate
A falcon guards the day, an owl the night. Below them are depictions of other creatures and plants indigenous to this mountainside, who are in turn watched and protected by the conservation-minded Du Toits.
Kloovenburg was planted with grapes as early as the mid-18th century, but it had to wait for the two generations of Du Toits to transform these into significant wines. In 1998 Pieter produced his first Shiraz and its success encouraged him to renovate Kloovenburg's cellar, with the purpose of establishing a new name in the South African wine industry: Kloovenburg, the “place in the ravine”.
His confidence was well placed. Kloovenburg wines from subsequent vintages have already won several top awards.
As demand grows, the future takes place
The growing demand for his wines was a clear sign to Pieter that establishing his own wine production plant was the right way to shape a better future for Kloovenburg - and to create bright prospects for his four sons who are growing up amid the burgeoning vines.
A perfectionist, sparing no effort
The anecdote that best illustrates the meticulous nature of viticulturist Pieter du Toit is that of the vineyard block which had been laid out against a steep slope of Kasteel Mountain. Though no one else noticed that the rows of vines had been planted slightly crooked, this bothered perfectionist Pieter who spared no effort through days and days of hard work, ensuring that the block was straightened to meet his stringent standards. Today this vineyard block is still called “die skewe blok” (the crooked block) although now of course, the rows are perfect.
All the vines on the farm are trellised and 80% grow on slopes. Irrigation is limited to the minimum, with a resultant low yield (six to eight tons per hectare) but high quality fruit. Winter rain, collected in storage dams against the mountain, supplies fresh water for supplementary irrigation only. Drip irrigation is regulated according to daily soil moisture readings taken with neutron hydrometers.