Museum Wines’ Partners

City on a Hill

“A city set on a hill cannot be hidden”, declares a passage from the bible that inspired the name for André Bruyns’ small set up South of Malmesbury. It reflects his spirituality, but also his aspirations in showing what Swartland soils and vineyards are capable of. He launched City on a Hill in 2015 following stints at wineries in France, Tulbagh and in the Swartland. For André, southern France’s climatic conditions and plantings remind him of the Swartland.

Chateau Seraphine

Château Séraphine is the newest Pomerol estate on the block. Comprising a 2.2-hectare parcel of vines, purchased in 2017 by Martin Krajewski, it is a vision splendide albeit in a Lilliputian way. The property is run by Charlotte Krajewski, a 30s something Plumpton winemaking graduate with tons of winemaking experience at Château des Sours in the Entre Deux Mers, Elephant Hill and Trinity Hill in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

Chateau Mauvesin-Barton

The Barton family, with unique expertise passed down through the generations over the last two centuries, share their passion and invite you to discover Château Mauvesin Barton and its wines.

Clos Cantenac

Clos Cantenac is a small but seductive 6 hectares property made up of four main parcels of vines carefully planted on an exceptional “terroir” of deep gravels, sand and clay over broken limestone situated close to the prehistoric “Megalith ?de Pierrefitte”

Colmant

Born in 1965 in the French speaking part of Belgium, Jean-Philippe (JP) Colmant grew up in a strong culture of wine and Champagne as most Belgians do. After studying business and engineering, he went on to successfully run his own company for 11 years.

De Kleine Wijn Koöp

De Kleine Wijn Koöp, led by winemaker Wynand Grobler and his wife, Anya, is a small, family-run business in Paarl. They focus on producing high-quality wines in small quantities, sourcing grapes from prestigious vineyards in various regions. Wynand’s hands-on approach to winemaking and their creative expression result in unique, one-of-a-kind wines.

Draaiboek Wines

Draaiboek Wines, meaning ‘script’ in Afrikaans, are crafted with a unique story for each bottle, reflecting the journey from vine to glass. Founded by friends from Stellenbosch University, their wines invite drinkers to create their own narratives with each sip, blending memories and imagination. It’s a tale of friendship, creativity, and the joy of shared experiences, bottled for you to savor.

Famille Sumeire

The Sumeire family have several châteaux across the Montaigne Sainte-Victoire region (near Aix-en-Provence): Château Coussin, Château L’Afrique, and Château Maupage. Today, Olivier and his sister Sophie manage the different estates. They produce supple fruit forward reds and rosés crafted in a light style.

Haut Espoir, Franschhoek

A family run farm operated by ‘Quality Control Executive’ Rob Armstrong, a larger than life character whose always keen to show off his lekker wines. Just be sure to bring a strong constitution and a driver when you visit the farm!

Holden Manz, Franschhoek

Owned by Gerard Holden and Migo Manz, this farm has gone from strength to strength under their guidance alongside winemaker Thierry Haberer who trained under consultant Michel Rolland. Their efforts to produce small batches of W.O Franschhoek wines has not gone unnoticed.

Lokaia, Franschhoek

Lokaia was born from the overwhelming sense that there was more to explore in the Franschhoek Valley. While it’s no secret that Semillon, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc are at the forefront of the region’s wine identity, their bottled form still has room for growth and refinement. The ultimate goal is to extract as much personality and definition from the grapes as possible, while still maintaining each variety’s purity, brightness and focus.

Moreson Wine Farm, Franschhoek

Winemaker Clayton Reabow has been at the helm at Moreson since 2006 and his efforts were rewarded recently when he was named Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year 2019, specifically for his 2017 vintage Mercator Chardonnay. Moreson are the champions of Franschhoek, extolling the virtues of their vineyards as legitimate producers of high quality fruit rather than simply factories for grapes sourced from neighbouring regions.

Natte Valleij, Paarl (and beyond)

Once upon a time Cinsault was considered to be little more than a bulking agent for cheap, mass produced Cabernet Sauvignon. That was until winemaker Alex Milner discovered its potential for producing single varietal red wines whilst working a harvest in Provence. The Cinsault Collective was born and boasts single plot, old vine expressions of the grape from Darling, Simonsberg-Paarl, Stellenbosch and the Swartland.

Naudé Wines

“Naudé Wines is the culmination of a journey that began more than 30 years ago. Since that first harvest, I’ve worked all over the world, hoping to craft wines that tell a story of time and place. I love the diversity we have in South Africa. Not just of the people, but the soils, the microclimates, and the wine varietals that thrive under their own unique conditions. I’m fortunate to have been introduced to a few of these vineyards, and work with some of the wonderful grapes that they produce, many of these from certified old vines.” – Ian Naudé

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines

For over six years, Sakkie Mouton has led the way in experimental winemaking in Vredendal and Koekenaap, crafting premium white and red wines inspired by the rugged West Coast vine growing lifestyle. His creations, from Chenin Blanc to Assyrtiko, showcase his innovative blending and experimentation, offering delightful and unique wine experiences.

Stony Brook Wines

The McNaught family discovered their passion for winemaking in Franschhoek in the late 1980s, eventually founding Stony Brook on a smaller property in 1995. Focused on Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon, and Chardonnay, they replanted the farm and built a cellar, with their son Craig taking over as winemaker in 2011. Stony Brook’s commitment to quality and sense of place is evident, with recent acclaim for their introduction of Tempranillo in the Ovidius wine.

Spioenkop

Nestled in the heart of the Elgin Valley, Spioenkop Wines was established in 2008 with Koen Roose as winemaker. With several awards and accolades under their belt, Spioenkop produces wines that have finesse, balance, and purity, with the idiosyncratic character of the winemaker flowing through every bottle.

Stark-Condé

Stark-Condé were named in the ‘First Growth’ category of Tim Atkin’s special report on South Africa in 2019 whilst winemaker Rudger van Wyk was named Young Winemaker of the Year 2019. All in all they’re very much an estate on the rise and we’re very excited to welcome them to the Museum Wines portfolio.

Swerwer, Swartland

“Swerwer” – a name which describes the lives of many young winemakers chasing the vintages across the globe. Established in 2012 by winemaker Jasper Wickens, the Swerwer wines reflect the true character of the Paardeberg in the Swartland, South Africa.

Uva Mira, Stellenbosch

Christian Coetzee is part winemaker, part wizard. He evokes every last drop of elegance and finesse from his grapes, grown at up to 620 metres above sea level and back onto the Helderberg nature reserve. His efforts have been rewarded by all three of his Chardonnays scoring 95 points or above in the Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 (and taking three out of the seven gold medals awarded in the SA white section) whilst their Cabernet Franc vineyard was named the best in South Africa. Having tasted the new vintage of their flagship wine O.T.V, which is 65% Cab Franc, I can attest as to why… shades of Cheval Blanc, need I say more?

Winshaw Vineyards

Pierre and JP Winshaw, descendants of Stellenbosch wine royalty, continue their family’s legacy with Usana and the premium Winshaw label from Klein Welmoed. Building on their ancestors’ contributions to iconic South African wines, they craft beautiful Stellenbosch wines as a tribute to their family’s heritage. Their journey honors the Winshaw name, synonymous with excellence in winemaking.

Weltevrede Wine Estate

The Jonkers of Weltevrede in Robertson Valley, since 1912, have been pivotal in South African wine. Lourens Jonker expanded the farm and played a key role in industry bodies, now succeeded by his son, Philip. They champion the Robertson Valley’s Chardonnay, particularly with their Calcrete style, showcasing the region’s limestone-rich soils and producing exceptional single-site Chardonnays.