Breedekloof Makers' Harvest Insights: Overcoming Challenges, Celebrating Quality

As the 2024 harvest season draws to a close, the Breedekloof Makers reflect on a year marked by unprecedented challenges yet ultimately delivering wines of exceptional quality. Through candid conversations with several winemakers, we gain a deeper understanding of the hurdles they faced and the remarkable opportunities that emerged from this unique season.

Challenges and Adaptations

The 2024 harvest in Breedekloof was anything but ordinary. Winemakers contended with a series of adverse weather events that significantly impacted the yield. Early spring frost, downy mildew, floods, and heatwaves all played a role in reducing the overall crop. WS Visagie from Uniwines summarised the situation: "Challenges were many. Small harvest due to floods, early spring frost, downy mildew, fires, and heatwaves."

Despite these obstacles, the winemakers found a silver lining in the reduced yield. The smaller berries that resulted from the challenging conditions led to wines with enhanced colour and concentration, particularly in red varietals. WS noted, "The smaller berries resulted in good colour and concentration in the wines."

Annamarie van Niekerk, winemaker at Botha Cellar, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the unprecedented quality of the grapes despite the lower volumes. "This was the healthiest harvest in my 15 years of winemaking. Moderate temperatures throughout, with no heatwaves, resulted in grapes with exceptional aromas and colours, particularly in the red varietals."

Jean from Merwida Wines emphasised the minimal rainfall during the harvest, which contributed to the healthy state of the grapes. "The weather was perfect for the 2024 harvest. We had only 8mm of rain over the entire period, leading to very healthy grapes and high-quality wines."

Standout Varietals

Chenin Blanc emerged as a standout white varietal this year, praised by multiple winemakers for its exceptional quality. Botha Cellar's Annemarie remarked, "Chenin Blanc was particularly notable this year, despite a significant decrease in tonnes from 2023. The grape composition was optimal, leading to excellent wines."

Attie Louw from Opstal also highlighted the success of Chenin Blanc, noting the balance and complexity achieved in the wines. "This year was a very good year for my Chenin Blancs. The quality across all styles in my cellar is outstanding, with well-balanced wines that exhibit both freshness and complexity."

In terms of red varietals, Shiraz and Pinotage were frequently mentioned for their superior quality. Annamarie praised the colour extraction and aromas in their Shiraz, while WS pointed out the exceptional quality of Pinotage this year.

Technological Innovations and Techniques

To optimise the reduced harvest, Botha Cellar invested in a juice processing plant, which allowed for a higher recovery of "A" grade juice per tonne of grapes. This investment was crucial in a year with lower volumes, ensuring that more high-quality wine could be produced.

Opstal's winemaker, Attie, added a sorter to their crusher, which significantly improved the purity of the grapes entering the press and red fermentation tanks. "The quality of the wines is much purer, thanks to the reduced foreign material like leaves and twigs," he explained.

Looking Forward

Despite the challenges faced during the 2024 harvest, the overall sentiment among the Breedekloof winemakers is one of optimism. The consistent quality of the wines, coupled with the healthy state of the grapes, bodes well for the future. "The region is producing excellent wines across a variety of styles," said Annamarie, winemaker at Botha Cellar. "The winemakers are spoiled with good, healthy grapes that offer numerous options in terms of wine styles."

Jean from Merwida Wines is also optimistic, highlighting the continuous improvement in wine quality year on year. "The future looks bright! The quality of our wines improves every year. Producers are putting a lot of effort into the vineyards, looking at rootstocks, new clones, and virus-free material."

Though fraught with challenges, the 2024 harvest in the Breedekloof Valley has proven to be a testament to the resilience and adaptability of its winemakers. This year's exceptional quality of the wines produced stands as a beacon of the region's potential and promise for the future.