Three Biodynamic Wines from the Schapenberg — One of the Cape’s Most Serious Estates
When Tim Atkin MW awarded Waterkloof a “5th Growth” designation in his Cape Classification, he was recognising something that had been quietly taking shape on the Schapenberg for years. Founded in 2004 by Paul Boutinot on one of the Cape’s most dramatic coastal sites, Waterkloof is Demeter-certified biodynamic, WWF Biodiversity Champion, and farmed entirely with horses on south-facing vineyards 270–300 metres above False Bay. Gravity-fed cellar. Wild yeast only. Minimal sulphur before bottling. Nothing else. The Waterkloof Circumstance Collection brings three of the estate’s most celebrated wines together — a pale, structured Mourvèdre rosé, a rare and serious coastal red, and a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc that rewrites the rulebook for the variety. Wines this serious, at this price, are not easy to find.
The Waterkloof Estate
Waterkloof was founded in 2004 by Paul Boutinot on the Schapenberg — one of the Cape’s most distinctive coastal wine sites. Demeter-certified biodynamic since 2015 and a WWF Biodiversity Champion, the farm is worked with horses and farmed without compromise. Winemaking happens in a gravity-fed cellar with wild yeast fermentation, minimal intervention and nothing added except a little sulphur before bottling. Tim Atkin’s Cape Classification ranks Waterkloof at 5th Growth level — quietly one of the most important addresses in the Cape.
The vineyards sit 270–300 metres above sea level on the wind-battered Schapenberg, directly facing False Bay and the Atlantic. South-facing blocks, poor granitic soils, dry-farming and the constant Atlantic breeze combine to produce some of the lowest yields in the Cape — and wines with a mineral coastal character you won’t find anywhere else in the Winelands.
What’s in the Box
Waterkloof Circumstance Cape Coral Rosé 2024
Appearance: Delicately pale salmon-pink with barely-there coral hues.
Nose: Pomegranate, raspberry and dried herbs on the first pass, followed by a distinctive flintiness and subtle notes of peach and spice — quintessentially coastal South African.
Palate & Style: Silky and fine-boned with flavours of soft red fruit and a hint of sea-salt minerality. 100% Mourvèdre. Decanter awarded a previous vintage 90 points, describing it as one of the finest rosés produced in the Southern Hemisphere.
Finish: Long, savoury and briny — a rosé that demands food and rewards patience.
Waterkloof Circumstance Mourvèdre 2020
Appearance: Deep garnet with a vivid purple rim, vibrant and clean.
Nose: Dark blackberry, plum and graphite with wild herbs, dried lavender and the meaty, blood-orange depth that Mourvèdre does so well.
Palate & Style: Concentrated and serious with fine, firm tannins. 100% Mourvèdre from just 2 tonnes per hectare. Only 10 barrels produced. Tim Atkin MW awarded the 2020 vintage 92 points.
Finish: Long, gently creamy and savoury, with lingering dried herb and dark pepper.
Waterkloof Circumstance Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Appearance: Pale straw-gold with a faint green tinge.
Nose: Crushed laurels and lime zest on entry, followed by gooseberry, stone fruit and a subtle herbal note — the coastal salinity is there too if you look for it.
Palate & Style: Richer and more textured than you would expect from Sauvignon Blanc. Seven months of wild yeast fermentation in old barrels. Previous vintages: 94 points Decanter, 92 Tim Atkin MW, 16/20 Jancis Robinson.
Finish: Refreshing and persistent with a stony, sea-salt edge that is unmistakably False Bay.
How They’re Made
Every wine in the Waterkloof Circumstance Collection begins in the vineyard — biodynamic, horse-farmed, dry-farmed, hand-harvested, with some of the lowest yields in the Cape. The gravity-fed cellar does the rest. Wild yeast fermentation. No added acids, no enzymes, no commercial yeasts, no oak new enough to leave a mark. The Cape Coral Rosé is whole-bunch pressed and fermented in old wood on fine lees. The Mourvèdre is whole-bunch fermented in open-top wooden vats with 30 days on skins, then 24 months in 600-litre old barrels. The Sauvignon Blanc ferments for seven months in old barrels before bottling. Every wine is lightly filtered. Nothing else.
Food Pairings
Cape Coral Rosé 2024: Grilled crayfish, fresh sushi or a classic Cape seafood platter. Also assertive enough to stand up to spicy peri-peri prawns or a Thai-style salad. One of the great braai rosés for summer evenings in the Cape.
Mourvèdre 2020: Braised lamb shoulder slow-cooked with rosemary and garlic. Beef short ribs. Aged hard cheese — a mature Cheddar or Manchego will sing alongside it. Wild game, venison or springbok carpaccio. Give it at least an hour in a decanter.
Sauvignon Blanc 2024: Fresh oysters from Saldanha Bay. Grilled crayfish or line fish. Goat’s cheese tart. Seafood pasta with lemon and herbs. Brilliant with sushi — the umami of the fish and the mineral salinity of the wine are a natural match.
Awards & Recognition
Tim Atkin MW awarded Waterkloof a “5th Growth” designation in his Cape Classification — one of only a handful of Cape producers to receive this level of recognition. Individual wines in the Waterkloof Circumstance Collection have earned:
- Cape Coral Rosé: Decanter 90 points — “Outstanding complexity and finesse”
- Mourvèdre 2020: Tim Atkin MW 92 points
- Sauvignon Blanc: Decanter 94 points, Tim Atkin MW 92 points, Jancis Robinson 16/20 Very Good Value (previous vintages)
The Waterkloof Circumstance Collection is available exclusively at Vinty. Three wines that represent some of the most seriously made, critic-acclaimed South African wine available online today — from a biodynamic estate that has quietly become one of the Cape’s finest addresses.
