Bon Courage

Bon Courage's 2005 Inkará Shiraz is the winner of the 2007 Pick 'n Pay WINE magazine Shiraz Challenge. Fiona McDonald spoke to winemaker Jacques Bruwer about wine farming, family and fishing. Jacques Bruwer believes strongly in the potential of Shiraz in Robertson, and that of his single-vineyard Inkará specifically. "I always knew that this wine was something special. It's shown it time and again," he says modestly but with more than a hint of pride. And justifiably so, the wine having picked up a 4½ Star rating in WINE, Veritas Double Gold and a gold medal at the international Syrah du Monde in France. The same vineyard was responsible for the wine that won the General Smuts Trophy at the National Young Wine Show in 2003. "That kind of consistency across competitions can't be bought, and it proves to us that we're on the right track."

How ironic then that while Bruwer can detail how he made the wine, one of the most crucial bits of information is missing - that of which clone it is! It's like a racehorse breeder telling punters that he doesn't know the sire of the Durban July winner... "We think it's SH1 but we're not sure - and the nursery guys can't tell us."

When the Bruwers placed an order for Shiraz plant material in 1997 there was none to be had. "We'd prepared the soil, felt we had the right spot with stony Karoo soil overlying some limestone that is fairly typical in this area, but there were no stokkies available." Then the nurseryman phoned to say that a wine farmer in Stellenbosch had cancelled his order for Shiraz vines. Did the Bruwers still want the varietal even though the nursery couldn't be specific about the clone? A no-brainer!

The year was 1997, and by 2000 Bruwer knew he was onto something. "From year three I could see that the colour was different to the other Shiraz we had on the farm - much darker and with more density. There was a distinct coffee/chocolate character, which became even more apparent from years four and five," he says in the belief that the Inkará has still to reach its full potential. "It's going to perform well for years to come."

Ask Bruwer where the fascination with Shiraz began and you're in for a long story that goes back to his return to the family farm in 1990 after completing his winemaking studies at Elsenburg College in Stellenbosch. "My dad didn't really know what to do with me because he was quite capable of handling everything on his own." It was the same year that André Bruwer was crowned as the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year with a Gewürztraminer Special Late Harvest.

"That's where the [Méthode] Cap Classique thing started. I needed to do my own thing, but my dad said that I couldn't just jump in and take over, that it would take a few years to get to know the ropes, the farm, the soils and the weather patterns."

Bruwer respects his father's wisdom and the mutual admiration is obvious - helped in no small measure by the successes Bon Courage has achieved in the past five years, and not only with Shiraz. In 2003 the estate was judged top performer overall at the Veritas Awards, and in 2004 they won the WINE magazine Amorim Cork Cap Classique Challenge with the Jacques Bruére Brut Reserve 2000.

Looking further back, André Bruwer was the second generation to farm Bon Courage, having taken over from his father Willie in 1974. He's never happier than when riding around the vineyards on his motorbike - except perhaps when he's fishing, another passion he shares with Jacques.
The first red made at Bon Courage was their 1997 Shiraz, the first wine from this Robertson estate to win Gold at Veritas. "My dad's so involved in the vineyard and, though everyone says this and it sounds really tired, it's so true that it all starts with good grapes."

It stings producers in Robertson that there's a lingering perception - mainly among winemakers in Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek - that the area is not suited to quality red wine production. Bruwer recalls that in years gone by, when Boland farmers held the belief that that those 'anderkant die berg' irrigated their vineyards from the Breede river and boosted yields as a result, true quality was only attainable on dryland vineyards - something seldom mentioned anymore in Stellenbosch, Paarl or Franschhoek, unless it's to shake their heads sympathetically when talking about some poor neighbour who doesn't have irrigation for his vines!

And the allegations of Robertson's heat being unsuitable for reds? "Without a doubt," he says, "Robertson is hot, almost semi-desert, but the nights are very cool. There's a 10 degree difference between the day and night temperatures and that works in our favour."

Bruwer recounts something his dad taught him in the early years: "When the vine is coming out of its dormant state, love it, give it the sun and the moon, lots of water and show it a good time… Then you take it away and make the vine struggle - but not too much." That, together with a green harvest - usually conducted in early January upon the Bruwers' return from punishing the yellowtail in Struis Baai - has proved ideal for the two-hectare vineyard where the Inkará Shiraz originates.

"We only take in 10 tons of fruit from those two hectares and we keep the winemaking pretty simple." Bruwer is a fan of rototanks - rather than open fermenters, punchdowns and pumping over - in order to extract colour from the grape skins. But he doesn't believe in simply doing what others do. "That way you'll always be second best and playing catch up. And I'm not the kind of guy who does the same thing year after year - I get bored quite easily and always need fresh challenges."

So when first trying his hand at making Shiraz, he began by tasting examples of what was available locally and internationally. Then, while out at sea with fishing rod in hand, he pondered what he wanted. "There are no distractions… Just you and your mates, the deep blue sea and the prospect of catching fish. It's where I do my best thinking." And what came to mind were flavour, fruit, softness and texture.

Bruwer says he's not trying to emulate the Rhône or the New World. He admits to liking the fruit-forward Aussie styles, but then he also enjoys the structure and classicism of French Shiraz - which is why he tries to ensure the oaking on the Inkará is subtle, albeit 100% new (70% French and 30% American). "It spends only six months in that combination," he explains. "Then it goes into [only] French oak for another 12-18 months." A total of 20 or so months in wood, but although the absorption of oak flavour is marked in the first 12 months it becomes less obvious during the second half of the barrel-maturation period. "I nose and taste it from 18 months to monitor the progress. The integration of fruit and wood is vital," he says, confident that the fruit can handle it.

And yes, he concedes that the alcohol is high at 15% but says this is a consequence of striving for fruit flavour and ripeness at picking. So long as the alcohol is integrated, he feels.

With the special attention that this wine gets, the size of the vineyard and the lowish yield, only 800 cases (12×750ml) are made each year, compared with 5000 cases of Bon Courage's standard Shiraz, with the Inkará 2005 selling at R85 a bottle ex-cellar.

The name? "Inkará" is a combination of the names of Jacques' children: Inge (11), Karli (8) and André (7). And ultimately Bon Courage is about family: brother Pieter is now part of the business, handling the bookkeeping and marketing side, sister Maude runs the cafe and restaurant on the farm, with dad André still in the thick of things on the farming side.

"Obviously I'd love my kids to get involved and take over one day - after all there's an award-winning wine carrying their names! But I'm not going to push it. They're still very young and there's still a lot of water that must flow under the bridge…"

Aside from family and wine, he dreams of sailfishing in Mozambique or further afield. "My biggest catch to date has been a 78kg tuna - on my honeymoon nogal! My wife allowed me one day of fishing and it was the best ever! But there's still a desire to hook a marlin. We'll see…"

BON COURAGE ESTATE ROBERTSON

Estate: R317 (off R60), 9km from Robertson
PO Box 589, Robertson 6705
Tel No: 023 626-4178
Fax No: 023 626-3581
admin@boncourage.co.za
www.boncourage.co.za
Owner: André Stephanus Bruwer (since 1974)
Cellarmaster: Jacques Bruwer, since 1991
Viticulturist: André Bruwer
Sales: Mon-Fri 08:00-17:00, Sat 09:00-15:00
Tastings: no fee
Restaurant: Café Maude, light meals, Mon-Fri 08:00-17:00, Sat 09:00-15:00, no BYO, Tel 023 626-6806
Established: 1983
Production: 1.5m litres pa.
Under vine: 170ha (60% white)
Flagships: Inkará wines, Jacques Bruére wines
Single-vineyard: flagships

BON COURAGE
Sweet Sparkling: Blush Vin Doux
Dry White: Chardonnay, Colombar Chardonnay, Prestige Cuvée Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Off-dry White: Colombar, Riesling
Semi-sweet White: Gewürztraminer Special Late Harvest
Red Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, Inkará Cabernet Sauvignon, Inkará Shiraz, Pinotage, Shiraz
Dessert Wine: Noble Late Harvest
Fortified Wine: Port, Red Muscadel, White Muscadel

JACQUES BRUÉRE
MCC Sparkling: Blanc de Blanc Brut Reserve, Brut Reserve

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
Dry White: Chenin Blanc Colombar
Semi-sweet Rosé: Shiraz Rosé
Red Wine: Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon

Bon Courage Shiraz track record

WINE magazine ratings to date:

Flagship Label	Rating	Date of publication
Inkará 2005	4½ Stars	August 2007
Inkará 2004	2 Stars	August 2006
Inkará 2003	3½ Stars	December 2004
Inkará 2001	3½ Stars	May 2002
Inkará 2000	2 Stars	October 2001

Standard Label	Rating	Date of publication
Shiraz 2005	2½ Stars	August 2007
Shiraz 2004	3½ Stars	May 2006
Shiraz 2003	4 Stars	August 2005
Shiraz 2002	4 Stars	August 2003
Shiraz 2001	4 Stars	May 2002
Shiraz 2000	1 Star	May 2002
Shiraz 1999	3 Stars	November 2000
Shiraz 1998	3 Stars	June 1999
Shiraz 1997	2 Stars	May 1998