Cellar door: Spring field Estate
I blame Springfield for the path my career has taken. Way back in 1995, as a rookie reporter on the Sandton Chronicle, I was invited to the Joburg launch of Abrie Bruwer’s wines. I liked his fruity Colombar/Chardonnay blend (then R13.50) and I loved his minerally Sauvignon Blanc (R17), his creamy Chardonnay (R18.50) and the choc-mint and mulberry notes of his Cabernet Sauvignon (R22). But I was completely swept off my feet by Abrie’s description of his farm, its rocky terrain, and the passion and artistry involved in turning grape juice into the nectar of the gods.
At the end of my review, I resolved “to watch the vines growing in rocky Springfield hills one day” – and also to learn a bit more about wine. By April 1996 I was living in the Cape and had enrolled for my first Cape Wine Academy course.
Today, needless to say, is not my first visit to Springfield, but it’s been several years since I last turned into the tree-lined dirt road that leads to the stone cellar complex, flanked by a picturesque dam. I am also not here by appointment, for once almost hoping not to see Abrie or his sister Jeanette (both hands-on in running this fourth-generation wine farm) so that my cellar-door experience is the same as it would be for anyone arriving to taste wines on a quiet Wednesday morning.
As I walk over the little wooden footbridge towards the simple, modern, elegant tasting room, I reflect on how much has changed since that Joburg launch over 15 years ago – not only the prices! That maiden Sauvignon has evolved into not one but two superb examples of the variety – green, flinty Life from Stone (the 2010 selling for R73 ex-cellar) and fuller-bodied Special Cuvée (the 2010 available for R72). There are also two Chardonnays, the deliciously complex Wild Yeast 2008 (R81) and honeyed, buttery, ‘made to last a lifetime’ Méthode Ancienne 2006 (R162). And in addition to the velvety Whole Berry Cab 2009 (R93), there is the smoky, savoury, ‘best that we can do’ Méthode Ancienne 2004 (R224) and a classic, rich Bordeauxstyle blend, very appropriately named The Work of Time 2004 (R109).
The names aren’t only rather catchy, they also hint at Abrie’s winemaking philosophy: traditional, hands-on, back to basics, minimal intervention, lengthy maturation. He doesn’t use commercial yeasts to ferment his wines, instead relying on the natural yeasts present on the grape skins at harvest: “If the wild yeast works, it is worth it a hundred times over – even if it only happens once in three years.” He also doesn’t fine or filter his wines (apart from the Sauvignon), as this can prevent them from expressing the individuality of each vintage and reflecting their unique soil and climatic origins. “I only want to sell wine I am proud of, and I will only get a limited number of chances to do that in my lifetime.”
Why am I telling you all this? Because Springfield’s dedicated wine focus is partly why you shouldn’t expect a restaurant, a gift shop, any bells or whistles. But pack a picnic, relax under one of the umbrellas on the deck overlooking the dam, taste the wines (no fee) while chatting to one of the friendly tasting-room attendants, and you’ll find that their passion for Springfield is contagious. Throw in a good cause – 100% of profits from the Thunderchild red blend (R65) going towards the Herberg Children’s Home – and you won’t drive away without at least one bottle of wine in your boot.
VERDICT
LIKES
Genuinely warm welcome, from the staff to winery dogs Bella, Moby and Gypsy.
DISLIKES
The ‘wine flies’ that cloud up around your face when you dare to use the spittoon.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE?
Tasting-room attendant Ilse Saunders recommends neighbouring estate Bon Courage for lunch, De Wetshof Estate for Chardonnay, Zandvliet Estate for Shiraz and Graham Beck Wines for bubbly.
SPRINGFIELD ESTATE is located on the R317 between the towns of Robertson and Bonnievale. The tasting room is open Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00 and Saturdays from 09:00 to 16:00.
Tel 023626 3661
www.springfieldestate.com
GPS: S33°50’12.1” • E19°54’54.0”
