Kleinhoekkloof

Nestled high in the mountains of the Wildepaardekloof region in the Robertson Valley, South Africa, there is a piece of land which has been called “Holy Land”

There are no religious connotations to this name, it purely stems from the energy and the overwhelming feeling that consumes you when you enter the gates of the farm. Those who have stayed on the farm with us comment that 2 days on Kleinhoekkloof can be likened to a 2 week holiday on a remote island. There is no reception for your phone, and the water out the caps comes straight from source high up in the mountain. At night its so quiet that your ears might ring on your first night there.

Tucked in the back valley you need to travel through 2 other farms just to get to this hidden piece of heaven. The sun rises late over the eastern bank where the merlot sits so that its not in the harsh sun for too long and sets late over the western bank so that the shiraz, in loose shawl terroir, gets punished to extract that perfume on the nose we are becoming more and more famous for. The farm also has a personal “grape cooler” in the 4:30pm wind which comes up without fail daily.

We currently also farm with the Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier varietals and currently there is not one we would not bottle with a KHK label. The valley produces only the best, under the watchful eye lurking ominously is the mountain above the vineyards. Fresh water from the mountains ensures no chemical addition to the vines in their quest to be the best in the valley. Indeed, we have won the Vinpro Best Block Competition for our Merlot block of vines, and in the words of an anonymous judge… “Had you entered 3 blocks, you would have won all 3 prizes.”

Our farm is not open to the public, and you wont find our wines in your local bottle store or mass liquor market. When the BMW 6 series was launched a few years ago, the tagline on their header advert read “You might know someone, who knows someone, who owns one.” The same rings true for the wines of Kleinhoekkloof. Those who have access to our wines relish them, and drink hardly anything else. They are what Seth Godin would call Sneezers, and their testimonials to the wine are all the marketing we need. We grow organically every year, letting only the absolute best grapes on the already absolute best farm in the valley into the bottle. We never plan to flood the market with our wines, or to appear in every restaurant. Kleinhoekkloof Wines are an occasion on their own, and sharing a bottle with anyone is considered a treat, an occasion and an experience.

Kleinhoekkloof. It’s that special.

– The farm is a part of my family legacy. For more information and to buy the wines, please visit Kleinhoekkloof.co.za or contact me directly on the contact page.