Wine Portfolio

INTRODUCTION TO THE WINE PORTFOLIO

At Rustenberg we make almost 20 different wines, split into three distinct ranges. Here you can read about the different ranges, and the wines that comprise them, and what makes each wine unique and delicious. With a big range, that is constantly being assessed and changing, there is something to be found for every preference and style.

SITE SPECIFIC RANGE

Typifying the finest terrioirs of Rustenberg, the site specific range is comprised of two wines that emphasize the apex of varietal expression. Both the Five Soldiers and the Peter Barlow are unique vineyard sites on the estate. The Five Soldiers being just at front of the foothills of the Simonsberg mountain, overlooking the Schoongezicht side of the farm, and with spectacular views towards Stellenbosch. The Peter Barlow vineyard stands at the top of the Rustenberg side of the farm, right against the Simonsberg Mountain, and on a clear day you can see all the way to Table Mountain.

What sets these wines apart from the other ranges, and places them at the top of our wines, is the careful vineyard management of these specific sites, and the additional hands on winemaking the grapes receive in the cellar. Both wines receive longer oaking than most of the wines, and in newer barrels, and are given a longer time to age, allowing the complex characters of the wines to develop and show through by the time they are released for sale and enjoyment. Made in small quantities, these wines are well structured, full bodied and have excellent aging potential under careful cellaring, making them highly collectable and the kinds of wines that are perfect for birth-year wine!

THE FLAGSHIPS

The Estate’s two flagships are the Stellenbosch John X Merriman Bordeaux blend and the barrel fermented and matured Stellenbosch Chardonnay. They are an expression of the Estate and Stellenbosch’s finest vineyards blending various vineyard sites to create wines that are greater than the sum of their parts.

These wines are those in our range that we at Rustenberg are most well-known for, and that typify the Rustenberg style. While they receive slightly less new oaking than those in the Site-Specific Range, these wines still undergo special treatment in the winery – with each parcel of wine being individually made and fermented, before a panel of our winemakers, aided by an international wine expert, brings the individual components together in a world-class blending operation. Both of the wines will benefit from careful bottle aging and have excellent maturation potential under ideal cellaring conditions.

REGIONAL RANGE

Rustenberg’s regional range comprises of a range of wines that typify the regions within which they are produced or blended from. Predominantly consisting of, but not confined to varietal wines. These wines are made to represent the most ideal regionally and varietally specific styles brought out through a blend of traditional and modern viticultural and winemaking techniques. Each wine is true to its own style, while being underlaid with the Rustenberg strive for excellence, and many of the wines are unusual single varieties or exciting blends, giving something for everyone. Many of these wines, especially the white wines, are approachable for early drinking enjoyment, but certain of the wines can age beautifully with careful cellaring.