Welbedacht's Wellington Win

Welbedacht’s confidence in their Wellington terroir was confirmed when their very first Estate labelled wine -- 2008 Welbedacht Estate Pinotage – won in the 2010 Top 10 Pinotage competition. Owner Schalk Burger said

“it is our first wine under our new Estate label, launched this month, that has achieved an accolade and all kudos go to our wonderful terroir and our cellar master Jacques Wentzel.”

Grapes for the 2008 Welbedacht Estate Pinotage were hand selected from a 21 year old Bush Vine block growing on decomposed granite soils.

Marketing and Sales Manager Tiaan Burger said

“these grapes were specially selected and hand harvested with plenty of hands-on devotion during the vinification process. The Estate boasts some impressively senescent soils and this is prevalent in the intensity and multi-faceted character the 2008 Pinotage.

What makes this wine ever so more special is the divine coincidence that the fruit was harvested on Valentine’s Day, 14 February 2008. We can truly lay claim to the fact that it was made with love!!”

Recent Wines

The following were enjoyed with dinner in the past week.


Remhoogte 2008
WO Stellenbosch

Subdued blackberry nose and sweet blueberry flavours. An elegant refined wine with a spicy flourish at the end.

Du Toitskloof 2007
WO Western Cape

A little coffee on the nose. Lively welcoming wine. Berry fruits just jump out of glass. There’s coffee and black-forest gateau on the palate. A really enjoyable wine.

Fairview 2007
WO Coastal
Ripe rich berries with vanilla and coffee on the finish, a lovely full bodied wine.

Cardouw 2002
WO Western Cape
Showing signs of age, fruit tasting stewed and fading in the glass. 2002 wasn’t the greatest vintage and if you have any of this wine I’d suggest drink it now.

Welbedacht 2006
WO Wellington
Full bodied, big wine. Galumphing backberry fruits, some grip, great drinking!



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Pinotage Blend Wins Trophy for South African Red Blend over £10 Trophy

Schalk (left) and Tiaan Burger

Welbedacht Hat Trick 2006 won the Trophy for Best South African Red Blend over £10 at the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards in London.

Welbedacht Hat Trick 2006 is a Cape Blend of 50% Pinotage, 25% Syrah and 25% Merlot.

Schalk Burger Snr, owner of Welbedacht, is delighted with the result. “What makes this so special is that this category is hotly contested. Winning a Trophy Award in this category is an amazing achievement for us.”

Cellar Master Jacques Wentzel says 2006 is fast becoming a superb vintage for fruit flavours, which lie at the heart of the Welbedacht Hat Trick.

“The core of this blend has been the immense fruit focus which culminates in the Pinotage contributing fresh red berries and the more complex plum flavours. The Syrah adds the spice and floral flavours, while the Merlot rounds it off with the fullness that it adds to the final mouth feel,” he says. “These cultivars beautifully express the terroir of our estate and encapsulate our winemaking philosophy, namely to make wines that are varietal expressive. The quality of our blend is also helped by the fact that we built our cellar to suit our fruit.”

The name ‘Welbedacht’ means “well thought out” in Dutch - a fitting name for this increasingly prestigious wine farm where great care is taken to express each wine and cultivar’s unique character.

“As only traditional methods are used to make our wines, we believe that the 2006 Welbedacht Cape blend embodies all the attributes of a rare hat trick, and as such, a black label is awarded to it,” he concludes.

Congratulations to everyone at Welbedacht -- and to Pinotage for gaining both the red single varietal Trophy (see below) and for being the major part of the red Bldn Tropy.

Meeting the Meerkats

I blogged about Meerkat Pinotage some time ago.

Schalk (left) and Tiaan Burger

So I was really pleased to, at long last, taste it and meet the owner and winemaker, father and son team, Schalk and Tiaan Burger of Welbedacht Wines.

TV wildlife programmes made Meerkats such a hit with the viewing public after showed them standing upright on their hind legs looking into the distance like opera goers at Gyndeborne that I wondered how Schalk managed to copyright the meerkat name for his wines. “I registered the name years ago, just in case, because I thought I would make a good label,” he explained.

Meerkat is used as a second label, but although not registered as an Estate Wine, the wine is all grown and made on Welbedacht.

“It is meant to be an easy drinking, gregarious wine,” says Schalk. “The Meerkat, the Pinotage and,” he says, pointing to himself, “Schalk Burger are all indigenous to South Africa. And all are gregarious!”

It is easy to see why Meerkat Pinotage has found so many friends. The 2006 is instantly approachable, being very fruity, doesn’t taste overly dry (it has 2g/L RS), and there’s some soft wood tannins (50% had stave treatment). A quaffable and gregarious wine.

Cullinan Award for Welbedacht 'Barrel Select' 2005

I am beginning to wonder just how well I know Pinotage. Another competition result is announced and the best Pinotage award goes to a wine that I've never heard of.

The Juliet Cullinan Wine Connoisseur's Awards is judged by the Cape Wine Masters "who understand the nuances and the local consumers' preferences better than any panel in South Africa".

Welbedacht 'Barrel Select' 2005 won the Pinotage award. Runners up were Mooiplas 2003 and Groot Constantia Pinotage 2005.

According to wine.co.za , the 2005 was Welbedacht's maiden vintage of Pinotage, which, its says, "displays a seductive elegance more reminiscent of New World Pinot Noir than old-school Pinotage. Powerful red berry fruit, rather than droopy plums and banana, are interlaced with subtle hints of tomato puree and floral undertones. Although a dry wine our wood selection supplies a palatable sweetness with wafts of coconut and vanilla, followed by a delightful lingering sensation of mocca, cinnamon and pepper. Intense but elegant, with a superbly long finish. The balance of this wine allows us to enjoy its current flirtatious liveliness, but will soften pleasurably for the next three to five years."

Congratulations to Welbedacht, Mooiplas and Groot Constantia (who are on a roll with their 2005 Pinotage.)

But I'm not the only one to be unaware of this wine. Welbedacht's own web-site doesn't list Pinotage among the wines they make.

Meerkat Pinotage

I wondered how long it would be before the popular Meerkat would appear on a winelabel. Now Welbedacht winery has introduced Meerkat Chenin Blanc and Pinotage. Neil Pendock said of the maiden vintage 2005 " This juicy Pinotage offers you the sensual extravaganza of mocca chocolate, sweet plums and soft vanilla."

I am indebted to Werner Rix of Wine Routes of South Africa www.wineroutes-sa.co.za for news of these wines in his regular newsletter, which also contains the titbit that Domein Doornkraal have produced a sweet blend of Pinotage and Tinta Barocca which they named Pinta.

Good name - but I can foresee amusing confusions with visitors from Britain where Pinta means a pint of milk.