Buitenverwachting

Only a small mountain range separates the Buitenverwachting wine estate from the Cape of Good Hope. The wines from one of South Africa’s best cellars are, however, well worth a visit in their own right.

The Buitenverwachting wine estate – beyond all expectations

The Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc has for years been regarded as one of the best white wines, and with the Bordeaux-style Christine wine the estate has now also made a name for itself in red wine. Who would have thought that possible 30 years ago, given such a turbulent history of constantly changing owners, mismanagement and hungry baboons.

Buitenverwachting Constantia

The Constantia wine-growing region between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans is one of the oldest in South Africa. Wine from what was then the Dutch colony was highly traded in Europe. But owners of the dreamlike property came and went – the estate was neglected, and its fame was lost. In 1980, the German couple Müller took heart and restored the estate and the gleaming white manor house to their former glory – with a brief interlude of marauding baboons, who in the 1990s happily devoured more than half of the vines and left things thoroughly devastated. Today the property invites you to linger under palm trees. The gourmet restaurant is considered excellent, the wines in any case, and the view over the Constantia Valley is breathtaking. Locally, Buitenverwachting is regarded as a pioneer of numerous social projects for its employees and of sustainable and organic cultivation for nature. The self-contained world of Buitenverwachting south of Cape Town has a lot to offer, above all a multifaceted terroir for first-class wine.

Terroir and winemaking team

The terroir was discovered for himself by the Müllers’ son, Lars Maack. The business student decided against a secure career and chose to run the estate – without expertise. Courage that was rewarded. With the support of cellar master Hermann Kirschbaum, winemaker Brad Paton and several helping hands, Buitenverwachting is in better shape than ever. Absolute top wines and innovative experiments enhance the estate’s reputation with every bottle. Such top quality cannot be attributed solely to winemaking skills, yield reduction and hand selection of the best grapes.

A leading role is played by the granite soil, from which the vines draw minerality and freshness. Sunny days and cold nights, fanned by cool ocean winds, bring about slow ripening so that fruity aromas concentrate in the grapes. Which fruits these are is determined by the individual sites. On most parcels on the Constantiaberg, lively white wines develop with a bouquet of yellow fruits such as melon or apple. The Husseys Vlei vineyard expresses itself in Sauvignon Blanc with green aromas. And the vineyards with north-facing slopes offer ideal conditions for the velvety Bordeaux-style red wines, which remain on the skins for 28 days and are aged for 2 years in barriques. A total of 150 hectares for the best Sauvignon Blanc and emerging red wines from South Africa.

The Buitenverwachting wines

• The clear flagship and possibly the number 1 from South Africa is the Sauvignon Blanc Constantia from Buitenverwachting. Cheeky, fruity, zesty – an absolutely top-class wine from overseas.
• You get a liquid fruit basket of gooseberry, green pepper and tropical aromas with the Buiten Blanc, which reveals a simple and straightforward enjoyment – perfect for the terrace.
• With the Christine red wine, named after Christine Müller, Buitenverwachting has now also made a name for itself in the wine world for red wines. The harmonious unity of power and finesse as well as the barrel ageing make the Christine from Buitenverwachting very popular not only within South Africa.
• Playfulness is no stranger to the winemaking team – you can taste that in the Blanc de Noir Rosé. The cuvée of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot was vinified like a white wine despite the red grape varieties.

The Buitenverwachting team is delighted with the financial success of its Sauvignon Blanc wines, as this gives them the freedom to try new things. Whether fresh parcels with Gewürztraminer or pure wines that primarily draw on the strengths of the wine region, the expectations of everyone involved are exceeded with every vintage. Discover the stars of Constantia too – the top wines from Buitenverwachting.