The Bouchard Finlayson estate stretches across 125 hectares of the Hemel-en-Aarde valley. However, only twenty five hectares is cultivated under vine with the remainder set aside as a conservancy to protect the indigenous ‘fynbos’ vegetation endemic to the Western Cape. The valley offers a remarkable location to grow vineyards, with a terroir influenced as much by the ancient soils as the cool coastal breezes blowing in from the Indian Ocean at Walker Bay, just a few kilometres to the south. The mountain peaks surrounding the valley trap the moisture from these winds, ensuring frost-free winters and cool summer days that allow for longer, slower ripening periods in the months before harvest. In short, this cool maritime climate offers the ideal conditions for crafting world-class wine grapes.
Bouchard Finlayson was established in 1989, and over more than thirty years the estate has earned a global reputation for crafting wines of character that perfectly express the unique terroir of the Western Cape winelands.
Founder, Peter Finlayson, is widely regarded as the pioneer of Pinot Noir in South Africa and today under winemaker Chris Albrecht the Tête de Cuvée and Galpin Peak continue to rank amongst the finest examples produced in the Cape.
Each Pinot Noir vineyard plot is vinified separately, with emphasis placed on accentuating its distinctive characteristics. Blended after eleven months maturation in French oak, 30% of which were new.