Reyneke Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Regenerative agriculture has become the new buzzword, but it’s been applied at this now 120 hectare property in Stellenbosch’s increasingly acclaimed Polkadraai Hills since Johan Reyneke – viticulturist with an Environmental Philosophy higher degree – first created the Reyneke label in 1998. The family farm – Uitzicht gets its name from the Dutch work for ‘view’. It has north, east and south facing slopes. The best land is planted with vines and the remainder complements the vineyards with pasture, compost-making and pockets of wilderness. The Reyneke vineyards are herbicide, pesticide and fungicide free. Instead of spraying weeds with poison, they carefully select and grow companion plants amongst the vines to out-compete the weeds. Planting, pruning, harvesting and general vineyard practices all happen at nature’s pace. In the cellar the wine is seen as an extension of what happens in the vineyard, with their preferred methods being hands-off and the least intervention as possible, letting the fruit speak and display the individuality of the Uitzicht farm.  Johan moved from farming conventionally to farming organically and finally to farming and producing his wines in accordance with biodynamic principles. He is currently one of only a few winemakers in SA who produce biodynamic wines – which are also vegan-friendly.