After some delays we have received the new vintages from Koen at Spioenkop!
Belgian native Koen Roose farms a hilltop in the middle of Elgin WO he planted to vines in the early 2000s. A qualified engineer and former sommelier, he has a very clear vision for what he wants to achieve. His wines reflect his European heritage while still reflecting the terroir of Spioenkop.
Specialising in Riesling, Pinotage and Chenin Blanc, Koen’s top wines all come from the vineyards on the farm and are produced under the Spioenkop label, and those destined for earlier drinking are bottled under the 1900 label.
‘1900’ Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Koen’s Sauvignon Blancs have never been given the credit we think they deserve. The fruit for the ‘1900’ Sauvignon Blanc is sourced solely from Spioenkop farm. This makes it incredible value. Rich, powerful and beautifully balanced, it is a wine of sheer class. This is not your average Sauvignon; a little bit of skin contact in the press helps give this a wine full of complexity, tension and balance. Tim Atkin: 93pt
‘Sarah Raal’ Chenin Blanc 2019
The Chenin Blanc vineyard on Spioenkop is situated on one of the protruding “fingers” of the hill upon which the farm sits. The upper portion is on koffieklip (ferricrete) and the lower portion on shale. The Sarah Raal comes from the smaller top section of this vineyard and is the brighter and more delicate of the two. The wine spends time sitting on the lees of Chardonnay during ageing, giving it a very slight creamy feel to it. Rich fruit finish. Tim Atkin 95pt
‘Johanna Brandt’ Chenin Blanc 2018
The Johanna Brandt comes from the lower section of the Chenin Blanc vineyard which sits on shale (see notes on Sarah Raal above). As a result, the Johanna Brandt is the more powerful of the two wines, and has a slightly more tropical fruit profile. This wine is aged in oak, whereas the Sarah Raal sees mostly stainless steel. It is a powerful wine with rich fruit on the palate and a lovely acid line (as with all Spioenkop wines). Tim Atkin 94pt
‘1900 M. Gandhi’ Pinot Noir 2017
When talking to Koen about his Pinot Noir, you get the feeling that he will be working to make a ‘great’ Pinot Noir until the day he dies. On the farm he has three vineyards of Pinot Noir, each named after a key person at the Battle of Spioenkop in the Second Anglo-Boer War. This wine (named after Mahatma Gandhi who was a stretcher-bearer) shows savoury red fruit with spicy tannin from the koffieklip soil. Earthy mushroom and slight smoke make this Pinot Noir distinct. Tim Atkin 93pt
Pinotage 2019
Along with the Riesling, the estate Pinotage is the jewel in the crown of Spioenkop. This wine has helped define the new style of Pinotage in South Africa whereby winemakers have taken their cues from the great wines of Burgundy, rather than Bordeaux. The logic being that Pinotage is descended from Pinot Noir, so it should be made in that way. This results in grapes that are generally picked earlier, with higher natural acidity and perhaps a slightly lower potential alcohol. The wine is not heavily extracted in the winery (working the skins via punch-downs and pump-overs), this leaves room in the wine for the lighter, more perfumed, elegant side of Pinotage to come to the fore. Superb wine. Tim Atkin 95pt
New Spioenkop Releases
Elgin wines of real class
After some delays we have received the new vintages from Koen at Spioenkop!
Belgian native Koen Roose farms a hilltop in the middle of Elgin WO he planted to vines in the early 2000s. A qualified engineer and former sommelier, he has a very clear vision for what he wants to achieve. His wines reflect his European heritage while still reflecting the terroir of Spioenkop.
Specialising in Riesling, Pinotage and Chenin Blanc, Koen’s top wines all come from the vineyards on the farm and are produced under the Spioenkop label, and those destined for earlier drinking are bottled under the 1900 label.
In the most recent Tim Atkin South Africa Special Report Spioenkop was elevated to 1st Growth status – the highest possible classification.
The New Wines
‘1900’ Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Koen’s Sauvignon Blancs have never been given the credit we think they deserve. The fruit for the ‘1900’ Sauvignon Blanc is sourced solely from Spioenkop farm. This makes it incredible value. Rich, powerful and beautifully balanced, it is a wine of sheer class. This is not your average Sauvignon; a little bit of skin contact in the press helps give this a wine full of complexity, tension and balance. Tim Atkin: 93pt
‘Sarah Raal’ Chenin Blanc 2019
The Chenin Blanc vineyard on Spioenkop is situated on one of the protruding “fingers” of the hill upon which the farm sits. The upper portion is on koffieklip (ferricrete) and the lower portion on shale. The Sarah Raal comes from the smaller top section of this vineyard and is the brighter and more delicate of the two. The wine spends time sitting on the lees of Chardonnay during ageing, giving it a very slight creamy feel to it. Rich fruit finish. Tim Atkin 95pt
‘Johanna Brandt’ Chenin Blanc 2018
The Johanna Brandt comes from the lower section of the Chenin Blanc vineyard which sits on shale (see notes on Sarah Raal above). As a result, the Johanna Brandt is the more powerful of the two wines, and has a slightly more tropical fruit profile. This wine is aged in oak, whereas the Sarah Raal sees mostly stainless steel. It is a powerful wine with rich fruit on the palate and a lovely acid line (as with all Spioenkop wines). Tim Atkin 94pt
‘1900 M. Gandhi’ Pinot Noir 2017
When talking to Koen about his Pinot Noir, you get the feeling that he will be working to make a ‘great’ Pinot Noir until the day he dies. On the farm he has three vineyards of Pinot Noir, each named after a key person at the Battle of Spioenkop in the Second Anglo-Boer War. This wine (named after Mahatma Gandhi who was a stretcher-bearer) shows savoury red fruit with spicy tannin from the koffieklip soil. Earthy mushroom and slight smoke make this Pinot Noir distinct. Tim Atkin 93pt
Pinotage 2019
Along with the Riesling, the estate Pinotage is the jewel in the crown of Spioenkop. This wine has helped define the new style of Pinotage in South Africa whereby winemakers have taken their cues from the great wines of Burgundy, rather than Bordeaux. The logic being that Pinotage is descended from Pinot Noir, so it should be made in that way. This results in grapes that are generally picked earlier, with higher natural acidity and perhaps a slightly lower potential alcohol. The wine is not heavily extracted in the winery (working the skins via punch-downs and pump-overs), this leaves room in the wine for the lighter, more perfumed, elegant side of Pinotage to come to the fore. Superb wine. Tim Atkin 95pt
Winemaker and owner of Spioenkop, Koen Roose
Please contact david@exanimo.co.za if you have any queries.