Vergelegen Reserve Semillon, Stellenbosch

Description

Vergelegen Reserve Semillon is part of the estate’s reserve range and is a barrel-fermented style of Semillon. The other wines in the reserve range include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and DNA (a blend of four red wines), Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. 

Vergelegen is one of South Africa’s most historic and prestigious wine estates. It is located in Somerset West in the Western Cape province, some 12 kilometres to the south of the town of Stellebosch itself. Vergelegen, means “situated far away”. The estate was founded in 1700 by  Willem Adriaan van der Stel, who worked for the Dutch East India Company and would become a large vineyard, cattle and sheep holding. In 1709 the estate was sold off in four portions which would become four different farms: Lourensford, Morgenster, Cloetenburg and Vergelegen. Vergelegen would pass through several owners, notably the Theunissen family (1798 – 1899) under whom the vineyards flourished, Sir Lionel Phillips (1917 – 1941) who spent a fortune upgrading the estate, but whose wife removed all the vineyards, and the Barlow family (1941 – 1987). The estate was purchased by Anglo American, a leading multinational mining company, in 1987 and the modern wine-making era at Vergelegen began.

Anglo American set about restoring the estate with an extensive programme of clearing invasive alien vegetation and land rehabilitation. After and intensive programme of climatic and soil tests the vineyards were re-established and grape varieties were planted in ideal locations around the estate.  Current plantings make up some 117 hectares comprising Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon. The award-winning gravity fed winery was completed in 1992. Only a single level can be seen above the ground but there are three working levels hidden beneath which allows for the gentle, gravitational flow and handling of the wines.

The grapes for the Vergelegen Reserve Semillon come from the estate’s Korhaan 10/11 blocks or the little bits that were left of it after the wildfires of 2017. The Korhaan block 10 was planted in 2003 and block 11 in 1993. After harvest, no crushing or destemming was allowed, but the grapes were rather whole bunch pressed for best quality juice. Fermentation took place in 225-litre French oak barrels. The 100% Semillon wine was matured in barrel for nine months with regular lees stirrings. Around 6500 produced.