Glen Carlou: A Pleasure in Paarl

The magnificent setting that is Glen Carlou on the R45 at Paarl was just perfect for Walter Finlayson when he bought the place in 1983.

The first wine was made there in 1988 and achieved many accolades. Today this fabulous place belongs to the internationally famous group called The Hess Family Collection, with wineries in Argentina, the US, and SA—all prestigious and renowned for top quality product. David Hess, the Swiss owner, is also a prominent art collector and some of his collection can be seen at Glen Carlou. It is a most eclectic collection which will certainly cause plenty of discussion when you get around to visiting it. There is also an excellent restaurant on site—more of that later—but the raison d ‘etre of it all is the wine.

The tasting room here is clean as a whistle with no bits and pieces to distract one from the primary purpose of going there. The wines are deliciously fruit driven, most of the fruit coming from the estate itself. With only 50 hectares under vine, winemaker Arco Laarman has to stay focussed on getting the best fruit he can. The range is quite large with some really serious award wining wines taking pride of place with some serious prices to match.


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