Boschendal is proud to announce the appointment of Michael Langenhoven as the new White Wine Winemaker and Danielle Jacobs as the Cap Classique Winemaker. With the growth and success of the estate’s white wines and Methodé Cap Classique wines, the decision was made to split these responsibilities to give both winemakers more focus on their respective wines and to ensure the continuation of the legacy which these wines have achieved to date.
Boschendal Cellar Master Jacques Viljoen says, “We are delighted to welcome Michael to the team and to promote Danielle to a new position. Our white wines and Cap Classique wines are both a very important part of our heritage and future. They’ve won myriad awards and are an integral and much-loved part of our offering. We are excited to see how these respective divisions evolve in the next year.”
Michael Langenhoven was formerly the assistant winemaker at La Motte. He also has experience of international winemaking, having guided successful harvests in France’s Rhône Valley (M.Chapoutier, 2009) and Sancerre (Pascal Jolivet, 2011), as well as California’s Dry Creek Vineyards in 2004 and 2005.
Michael is extremely excited to join the Boschendal team, “I have always admired Boschendal’s wines. A committed and dynamic team at the estate has created some of the best wines in the country, and I am excited to be part of that legacy. It is going to be a great privilege as a winemaker to be a part of an Estate with Boschendal’s reputation.”
Danielle Jacobs has been with Boschendal for the past 2 years working closely with Lizelle Gerber learning the secrets to creating their internationally awarded Cap Classique wines. She is also a strong voice for female winemakers in the industry and is determined to be a role model for young women entering the profession.
Danielle knew she wanted to be a winemaker at just 11 years old, when her winemaker uncle inspired her with viticulture tales from his time at Elsenburg. Since then, her devotion to the profession has only grown and as the new Cap Classique Winemaker for Boschendal, she will play a pivotal part in creating the estate’s award-winning vintages.
She will be visiting Champagne in October for an MCC congress and winery visits to further enhance her deep understanding of what it takes to craft the very best Cap Classiques. She says, “As MCC winemaker, I’ll have an integral role in ensuring our Cap Classique wines continue to delight and inspire people. Our MCCs have earned myriad awards and I’m ecstatic to continue the meticulous crafting of wines that epitomise the excellence we stand for.”
Viljoen concludes, “We wish Danielle and Michael all the best for the future. We are looking forward to an outstanding year of innovation that integrates with the legacy and knowledge of our 330-year plus history of viticulture and winemaking.”
