The part of 2020 worth remembering is the welcoming cold and wet Cape winter that brought rain and cold units to the winelands, boding well for a good 2021 harvest. 

According to Neil Bruwer, winemaker at Chamonix wine estate in Franschhoek, this was the most rain recorded on Chamonix in over five years, with over 800mm having fallen so far this year. “Add to this the number of cold units we had over winter ensuring the vines enter a deep state of slumber, and we are currently seeing our vineyards in a state of rude health,” he says.

Chamonix, situated on the steep slopes of the Franschhoek Valley, is especially renowned for its top-quality Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinotage and Bordeaux blended red wines and was this year crowned Top Wine Producer at the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards for its Chamonix Chardonnay 2018.

With the vines currently resplendent in a cloak of green leaves, Bruwer says the ideal winter was followed by near-perfect spring conditions. 

“Bud-break was even, which is always the first sign of a promising vintage,” he says. “Now that the vines are heading into flowering, the balanced and uniform growth is continuing into summer. Coupled with general vine health, prospects for a good vintage both in terms of yield and quality look promising – although predictions are dangerous as the weather has a mind of its own.”

Bruwer says that with Chamonix’s vineyards reaching up to over 400m above sea-level, a constant breeze and the drier air plays a role in keeping the vines in optimal health. 

“We have also increased the density of our cover-crops to maintain soil-health, as well to keeping insects away from the vines. With vines, it is as important to take as much care with what is beneath the ground-surface as what is above the surface. This attention to soil health has, along with the favourable weather conditions, contributed to vine health which is non-negotiable for the making of quality wine.”