New premium range from Stellenbosch Hills is pure class

Stellenbosch Hills cellarmaster PG Slabbert and winemaker James Ochse have more than 8,000 tons of grapes a year to play with, from more than 700ha of vineyards owned by 16 producers across prime wine-growing territory.

That’s a lot of winemaking possibilities.

They’ve recently added a premium level to their ranges that start off with the easy-drinking Polkadraai wines, move up to some super, pocket-friendly quality in the main Stellenbosch Hills range, and then a Reserve red and white that offer great value for Platter’s four-star quality.

The new flagship Sense of Place range is produced in limited quantities, for release in only exceptional vintage years, intended to show off the character of specific vineyards and the art of winemaking at its best.

The weighty bottles and elegant labels with gold lettering and delicate botanical-style illustrations of species occurring naturally in the area, linking in with the Sense of Place theme, are the first signal that these are wines of substance

“This range gives us the opportunity to shine a light on the very nucleus of our vineyard quality.

“And we’re excited to be able to release these wines from vineyards that consistently produce quality fruit, comprising grape varieties grounded in SA heritage,” Ochse said.

The Sense of Place Kastanjeberg Chenin Blanc 2017, wooded, complex and elegant, earned him a finalist’s place in the 2019 Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year and it’s not hard to see why.


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