Hello Lifestyle Magazine Winter 2023

DE TOREN PRIVATE CELLAR

A CONTINUOUS QUEST FOR BORDEAUX BRILLIANCE

The estate’s recently renovated manor house had us in awe – beautiful emeralds and golds lured us in, magnetically pulling us toward the bar area where we plonked ourselves down, looking out over vineyards and calming water features. The breeze lightly lifted the corners of cosy blankets draped around the outdoor chairs and at once, we were ready for winter. For us, there is no better way to celebrate winter than with a blanket, a fireplace and a glass of red wine.

Just outside of Stellenbosch lies the idyllic De Toren Private Cellar, home to some of South Africa’s finest Bordeaux-style wines. Its Dutch name translates to ‘the tower’ and symbolises the tower that forms such an integral part of the wine estate’s impressive cellar roof. De Toren was established in 1994, and in 1999 already saw the launch of the De Toren Fusion V Maiden Vintage.

Twenty years later, they received certification for their organic farming practices, which form a fundamental part of what they do.

De Toren’s focus is on classic Bordeaux varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

THE GREATNESS OF GRAVITY

Known for their continuous quest for perfection, a cellar experience at De Toren is intimate, exclusive and exceptional. One thing that makes them stand out from the rest is that its cellar was South Africa’s firstever 100% gravity-fed cellar – a design that facilitates the gentlest movement of wine.

FLAVOUR-LED FERMENTATION

Another first is De Toren’s fermentation tanks. The juice is vinified in smaller, wider tanks in the cellar, which are custom designed in South Africa for the wine estate. These tanks allow for a greater ratio of skin contact and limit the number of manual punchdowns required to ensure optimal flavours and extraction.

BASKET PRESS BRILLIANCE

Following fermentation, the juice and skins then get placed into a classic, old-world-style basket press. This is one of the most delicate methods of pressing – you can sometimes still find whole berries in the basket after pressing has been completed. While the most common basket presses are made from wooden staves with small holes, De Toren makes use of a cleaner, more sustainable stainless steel basket press, which prohibits bacteria to grow.

BLOCKS AND BARRELS

When it comes to barrel maturation, individual vineyard blocks are carefully matched to predominantly French coopers. Their Malbec gets the benefit of some American Oak, though. De Toren’s wines lie in the barrels for a full twelve months.

#HELLORECOMMENDS

De Toren is certainly a wonderworld for winter wines. We highly recommend booking one of De Toren Private Cellar’s exclusive guided cellar tours.

#HelloLifestyle by Renate Engelbrecht