More and more these days, I believe simplicity to be divine. The ability to say what you MEAN, and do what you’re good at with total abandon, is a freedom of sorts. And as Nietzsche postulates, a sign of importance, or a profound identity. Illimis is Latin for clarity and the title of Lucinda Heyns’ wine brand.
Take only What You Need
Part of the original Young Guns initiative, she is quick to touch on the importance of TWO generations of winemakers - both the old and the new - and how each was able to take from the other. Like that MGMT song Kids: “Take only what you need from this.” Born in Namibia, Lucinda had done vintages in California and Italy, and worked at Mulderbosch and Jordan before starting her own wine brand. A viticulturist at heart, it makes sense then that she had gone out in search of what I’d term heritage vines. Not necessarily OLD, but eclectic. Cinsault and Riesling from Darling, Chenin Blanc from Elgin, and Grenache Noir from Wellington. Highlighting the importance of terroir and specific varieties finding expression in the diversity of the Western Cape.
A Family of Entrepreneurs
Lucinda says she comes from a family of entrepreneurs, ‘even my gran had her own business!’. Thus the notion of going out on her own, for most quite a daunting task, was something she grabbed hold of effortlessly. Today Illimis lives at Jozua Joubert’s collaborative cellar space at Karibib Wine Craft, rubbing shoulders with people like Minimalist Wines, B Vintners, and Naudé Wines. She says sharing space with like-minded individuals, who act as soundboards to her more outlandish ideas, offers real perspective. And I think, also a trademark of the South African wine industry. If you’re ever in the Polkadraai area in Stellenbosch, visit the Somm & Co tasting room at Karibib Vineyards for a taste of Illimis and her compatriots.
I will never get bored of the Cape...
Having spent a lot of time in California and abroad, I have to ask why HERE. She answers candidly that the topography of the Western Cape is so diverse, with endless pockets of unique sites and microclimates. “I think I will never get bored with the selection of wines and styles. In the future, I believe there will be even more, as people continue to get to know their vineyards and expand their horizons, developing new sites, experimenting with new varieties, and trying new things.”
A Picture in Mind
Lucinda says she has a picture in mind of what her wines are meant to look like. And through her experience as a viticulturist for Jordan and Mulderbosch, she knows where to look for them. While some of these Young Guns have earned a reputation for wild and eclectic wines in the past, I have a sense that as time passes, the concept of wine as a product of TIME and continuity has rubbed off on them. As the so-called Young Guns have matured and taken up their permanent roles within the industry. While making a unicorn wine from a vineyard for just one vintage might be considered exciting, there is a sense of understanding a winemaker develops of a vineyard over time. Allowing them to produce ever more layered and detailed expressions of a place. While the initial excitement was required to MAKE the wine, the quality of it, and I suppose the academic pursuit of scientific investigation, cements the endeavour. Instead of growing her portfolio quickly, Lucinda prefers to solidify the existing wines and develop the wines as her understanding of the terroir and the vines evolves.
As Einstein said, if you can’t explain a concept simply you don’t understand it. Thus we look forward to Lucinda’s ever-evolving offering and suggest you acquaint yourself.