Say my name
Wine speaks forever on the lips of those that have come before, and of those who lead into the future; delve into the storied Vrede en Lust estate as experienced through the prism of the Marguerite Chardonnay 2021
Margo
Marguerite de Savoye, a name that echoes across the centuries.
Marguerite, or Margo as she was fondly called, was a maverick Huguenot descendant who from all accounts knew her own mind and has been described as ‘flamboyant’ by record keepers. She was the eldest daughter of Jacques De Savoye, the first owner of Vrede en Lust, over 300 years ago. Then a Flemish merchant, he founded Vrede en Lust in 1688. The Governor of the Cape allocated his farm to De Savoye, who had fled religious persecution Europe with his wife Marie-Madeleine le Clerq. After 70 days on sea they docked in Table Bay on 26 April 1688 on the 160-feet Oosterland and the family set out for this new life into the wilds of the mountainous Simondium.
While this story was playing out, another branch to the family tree was slowly being sketched in. Shortly after the family’s arrival in the Cape, trailblazing Margo fell in love and got married to Christoffel Snyman, the son of a freed slave. She soon gave birth to their daughter, Catharina.
Christoffel was the son of Anthonij Jansz van Bengale and Catharina of Palicatte. The story goes that in 1671 Catrijn married Anthonij, the first known freed slave to purchase land and to be a registered landowner at the Cape of Good Hope. Catrijn too became a free woman when the authorities pardoned her so that she could wed him.
And so, the legacy of forthright female voices ingrained in the philosophy of this historic Simondium estate unspooled through the decades.
Karlin, Yolandi, Annette
Vrede en Lust, meaning peace and delight, was aptly named in 1688. Three centuries have passed and yet the sense of tranquillity one feels here must largely be as it was then. With the scoop of the blue sky above, towering oaks border fynbos laden corridors, birds and butterflies hopping in and out of the fragrant bushes. The white shrug of Cape Dutch homesteads appear around corners, their thick stonewalls promising respite from sun-baked days. Framing all of this is the Simonsberg Mountain, vines climbing its crumbling slopes, an ancient to witness to all that has come to pass and the families who have called this land their home.
One of the oldest wine farms in the region, it continues to be family owned. In 1996 the Buys family became its 17th owners. Brothers united with a philosophy to respect the past of this storied place, but to also bring it firmly into the future with a programme of renewal in the vineyards and winemaking.
To fully realise the farm’s potential a team was put in place, which just happens to be female led in both the vineyards as well as the cellar. Cellarmaster Karlin Nel learnt the vinous ropes from then winemaker Susan Erasmus as her assistant. Susan, who led Vrede en Lust to many awards, notably won ‘Best Wine in Show’ at the prestigious Old Mutual Trophy Awards for the Malbec 2010.
“I learned a lot from my predecessor and mentor Susan,” shares Karlin who has now been at Vrede en Lust for a decade. “Not only about winemaking but also about leadership as well as life lessons.”
Susan’s mentorship and Karlin’s natural talent saw her being appointed in 2017 as cellarmaster at Vrede en Lust, the youngest female head winemaker in South Africa at the time.
Working closely with Karlin is viticulturist Yolandi Barnard, who joined Vrede en Lust in 2021. Yolandi, who has a Masters in Viticulture from Stellenbosch University, wrote her thesis on predicting vineyard performance. You don’t ever have to go far to find Yolandi, her preferred place is amongst the vines exercising her keen sense of observation and plotting the future of the sites.
Travel over the Franschhoek Pass and plunge into the mystical green swathes of the Elgin Valley to find Vrede en Lust’s sister property, Casey’s Ridge. The 90-hectare farm is the domain of viticulturist, Annette Human. There is no tasting room or hospitality offering here; the focus lies solely on the vineyards.
“My mission is to continuously improve the vineyards through precision management of every single block,” says Annette. “This is both for quality as well as to ensure the sustainability of the vineyards for the future.”
The Marguerite Chardonnay, which used to be grown at the Simonsberg property, now hails from Elgin from the 2021 vintage, as the Burgundian grape flourishes in the cool climate terroir.
With these two different, distinct properties in-hand this has afforded the Buys’ families to further their mission of nurturing sites specifically selected for cultivars, with a focus on chardonnay from Elgin and cabernet from the Simonsberg.
Jess, Anni, Ella, Sarah
Along with naming the Marguerite Chardonnay after the estate’s ‘first daughter’ a tradition has been instilled of naming wines after the daughters of the current owners. The Jess Rosé was named for Dana Buys’ eldest daughter, Jessica-Lee on her sixteenth birthday.
“When we initially bought the farm it was mostly plum trees and cows,” says Jess reminiscing. “I got to enjoy the transformation of the farm first-hand, which was a very special place for me, being able to run wild amongst the vines, up the mountain and in the mud.” She says her goal has been to transform the hospitality side into a thriving business, where people can enjoy the estate as much as she was able to while growing up.
The tradition extends to Dana Buys’ three other daughters too: the Vrede en Lust Sarah; a Prosecco style sparkling wine commemorates Sarah Buys’ sweet sixteenth as well as two wines for the younger daughters, the Anni Sauvignon Blanc and the Ella, a red blend.
Wines that by their very nomenclature carry these new voices into the future of the Vrede en Lust’s all-female next generation.
And with Karlin at the winemaking helm she plans to spread the word of Vrede en Lust’s wines across the globe.
“I would like to grow Vrede en Lust even further and unearth all the potential offered by our vineyards,” says Karlin. “There are so many opportunities for growth, it is just about seizing those chances.”
Say my name: What do Margo, Jess, Anni, Ella and Sarah have in common? A vinous link that leaps across 300-years and a legacy of forthright female voices. Delve into the storied Vrede en Lust estate as experienced through the prism of their Marguerite Chardonnay 2021, a wine heroing the past while at the same time heralding the future.
