Reserve Red 2023

For a delightful tasting experience, try it with venison Carpaccio, slow-roasted red wine lamb shanks stew or even a roasted butternut & quinoa chilli.

The 2023 vintage followed a normal to good winter. Harvest started late due to cool spring and early summer conditions that allowed for healthy development of aromas, fine tannins & good pH.

Malolactic fermentation and aging occurred in a 5 000L French oak foudres for 12 months.

The Reserve Red is a vintage blend of the best reds Leeuwenkuil produces from the Swartland region. The crop was reduced to one bunch per shoot to enhance the quality of the grapes, which were picked at sugars ranging between 21- and 24-degrees Balling. After handpicking the grapes, they were wild fermented on skins with natural yeasts and using punch-downs and pump-overs to mix the juice and skins. Extended skin contact then took place for 20 days to allow for the maximum extraction of tannins.

Leeuwenkuil, or “Lion’s Lair”, was given its alluring name as a tribute to the ferocious Cape Lion that roamed the farmlands hunting unsuspecting cattle. Watering holes in the area were frequented by these lions, who posed a great threat to local cattle farmers. Luckily for the Dreyer family, Leeuwenkuil’s land was perfectly suited for growing vineyards. In 1693, Leeuwenkuil was known as Schinderkuijl. This German name refers to the tradition of gathering materials from demolished buildings or shipwrecks to create something entirely new – as carried out on the farm. Today the buildings on Leeuwenkuil are some of the oldest and most valuable in the entire region. While the manor house was built using stone, the lintels above the manor doors were sourced from the bottom of a ship’s bow. The Leeuwenkuil courtyard still has the same historical layout as back in 1704 with two long houses, outbuildings and animal pens. Schinderkuijl was one of the early wine farms of the region and had 8000 vines planted on it. In 1800, following its subdivision, the farm’s name was changed to Leeuwenkuil and in 1851, the charismatic Dreyer family became the new owners. Johan Frederik Dreyer was a direct descendant of Johannes Augustus Dreyer who fled Germany, in 1713. As with any good tale, this adventure involved a woman. Legend has it he had to flee Germany after defeating his opponent in a sword fight over this very woman.