Sam Venter
There is a moment on arriving at Brookdale in Paarl when, turning off the Hawequa Bos road onto the crest of the estate’s entrance road, all you see is the rugged, imposing cliffs of the Klein Drakenstein mountains, the rock faces changing hues as sun and clouds shift.
As you start the descent down the winding drive, the view almost instantly changes — opening into a green, pastoral scene of vineyards interspersed with white picket fences, immaculate lawns, neat rows and copses of trees, wild pockets of fynbos, and the distinctive gables of a Cape Dutch manor house — all ringed by those craggy mountains.
In the winelands where spectacular views are commonplace, this one is, quite simply, magical.
There can be few visitors who resist the temptation to stop and attempt to capture the dramatic contrasts on camera.
One of SA’s youngest estates, Brookdale has a Cinderella story as entrancing as the views.
Owner Tim Rudd bought the overgrown, rundown farm in 2015 and proceeded to completely transform it — clearing out alien vegetation and neglected vines, retaining only two blocks of 25-35-year-old chenin blanc, constructing new buildings and planting swathes of indigenous trees.
The contemporary architecture of the cellar, tasting room and bistro building — shades of sand and grey, accented with natural materials like stone, wood and leather, echoing the surrounding mountains — contrasts with the classic white, gabled Cape Dutch Brookdale Manor House a few hundred metres away, where traditional tall wooden cottage-pane sash windows and shutters, wooden floors and high ceilings give a feel of heritage restored with modern comforts.
With its attention to authentic details, it’s hard to believe the manor house is only about 10 years old.
Rudd has a passion for the wines of Mediterranean areas such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and France’s Rhone region.
So, unusual for Paarl, the 37 different varietals planted on the farm feature not a single Bordeaux grape — no cabernet or merlot, but rather chenin blanc, syrah, sangiovese, mourvèdre, grenache, touriga nacional, vermentino, assyrtiko, and more.
It’s not only about the owner’s passion for those particular varieties and wines, but a climate-smart choice to plant more drought-resistant grapes that thrive in the hot, dry Mediterranean.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Brookdale is its field blends, something of a lost art harking back to the way wines were grown and made in Europe in centuries past.
Rather than the different varieties — 16 for the red field blend, 20 for the white — being planted in separate rows in the same vineyard, at Brookdale they are all randomly interplanted “without rhyme or reason” in a single vineyard, harvested and fermented together.
It’s not entirely random, though. The winemakers work out the percentages of each variety, based on what characteristics each will contribute, such as flavour, acidity, roundness, freshness and texture.
The idea is to produce a wine literally “made in the vineyard”, reflecting not only a specific site but also a clear expression of vintage, reflecting the vagaries of the weather of a particular year.
The results are not only intriguing because of the diversity of the grapes, and exciting because of the vintage variability, but superb wines.
The white blend, Brookdale Sixteen 2024 (4.5* in Platter’s) is unwooded, spending a year on the lees in the relatively neutral vessels of clay amphorae and concrete eggs.
Medium-weight, balancing mouthfilling texture with fresh, saline acidity, weaving florals and fruit with flinty smokiness in a seamless blend.
The red Brookdale Twenty 2024 earned 4.5* in this maiden vintage, boasting floral and spicy notes, layers of flavour unfolding with every sip.
What seems on the first taste accessible and juicy, evolves into a wine of distinctive presence.
The field blends form part of Brookdale’s premium range, which also includes the 5* wooded Bradbourne White Blend 2024, deliciously textured, aromatic, balancing freshness, honey and spice.
The Mason Road provides a great introduction to the Brookdale wine styles, intending to provide a “picture in a glass” of the farm and to over-deliver on quality at a price of around R160, which they certainly do.
Mason Road Chenin 2025 is crisp and mineral, while Serendipity Rosé 2025 weaves savouriness and depth around the fruit’s tart sweetness.
Mason Road GSM 2025 emerged a favourite of our tasting — a blend of mostly syrah and grenache noir, it has bouncy energy and weaves smoky, herbal and savoury notes around smooth, juicy red fruit, a great balance of freshness and depth of flavour.
Mason Road Syrah 2024, which earned “best value red” in UK wine critic Tim Atkin’s annual SA wine report, is seductively perfumed, rich and elegant, with earthiness, juicy fruit and fine tannins. Highly recommended.
The Bistro at Brookdale is a must-visit, for unfussy fine dining with glorious views over the vineyards and mountains.
Chef Gary Coetzee favours seasonal local produce, exploring international influences and fresh combinations of flavours and textures — think spice-battered prawns, Moroccan lamb, confit duck with Asian flavours (and the best pork chop I have eaten in my life!)
For those wanting to experience the comforts of Brookdale in full, the manor with its private chef, butler, library, pool and tranquil gardens, offers luxurious private suites, or can be booked out by groups of up to 12.
Brookdale is designed to be an experience for mind, body and soul, encouraging creativity and the freedom to explore, combining a sleek, contemporary approach with warm, down-to-earth winelands hospitality.
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