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Where most businesses measure progress by how far they’ve advanced from a starting point, for organic and biodynamic wine estate Reyneke, progress means “we’re nearly back to where we started”.
Reyneke’s founding winemaker and now viticulturist Johan Reyneke started converting the farm to organic and biodynamic farming practices in 1998 and said finding natural alternatives to chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilisers had not only restored the natural balance of the farm but proved good for the balance sheet too.
“Converting to organic farming is not an overnight process and at first we did see our yields reducing from eight tonnes per hectare down to about five tonnes,” he said.
“But now we are back up to harvesting eight and sometimes as much as 11 tonnes of grapes per hectare.
“The land and the grapes are healthier, they make better wines, and because we re-use and recycle as much as we can, and produce our own fertiliser and compost, our production costs are almost zero.” he said.
So, good for the balance sheet as well as good for the planet, and better for your health too, he said.
There are no additives in these wines — “just grapes and time” — so sulphite levels are lower than in conventional wines, and the use of wild yeasts leaves behind less headache-inducing histamines.
Where once organic wines were seen as something of a curiosity, to be judged separately from conventional wines, a view of “well that’s good — for an organic wine”, Reyneke’s track record demonstrates that there’s no reason to view them any differently, and that they more than hold their own alongside wines made by more commercial methods.
Reyneke was the first organic/biodynamic winery to receive five stars in the history of the Platter Wine Guide, in 2013, and today all of the wines are scored at least four stars.
Neal Martin, taster for the influential US publication Wine Advocate, recently scored all of the Reyneke Biodynamic wines more than 90 points.
And if any more proof was needed, Johan points out that the world’s most expensive wine, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which will set you back about R65,000 a bottle, has been certified biodynamic and organic since the 1950s.
As for the age-ability of organic wines, DRC is known for its exceptional longevity of “easily” 40-50 years.
Fortunately, there’s no need to take out a second mortgage or pay for a spot on a waiting list to experience the benefits and quality of Reyneke’s eco-conscious wines.
Recently tasted, the 2023 Reyneke Organic Sauvignon Blanc (R115) is fresh and zesty with lemon and lime and the crunch of green apples, a great sauvignon for everyday enjoyment.
Its more grown-up “cousin”, the 2023 Biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc (R270) is aged and fermented in wood, softening sauvignon’s typical acidity and producing a wine that’s delicate and aromatic with floral notes, blackcurrant, pear and kiwi flavours and a lingering minerality — more of an “old-world” style of sauvignon blanc, Johan said.
An interesting twist is that he said while sauvignon blanc “prefers oak, to flesh out its natural linearity”, chenin blanc is better fermented and matured in clay amphorae because the clay “keeps it linear, otherwise it can become too plush”.
And that’s what one finds in the Biodynamic Chenin Blanc 2023, from vines about 50 years old, a lively streak of acidity waking up the taste buds and balancing the richness of the fruit, woven with honey/floral notes, and the wine soft but textured.
Reyneke Biodynamic Syrah 2020 (R300) balances power in its aromatics of white pepper and woody herbs and the delicacy of clean, bright red fruit — freshness balanced with a savoury undertone and fine chalky tannin structure.
Freshness is the hallmark of the Reserve Red 2020 (R790), an “elegant but not timid” Syrah, more floral and perfumed, velvety with dark cherries, black pepper and warm spices, layers of complexity unfolding, deep, delicious, a real treat.
Reyneke Organic Cornerstone 2022 (R350) is led by Cabernet Franc, with about 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, intensely aromatic with cassis, black cherries, smoke and spice, a complex layered blend of fruit purity, notes of tea and spices, balanced with bright acidity.
Johan says it best — “an easy wine to get along with”.
The Herald
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