Almenkerk Wine Estate

Almenkerk's South African chapter began in 2002 when Joris and Natalie van Almenkerk left Belgium and moved to the Cape in pursuit of a winemaking dream. The family searched across the Western Cape for a cool-climate site that could deliver the structure and precision they associated with the European wines they had grown up drinking. In 2004, with family support, they purchased Jutland, a 36-hectare apple farm in the Elgin Valley, and began the progressive conversion of orchard to vineyard. Joris enrolled at Stellenbosch University to earn a formal winemaking qualification while the vineyards came into production, and the first commercial Almenkerk vintage was released in 2009. The Belgian-Dutch family ownership and Joris's hands-on approach to viticulture and winemaking remain defining features of the estate, with the portfolio reflecting a European sensibility for restraint, structure, and balance.

• Joris and Natalie van Almenkerk left Belgium for South Africa in 2002
• Acquired the 36-hectare Jutland apple farm in Elgin in 2004 with family support
• First commercial vintage 2009 after progressive apple-to-vine conversion
• Joris enrolled at Stellenbosch University to earn a formal winemaking qualification

Almenkerk's 15-hectare vineyard sits between 300 and 500 metres above sea level on the Elgin plateau, with views across the surrounding mountain bowl to the Atlantic beyond. The soils are a varied complex of weathered Bokkeveld shale, clay, and sandstone, with the shale-clay components suiting Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and the warmer sandstone slopes hosting the red varieties. The cool maritime climate, with Atlantic breezes funnelling in from the south and persistent morning mists during the growing season, produces wines with vibrant natural acidity, mineral grip, and restrained alcohol. Harvest at Almenkerk typically begins in February and runs into March, weeks behind warmer South African districts. The combination of altitude, maritime influence, and varied geology gives the estate a stylistic identity that aligns with cool European cool-climate norms more than the riper New World expressions of the same varieties.

• 15 hectares of vineyard between 300 and 500 metres elevation on the Elgin plateau
• Soils: weathered Bokkeveld shale, clay, and sandstone; shale-clay for whites, warmer sandstone for reds
• Cool maritime climate with Atlantic breezes and morning mists during the growing season
• Harvest from February into March, weeks later than warmer South African districts

Almenkerk's white wines are the most internationally visible part of the portfolio and the clearest expression of Elgin's cool-climate identity. The Estate Chardonnay is whole-bunch pressed and fermented in French oak with a modest percentage of new barrels, with extended lees contact producing a wine that shows lemon zest, white peach, and a mineral spine while retaining vivid acidity. The Estate Sauvignon Blanc is fermented in stainless steel with brief lees contact, emphasising white grapefruit, green herb, and a saline finish in a Loire-leaning idiom rather than the tropical, herbaceous style associated with warmer South African sites. Both wines are organised under the Almenkerk Collection tier, with the Lace versions presenting earlier-drinking expressions and Flemish Masters reserved for exceptional vintages and small-batch single-vineyard work.

• Estate Chardonnay: whole-bunch pressed, French oak fermentation with modest new oak, extended lees contact
• Estate Sauvignon Blanc: stainless steel fermentation, brief lees contact, Loire-leaning saline style
• Lace tier provides earlier-drinking white expressions; Almenkerk Collection is the reserve tier
• Flemish Masters tier reserved for exceptional vintages and small-batch single-vineyard releases

The Lace Vineyard Selection is Almenkerk's signature red and the wine that has done the most to build the estate's reputation in international markets. It is a Bordeaux-influenced blend dominated by Merlot, with a typical assemblage drawing from Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot, with the exact proportions varying by vintage. The grapes are hand-harvested from the warmer sandstone slopes on the estate, fermented in open-top tanks with gentle extraction, and matured for 18 to 24 months in French oak barriques. The resulting wine shows red berry and dark fruit, fine spice, and supple tannins integrated into a medium-bodied frame that reflects the cool Elgin climate rather than the riper Stellenbosch idiom. The Lace name nods to the lace-making traditions of the family's Belgian and Dutch heritage, applied to a wine designed to be elegant rather than powerful.

• Lace Vineyard Selection is the signature red; Bordeaux-influenced blend dominated by Merlot
• Typical assemblage: Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
• Fermented in open-top tanks with gentle extraction; 18 to 24 months in French oak barriques
• Medium-bodied, fine-spiced cool-climate style; name nods to Belgian and Dutch lace-making heritage

Almenkerk's portfolio is organised into three distinct tiers that span price points and ambition. The Lace range is the entry tier, with the Lace Vineyard Selection red blend joined by Lace Blanc and rosé in some vintages, all built for earlier drinking and value at the gateway price point. The Almenkerk Collection is the reserve tier and the heart of the estate identity, comprising the Estate Chardonnay, Estate Sauvignon Blanc, and other reserve bottlings. The rare Flemish Masters tier sits at the top, reserved for exceptional vintages and small-batch single-vineyard or experimental releases that showcase the cellar's full ambition. The cellar itself is modern but modestly scaled, designed for hand-sorted, parcel-by-parcel vinification with separate handling of each white and red programme.

• Lace tier: entry single-varietals and the flagship Lace Vineyard Selection red blend
• Almenkerk Collection tier: Estate Chardonnay, Estate Sauvignon Blanc, and reserve bottlings
• Flemish Masters tier: rare top-tier reserved for exceptional vintages and experimental releases
• Modern but modestly scaled cellar designed for hand-sorted, parcel-by-parcel vinification