Anthonij Rupert Wyne

The L'Ormarins farm sits at the foot of the Great Drakenstein mountain range, near the village of Franschhoek (literally 'French corner') in the Western Cape. In 1694 the land was occupied by Jean Roi, one of the French Huguenot refugees who had arrived at the Cape under the Dutch East India Company's resettlement programme for persecuted French Protestants. Roi named his 60-morgen grant (approximately 51 hectares) L'Ormarins after his home town Lourmarin in the Vaucluse region of Provence. The estate passed through several Cape Dutch families during the 18th and 19th centuries and developed a long viticultural tradition alongside the rest of the Franschhoek Valley. The modern Rupert chapter began when Dr. Anton Rupert (1916 to 2006) acquired L'Ormarins as part of his expanding family wine interests, which would eventually include neighbouring La Motte and the joint venture Rupert and Rothschild Vignerons.

• L'Ormarins land granted in 1694 to French Huguenot Jean Roi (60 morgen / approximately 51 hectares)
• Named for Jean Roi's hometown Lourmarin in the Vaucluse region of Provence
• One of the founding estates of the Franschhoek Valley and a significant Huguenot heritage site
• Acquired by Dr. Anton Rupert as part of the Rupert family's wider Cape wine portfolio

Anthonij Edward Rupert, the youngest son of Anton Rupert, took over the management of L'Ormarins from his father and ran the estate through the 1990s. Anthonij was a passionate ambassador for South African wine, deeply involved in his family's broader business empire and known for his particular love of Italian wine and culture. In 1997 he established Rupert and Rothschild Vignerons (a joint venture between the Rupert family and Baron Edmond de Rothschild's family of Chateau Clarke fame) on the neighbouring Fredericksberg farm. On the morning of Sunday October 28, 2001, Anthonij was killed in a single-vehicle car accident at approximately 3am: his BMW 740i overturned during a severe storm on the Simondium Road in the Franschhoek Valley. He was 49 years old. The wine industry across the Cape mourned his loss. His older brother Johann assumed control of L'Ormarins and the family wine interests, and in 2003 the operation was renamed Anthonij Rupert Wyne in his memory. The estate's modern identity is built around continuing the legacy of vision and ambition that Anthonij had brought to L'Ormarins.

• Anthonij Edward Rupert (born 1952), youngest son of Anton Rupert, ran L'Ormarins through the 1990s
• Established Rupert and Rothschild Vignerons (joint venture with the Rothschild family) on neighbouring Fredericksberg in 1997
• Killed in a single-vehicle car accident on October 28, 2001 (aged 49): BMW 740i overturned during a storm on the Simondium Road
• Older brother Johann Rupert assumed control in 2003 and renamed the estate Anthonij Rupert Wyne in his memory

Johann Rupert is one of the most prominent figures in South African business: founder and chairman of Compagnie Financiere Richemont (owner of Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Montblanc and other luxury houses) and current head of the Rupert family business empire. Following his brother's death, Johann committed to rebuilding L'Ormarins as a world-class wine estate. In 2004 he completed a state-of-the-art, gravity-fed winery designed for precision Bordeaux-style winemaking, and brought in the internationally acclaimed French oenologist Michel Rolland as consultant winemaker. Rolland, the most influential consulting oenologist of his generation, has worked with Anthonij Rupert from this period to shape the flagship Bordeaux-blend programme. The estate's vineyards were extensively replanted and expanded, and the portfolio reorganised into a series of distinct label families anchored by the new flagship Anthonij Rupert range, the first vintage of which was released in 2009. Dawie Botha, who has been with the red wine cellar since its inception in 2005, became head winemaker in 2012 and continues to oversee daily production alongside the broader consulting input.

• Johann Rupert: founder of Richemont (luxury goods group owning Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Montblanc) and head of the Rupert family business empire
• State-of-the-art gravity-fed cellar completed in 2004; designed for precision Bordeaux-style winemaking
• Michel Rolland (the world's most influential consulting oenologist) joined as consultant winemaker from the modern rebuild onwards
• First vintage of the renamed Anthonij Rupert range released in 2009; Dawie Botha has been head winemaker since 2012

Anthonij Rupert Wyne is unusually large by Franschhoek standards, with a vineyard footprint that extends well beyond the home L'Ormarins farm into several distinct South African terroirs. The estate today comprises four properties. L'Ormarins itself, at the foot of the Great Drakenstein, is the historic home: a Mediterranean-climate Franschhoek site planted to Bordeaux and Rhone varieties. Altima sits in the isolated Elandskloof valley north of Villiersdorp at the high-altitude end of the Cape, with vineyards planted from 600 metres above sea level and the highest block at 878 metres; decomposed shale soils and a continental climate promote slow ripening and natural acidity, ideal for Sauvignon Blanc and other cool-climate whites. Riebeeksrivier sits in the Swartland near Riebeek-Kasteel and supplies Mediterranean-variety reds (including the Italian varieties that anchor the Terra del Capo range). Rooderust is a separate Cape source. Together the four farms allow Anthonij Rupert to source variety-appropriate fruit across a wide spread of climates within the Western Cape, anchoring a multi-tier portfolio that ranges from cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc to powerful Italian-styled reds.

• L'Ormarins: historic Franschhoek home farm; Mediterranean climate; Bordeaux and Rhone variety plantings
• Altima: Elandskloof valley north of Villiersdorp; vineyards from 600m to 878m elevation; continental climate; decomposed shale soils; cool-climate whites including Sauvignon Blanc
• Riebeeksrivier: Swartland farm near Riebeek-Kasteel; warm Mediterranean climate; supplies Italian-variety and other Mediterranean reds
• Rooderust: fourth estate farm; rounds out the Anthonij Rupert sourcing footprint

The flagship Anthonij Rupert range is the technical and stylistic peak of the portfolio: Bordeaux-style reds (an Anthonij Rupert Cabernet Sauvignon and an Anthonij Rupert blend) made in the gravity-fed cellar from carefully selected L'Ormarins fruit, shaped by Michel Rolland's consulting input. The wines are designed to age and routinely score in the 92 to 95 point range from major international reviewers, with the 2007 vintage famously scoring 95 points in Wine Spectator. The Cape of Good Hope range is the regionally-focused complement: a collection of wines from defined South African terroirs (each labelled with its vineyard or region) drawing on the wider sourcing footprint. The Cape of Good Hope Altima Sauvignon Blanc, from the high-altitude Elandskloof valley, has become one of the range's flagship whites. Other Cape of Good Hope wines highlight specific vineyards in the Swartland, Walker Bay and other regions. Both ranges sit clearly above the rest of the portfolio in price and ambition and represent Anthonij Rupert Wyne's case for itself as one of the leading fine wine producers in South Africa.

• Anthonij Rupert flagship range: Bordeaux-style reds from L'Ormarins fruit shaped by Michel Rolland; designed for long cellaring
• Anthonij Rupert 2007 famously scored 95 points in Wine Spectator and 92 to 95 point range from major international reviewers
• Cape of Good Hope range: regionally-specific single-vineyard wines drawing on the wider sourcing footprint
• Cape of Good Hope Altima Sauvignon Blanc (Elandskloof, 600m to 878m elevation) is one of the range's flagship whites

Below the two flagship ranges, Anthonij Rupert Wyne fields three further label families that broaden its commercial reach and reflect Anthonij Rupert's wider interests. Terra del Capo (literally 'land of the Cape' in Italian) is the estate's homage to Anthonij's passion for Italian wine. The range focuses on Italian varieties uncommon at the Cape: Sangiovese, a Sangiovese-led Toscan-style blend (Cape Blend), Pinot Grigio and other Mediterranean offerings. Many of the Italian-variety vines are planted on the Swartland Riebeeksrivier farm. The L'Ormarins range carries the historic estate name and is a classic Cape lineup of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, a Bordeaux-style red and Cap Classique; positioned in the moderate-premium tier, it is the estate's everyday-fine-wine offer. The Protea range sits at the entry tier: brightly labelled, varietally clear, well-made wines that introduce a global audience to the Anthonij Rupert house style. Together, the five label families allow Anthonij Rupert Wyne to operate as one of the most stratified and ambitious wine portfolios in South Africa.

• Terra del Capo: homage to Anthonij Rupert's Italian wine passion; includes Sangiovese, Sangiovese-led blends, Pinot Grigio and other Italian varieties (many planted on Riebeeksrivier in the Swartland)
• L'Ormarins: classic estate range; Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, Bordeaux-style red and Cap Classique
• Protea: brightly labelled entry-tier range that introduces the Anthonij Rupert house style to a global audience
• Five label families across the portfolio enable Anthonij Rupert Wyne to operate as one of the most stratified wine producers in South Africa

L'Ormarins is also one of the great wine-and-culture destinations in the Cape Winelands. The estate hosts a working tasting room, a state-of-the-art cellar that can be toured, and the Franschhoek Motor Museum: a remarkable Rupert family collection of classic motor cars (more than 220 vehicles across four halls) drawn from over a century of automotive history. The museum has become a destination in its own right, drawing motoring enthusiasts from around the world alongside the estate's wine visitors. The home property also stages the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate Polo Match and other Rupert family equestrian and social events. The combination of historic Huguenot architecture, contemporary cellar facilities, world-class motor collection and serious wine programme makes Anthonij Rupert Wyne one of the most ambitious all-round experiences in South African wine tourism.

• Tasting room, cellar tours and one of the great wine-and-culture destinations in the Cape Winelands
• Franschhoek Motor Museum on the estate: more than 220 classic cars from over a century of automotive history
• Host of the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate Polo Match and other Rupert family social events
• Combines historic Huguenot heritage with contemporary cellar facilities, motoring collection and serious wine programme