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Bloemendal Estate

One of South Africa's oldest wine farms, established 1702 and surrounded by the Tygerberg Hills of Durbanville, with a long Coetzee family stewardship and a 21st-century chapter under Tokyo Sexwale's Mvelaphanda Holdings.

Bloemendal Wine Estate sits on a 238-hectare property in the Tygerberg Hills of Durbanville, on land first granted in 1702. The estate originally supplied fresh produce to Dutch East India Company ships rounding the Cape of Good Hope, and its modern winemaking era began with the building of the first cellar in 1920 by Jannie van der Westhuizen. His grandson Jackie Coetzee took the helm in the mid-20th century, registered Bloemendal as an Estate in 1987 and made the property famous for boutique-scale Sauvignon Blanc and the distinctive waterlily label. In 2008 Jackie Coetzee sold Bloemendal to a farming subsidiary of Mvelaphanda Holdings, the investment group founded by anti-apartheid icon Tokyo Sexwale, for R105 million. The estate was put on auction again in March 2026 with an opening offer of R180 million. Wines continue to be made under the Bloemendal label, with Sauvignon Blanc the primary focus alongside Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz.

Key Facts

Original 1702 farm grant during the early Dutch East India Company era; one of the oldest wine properties in South Africa, with more than 300 years of continuous farming
Surrounded by the Tygerberg Hills inside the Durbanville Wine of Origin ward (1989) within the broader Cape Town wine district
238-hectare property including Kanonberg (Canon Mountain); deep red Hutton clay over decomposed granite supports dryland Sauvignon Blanc and red varieties
First cellar built in 1920 by Jannie van der Westhuizen; the Coetzee family acquired the property in the late 19th century via his daughter's line
Jackie Coetzee registered Bloemendal as an Estate in 1987, focusing on noble cultivars and boutique-style award-winning wines under the distinctive waterlily label
Sold by the Coetzee family in 2008 for R105 million to a farming subsidiary of Mvelaphanda Holdings, founded by anti-apartheid icon Tokyo Sexwale
Put on auction again in March 2026 with an opening offer of R180 million; envisaged future use is a mixed residential, commercial and vineyard development
Sauvignon Blanc remains the primary focus; the Bloemendal Suider Terras Sauvignon Blanc has long been one of the estate's signature wines

📜1702 Founding and Dutch East India Company Era

The land that became Bloemendal was first granted in 1702, just half a century after the founding of the Dutch East India Company refreshment station at the Cape in 1652. The property originally formed part of the broader Tygerberg agricultural belt that supplied Dutch East India Company ships sailing around the Cape of Good Hope with fresh produce on their way to and from the Spice Islands. Cattle, grain and a small amount of wine grapes were grown on the property through the 18th and 19th centuries. The farm's distinctive position in the Tygerberg Hills (which includes Kanonberg, or Canon Mountain, on the higher slopes) gave it the cool mesoclimate and well-drained Hutton clay soils that would later prove ideal for Sauvignon Blanc once that variety took hold in the Durbanville ward in the late 20th century.

Original 1702 farm grant during the early Dutch East India Company era; one of the oldest continuously farmed properties in South Africa
Originally supplied Dutch East India Company ships rounding the Cape of Good Hope with fresh produce
238-hectare property includes Kanonberg (Canon Mountain) on the higher slopes
Cool Tygerberg Hills mesoclimate and well-drained Hutton red clay soils later proved ideal for Sauvignon Blanc

👨‍🌾Coetzee Family Stewardship

Bloemendal entered its modern era through the Van der Westhuizen and Coetzee families. The property was acquired in the late 19th century by the great-grandfather of vintner Jackie Coetzee, the long-time face of the estate. The first cellar was built in 1920 by Jannie van der Westhuizen, and modern winemaking has been continuous on the property since then. Van der Westhuizen's grandson, Jackie Coetzee, registered Bloemendal as a formal Estate in 1987 and refocused the property on noble cultivars and boutique-scale award-winning wine, sacrificing volume in favour of quality. The wines built a national reputation under the distinctive waterlily label, with Sauvignon Blanc emerging as the signature variety. Jackie's son Piti Coetzee became a winemaker under his father's mentorship. The family ran Bloemendal across multiple generations until 2008, when Jackie Coetzee elected to sell the estate to 'move on to another form of life'.

Property acquired in the late 19th century by the great-grandfather of vintner Jackie Coetzee
First cellar built 1920 by Jannie van der Westhuizen (Jackie Coetzee's grandfather); continuous winemaking ever since
Jackie Coetzee registered Bloemendal as an Estate in 1987, focusing on noble cultivars and boutique-scale wines under the waterlily label
Coetzee's son Piti Coetzee trained as a winemaker under his father; family ran the estate across multiple generations until 2008

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💼Mvelaphanda Sale 2008 and 2026 Auction

In 2008 a farming subsidiary of Mvelaphanda Holdings, the diversified investment group founded by anti-apartheid icon Tokyo Sexwale, acquired Bloemendal from Jackie Coetzee for R105 million. The sale was one of the more visible transitions of a historic Cape wine farm from a family-owned, generationally rooted estate into a corporate ownership structure tied to a high-profile post-apartheid investment vehicle. Sauvignon Blanc and Bordeaux-variety reds continued to be produced under the Bloemendal label through the post-2008 era. In March 2026 the estate was put on auction by Mvelaphanda with an opening offer from R180 million and prospective buyers required to provide proof of funds of R200 million. Brokers indicated a 'mixed residential and commercial development' was envisaged alongside continued viticulture on the historic 238-hectare property, which a previous attempted 2025 auction at a R250 million reserve price had failed to complete after a successful bidder could not arrange full funding.

Sold in 2008 by Jackie Coetzee to a farming subsidiary of Mvelaphanda Holdings for R105 million; Mvelaphanda founded by anti-apartheid icon Tokyo Sexwale
Wines continued to be produced under the Bloemendal label, with Sauvignon Blanc and Bordeaux-variety reds remaining the focus
Put on auction in March 2026 with an opening offer from R180 million; future use envisaged as mixed residential, commercial and vineyard
A 2025 auction at a R250 million reserve price collapsed when the successful bidder could not arrange full funding

🪨Tygerberg Hills Terroir

Bloemendal sits on the Tygerberg Hills inside the Durbanville Wine of Origin ward, which was awarded that status in 1989 and lies within the broader Cape Town district. The 238-hectare property includes Kanonberg, or Canon Mountain, on its higher slopes, giving the estate a wide range of altitude, slope and aspect across a single contiguous farm. Cooling comes from the Cape Doctor, the south-easterly summer wind that pushes in off the cold Atlantic and keeps daytime temperatures measurably lower during the ripening months, with morning sea mist drawn in over the hills providing further moderation. Soils are dominated by the deep red, iron-rich Hutton type over decomposed granite, retentive of winter moisture and well suited to dryland viticulture in many blocks. Vineyard plantings are mainly French varieties, with the focus on Sauvignon Blanc together with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Pinotage.

Tygerberg Hills location inside the Durbanville Wine of Origin ward (1989) within the broader Cape Town wine district
238-hectare property with Kanonberg (Canon Mountain) on the higher slopes; wide altitude and aspect range
Cape Doctor south-easterly summer wind and morning sea mist over the Tygerberg Hills moderate ripening temperatures
Deep red Hutton soils over decomposed granite; many blocks suitable for dryland viticulture; focus on Sauvignon Blanc and Bordeaux red varieties

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🥂Sauvignon Blanc and the Bloemendal Range

Sauvignon Blanc has long been the primary focus of the Bloemendal range, with the Bloemendal Suider Terras Sauvignon Blanc one of the estate's signature bottlings since the Jackie Coetzee era. The style is typical of cool Durbanville: citrus zest, green fig, granadilla and fynbos lift, lifted by the saline length that the Cape Doctor wind delivers across the ward. The red portfolio is built around Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Pinotage, with single-variety bottlings and occasional Bordeaux-style blends made depending on the vintage. The estate's distinctive waterlily label is a hallmark of the brand. Through the 2010s and into the 2020s the Bloemendal range remained a recognised name in the Durbanville Wine Valley alongside neighbours Diemersdal, Nitida and Durbanville Hills, with critical recognition in Platter's, the South African Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competitions and various international Sauvignon Blanc trophies.

Bloemendal Suider Terras Sauvignon Blanc is a signature bottling dating from the Jackie Coetzee era
Style typical of cool Durbanville: citrus, green fig, granadilla, fynbos lift and a saline length from the Cape Doctor wind
Reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Pinotage; single varieties and occasional Bordeaux-style blends
Recognised in Platter's, the South African Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competitions and various international Sauvignon Blanc trophies

⭐Position in Durbanville and the Cape

Bloemendal occupies an unusual position in the Durbanville Wine Valley: a historic 300-year-old estate, registered as a quality producer under the Coetzee family in 1987, currently in corporate ownership and in a period of transition. The 2026 auction process, the second in two years, indicates ongoing uncertainty about the long-term commercial use of the property, with mixed residential, commercial and vineyard development on the table. Whatever the eventual outcome of the sale, Bloemendal remains one of the four anchor producers (alongside Diemersdal, Nitida and the cooperative Durbanville Hills) whose combined output has positioned Durbanville as a cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc reference and a viable serious wine destination on the doorstep of Cape Town. The estate is also one of the partner farms that supplies fruit to the Durbanville Hills cooperative cellar, further linking it into the broader valley wine economy.

Historic 300-year-old estate registered as a quality producer in 1987; currently in corporate ownership under transition
2026 auction process indicates ongoing uncertainty; mixed residential, commercial and vineyard development envisaged
One of the four anchor Durbanville Wine Valley producers alongside Diemersdal, Nitida and the cooperative Durbanville Hills
Also one of the nine partner farms that supplies fruit to the Durbanville Hills cooperative cellar

Flavor Profile

Bloemendal Sauvignon Blanc, led by the Suider Terras bottling, sits in the classic cool Durbanville style: lifted citrus zest, green fig, granadilla and gooseberry over a fynbos top note, with a saline mineral length that comes from the Cape Doctor wind and the deep Hutton red clay over decomposed granite. The Pinotage tends to a fresher, more savoury style than warm-interior expressions, with red and black berry fruit and softer tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot lean on cool-climate cassis, plum and dark cherry with a fine tannin structure and herbal lift rather than warm-grown jam. Shiraz shows pepper and dark spice over a mid-weight black fruit core. The estate's wines are built for freshness and elegance, in keeping with the Tygerberg Hills mesoclimate.

Food Pairings

Grilled line fish or pan-seared kingklip with the Suider Terras Sauvignon Blanc, where citrus and fynbos lift the dishCape Malay fish curry or chicken biryani with Sauvignon Blanc, the wine's saline length carrying the mild spiceSlow-braised oxtail or potjie with Bloemendal Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, a classic South African pairing of cool fruit and long-cooked richnessSpringbok carpaccio or air-dried game with Pinotage, where the cool-climate red fruit meets lean savoury venisonGrilled lamb chops with herbs and Shiraz, matching pepper and dark spice with rosemary-rubbed lambSouth African biltong, droewors and aged hard cheeses across the Sauvignon Blanc and red ranges

📝Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS

Original 1702 farm grant during the Dutch East India Company era; one of the oldest continuously farmed wine properties in South Africa
First cellar built 1920 by Jannie van der Westhuizen; his grandson Jackie Coetzee registered Bloemendal as an Estate in 1987 and built the modern reputation under the distinctive waterlily label
Sold in 2008 by Jackie Coetzee to a farming subsidiary of Mvelaphanda Holdings (Tokyo Sexwale's investment vehicle) for R105 million
Put on auction again in March 2026 with an opening offer from R180 million after a 2025 attempt at a R250 million reserve price collapsed
238-hectare Tygerberg Hills property including Kanonberg; one of the nine partner farms supplying Durbanville Hills as well as a producer in its own right; Sauvignon Blanc the primary focus