Paul Clüver Family Wines

The Clüver family has farmed De Rust in Elgin since 1896, initially raising livestock and cultivating apples for export markets. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Paul Clüver, a neurosurgeon, was approached by viticulturists from Stellenbosch Farmers Winery, who had identified Elgin as an untapped cool-climate wine region. A joint venture agreement led to the planting of the first commercial vineyards in the valley, with the maiden wine, a Riesling, released in 1990 after early vintages were vinified at Nederburg in Paarl. Paul Clüver Family Wines built its own cellar in 1996, with Andries Burger overseeing the first estate vintage, a role he has held continuously since. Dr. Clüver was named South Africa's Farmer of the Year in 1995 and also co-founded Thandi Wines that year, which became the first wine brand in the world to receive Fairtrade accreditation in 2003.

• Clüver family farming on De Rust since 1896; now a fourth-generation family business
• First commercial Elgin vineyards planted via Stellenbosch Farmers Winery joint venture; maiden wine, a 1990 Riesling, made at Nederburg
• Own cellar operational from 1996 with Andries Burger as founding and continuing winemaker
• Dr. Clüver co-founded Thandi Wines in 1995, the world's first Fairtrade-certified wine brand by 2003

Elgin sits approximately 70 kilometres southeast of Cape Town on an inland mountain plateau at elevations broadly ranging from 250 to over 400 metres, with proximity to the Atlantic Ocean moderating summer temperatures and generating persistent morning mists. At Paul Clüver, vineyards are planted between 280 and 435 metres above sea level on Bokkeveld shale soils with clay subsoils, and Riesling blocks grow in ferricrete. Annual rainfall averages 700mm, with cold, wet winters enabling a deep dormancy, and cool, mild summers with significant diurnal temperature variation that allows for slow, gradual ripening and the retention of bright natural acidity. This combination of altitude, soil, and maritime influence has proved particularly well-suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the two varieties now at the core of the estate's identity.

• Vineyards at 280 to 435 metres on Bokkeveld shale with clay subsoils; Riesling planted in ferricrete
• Average 700mm annual rainfall; cool winters and mild summers with pronounced diurnal temperature variation
• Atlantic Ocean proximity moderates heat and generates morning mists, extending the growing season
• Elgin climate compared to Burgundy by Dr. Clüver himself, influencing the varietal focus

Conservation has been central to De Rust long before it became an industry talking point. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Clüver helped establish a conservancy involving all landowners connected to Groenlandberg, registering more than 30,000 hectares in 1998 to control wildfires and protect biodiversity. In the early 2000s, he became the first landowner in the Western Cape to sign a perpetuity contract legally binding part of De Rust to CapeNature's Stewardship Programme. More than half of the 2,200-hectare De Rust estate holds official conservation status within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, the first biosphere reserve declared in southern Africa and part of UNESCO's worldwide network. In 2022, Dr. Clüver received the WWF South Africa Living Planet Award for his pioneering conservation and regenerative agriculture work. Vineyards are farmed with diverse cover crops ranging from grasses to legumes to support soil health.

• More than half of the 2,200-hectare De Rust estate has official conservation status within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve
• Dr. Clüver was the first Western Cape landowner to sign a perpetuity conservation contract with CapeNature's Stewardship Programme
• Groenlandberg conservancy, established in the mid-1990s, registered over 30,000 hectares in 1998
• Dr. Clüver received the WWF South Africa Living Planet Award in 2022 for conservation and regenerative agriculture leadership

The portfolio is organised into three tiers: Village, Estate, and the flagship Seven Flags. Pinot Noir has been a priority at Paul Clüver since 1989, and the estate's approach to both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is Burgundian in inspiration. For the Seven Flags Pinot Noir, every berry is hand-sorted individually, fermentation begins spontaneously in wooden vats, and the wine matures for 12 months in French oak with 37.5 percent new barrels, with the final Seven Flags selection assembled only after blind assessment of every Pinot Noir barrel in the cellar. The Seven Flags Chardonnay is sourced exclusively from the estate's pioneering south-facing blocks, recognised as the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in Elgin; fermentation proceeds entirely with indigenous yeasts, and malolactic conversion is blocked to preserve natural acidity. A collaboration with Martin Prieur of Domaine Jacques Prieur in Meursault has also produced a limited-edition Chardonnay called Collin du Matin.

• Three-tier range: Village, Estate, and flagship Seven Flags Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• Seven Flags Pinot Noir: hand-sorted, spontaneous fermentation, 12 months in French oak with 37.5% new barrels, selected by blind barrel assessment
• Seven Flags Chardonnay: sourced from the oldest Chardonnay vines in Elgin, indigenous yeast fermentation, malolactic conversion blocked
• Limited-edition Collin du Matin Chardonnay made in collaboration with Martin Prieur of Domaine Jacques Prieur, Meursault

Paul Clüver Family Wines has achieved consistent recognition from leading international critics. In Tim Atkin MW's 2022 South Africa Special Report, the estate held First Growth classification, with the Seven Flags Chardonnay 2021 and Noble Late Harvest Riesling 2021 each scoring 96 points, and the Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2018 scoring 95 points. In Atkin's 2024 report, the Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2021 and Noble Late Harvest Riesling 2021 again scored 96 points, with the estate holding Second Growth classification. The 2021 Chardonnay also won the varietal trophy and Sustainable Trophy at the 2023 International Wine Challenge. The Seven Flags Chardonnay 2016 was named Best Chardonnay in Show at the 2017 Decanter World Wine Awards.

• Tim Atkin 2022 report: First Growth status; Seven Flags Chardonnay 2021 and Noble Late Harvest Riesling 2021 scored 96 pts each
• Tim Atkin 2024 report: Second Growth classification; Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2021 and Noble Late Harvest Riesling 2021 scored 96 pts
• 2021 Chardonnay: varietal trophy and Sustainable Trophy at the 2023 International Wine Challenge
• Seven Flags Chardonnay 2016: Best Chardonnay in Show, Decanter World Wine Awards 2017

Paul Clüver Junior serves as managing director of Paul Clüver Family Wines, continuing a family tradition that stretches back through four generations on De Rust. Four of the five Clüver siblings are actively involved in the business, taking the reins from their parents, Paul and Songvei Clüver. The family's commitment extends well beyond the winery: the De Rust Futura Academy primary and secondary school on the farm, originally founded in 1957 by Gertrud Clüver, now educates over 1,300 pupils from the surrounding community. The estate continues to advance Elgin's reputation as one of South Africa's premier cool-climate regions while deepening its commitment to regenerative agriculture, biodiversity, and community empowerment.

• Paul Clüver Junior serves as managing director; four of five siblings actively involved in the business
• Second to fourth generation transition from parents Paul and Songvei Clüver to the current generation
• De Rust Futura Academy, founded on the farm in 1957 by Gertrud Clüver, educates over 1,300 pupils today
• Estate continues to define Elgin as a benchmark for South African cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir