The Drift Estate

The Gift Horse

~ 100% Barbera

Story

It isn’t big – about half an hectare. When we ripped the soil in preparation for planting, I walked all over this small piece of land investigating the stones that had come to the surface and trying to read into the soil because I wasn’t sure what I should plant into it.

After a few years, when we finally got the vines up onto the cordon wire, they struggled, looking forlorn and unhappy. We babysat them, nursing them along, worried they didn’t like their new home. However, their roots slowly found a home in the soil and the vines started standing prouder and stronger.

It took ten long years before we allowed a crop to hang and ripen fully. We handled the grapes the way we handle all our grapes, with extreme care and love. The intense colour of the juice was a good sign, but it wasn’t until malolactic fermentation had finished; after the wine had been resting in barrel for two months that we realised we had something truly magnificent.

This is a once in a lifetime vineyard – the confluence of so many factors, all coming together to make magic happen.

Tasting Notes

The wine is densely purple in color. It’s a full-on nose, packed with concentrated black types of fruit like mulberry and ridiculously ripe cherry. But it’s the spice and herbaciousness that marks this wine as different. 2015, being a cool year on The Drift, means the fynbos and garden herbs are central, but in the background like good double bass player should be. This allows the wine to show an explosion of dark, black, inky fruit on the palate. The wine is rich, but fresh, with clean, refreshing acidity and soft, luscious tannins. If cellared correctly this vintage will live for twenty years easily, but is drinking very well now because of the softness of the wine crafting.

P3,950

Mary Le Bow

~ 42% Shiraz, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot

Story

The wine is named after St Mary le Bow Church in the City of London—famous, of course, for the big Bow Bell. Many sources put Mary le Bow as the oldest place of Christian worship in England. Many of the Crusades officially left from St Mary le Bow, and of course the remains of the knights who fought and died in the Holy Land were interned in the crypts The Fraters’ ancestors were some of the last people to be buried there, hence the connection. James asked me to make this wine to fulfil his father’s (Kenneth Frater) vision of a wine that “…almost trembled with power, but never needed to flex its muscle to be enjoyed.”

Tasting Notes

A warm rich deep ruby red in glass with a watery edge. Beautiful complex nose of blackcurrant, persimmon, cassis, mulberry fruits, buchu and juniper, which follow through to the palate. Layer upon layer of flavour reveals rich mulberry, cassis and mocha flavours. Pure elegance

Winemaking

The Grapes were harvested at optimum ripeness, destemmed onto a sorting table where green berries, leaves and stems were removed. 30% of the grapes were slightly crushed. The grapes were then cold macerated for 5 days. They were then inoculated and fermented between 25 & 27 °C with soft punch downs every 4 hrs. The wine aged predominantly in French Oak, with about 30% new wood for 16 months.

P2,000

Bruce Jack Heartbreak Grape

~ 100% Pinot Noir

Story

Pinot Noir sidles up halfway through the bottle, revealing a hint of heaven and then leaving you heartbroken. This starts the obsession. This wine is from the deep, cold south, where storms smash frigid waves into the rocky coast and where winemakers dream of finding meaning in their lives and loves. It is ethereal and nuanced and perfectly poised to make you smile that knowing smile.

Tasting Notes

Filled with bright red and black fruits, earthy and a hint of oak on the nose, this wine will surely take you on a journey as it slowly opens up.

P1,700

Moveable Feast

~ 40% Malbec, 32% Syrah, 10% Pinot Noir, 10% Touriga

Nacional, 9% Tannat

Story

My plan was always only to make this one wine. Mostly using Malbec and Shiraz, which I knew would be spectacular on our farm, my idea was to add small percentages of Tannat, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barocca, Barbera and Pinot Noir to spice things up and ensure we have an extremely delicious, but satisfyingly complex reflection of this small mountain farm.

Tasting Notes

On the nose the wine shows typical Drift farm ripe, black berry fruit and herbaciousness, with white pepper and a touch of cigar box. On the palate the dominant ripe fruit shows a more elegant red spectrum with cherry, raspberries and plum standing above an under-layer of enticing dark chocolate and darker black fruits like mulberry.

Winemaking

Each variety is treated differently. Most are fermented apart, but as pioneers of co-fermentation in South Africa we do have a few secret combinations. Fermented wild in open top fermentors with between 15% and 100% whole bunches. Hand plunged 6 times a day. Pressed into 225 lt barrels, mostly old, for between 18 months and 24 months ageing.

P1,300

Over the Moon

~ Cinsault, Touriga Franca, Shiraz

Story

This wine is made in the same way ancient wine was produced by the Sumerians and Egyptians. From evidence gathered from these old civilizations, we have reimagined what techniques they would have used to make wine. Using this methodology and choosing robust grapes like Tinta Barocca, Shiraz and Grenache we have crafted a unique wine that is true to the ancient world of winemaking.

Tasting Notes

With aromas of black cherry, basil, rosemary and spice and flavours of ripe plum and dark chocolate the wine surprises with its refreshing acidity and softness (due to a lack of tannin).

Winemaking

When I was asked what I thought of my experimentation in ancient winemaking, my answer was simple – I was “Over the Moon!”, hence the name we have chosen. This is an old English saying which means we are very happy with the result. I’d like to think that those Sumerians and Egyptians would have also loved the wine.

P1,000

Bruce Jack Reserve Range

~ 100% Chardonnay

Winemaking

A special selection of grapes are destined for Bruce Jack reserve whites from selected vineyards. More importantly, we receive them very early in the morning, while still cool. Grapes are crushed, juice drained and skins pressed. After the juice is settled, clear juice is used to ferment in an attempt to highlight the vineyard specific aromatics. Special tanks are given extended lees contact.  

Tasting Notes

A classic Cape Cabernet nose, full of cassis and black fruit. Soft, Intriguing and complex nose with pear, peach, clementine, a touch of cep mushrooms and freshly buttered roosterbrood. On the palate apricot, pear, hint of basil, delicately framed in some vanilla oak. 

P900

Year of the Rooster Rose

~ 100% Pinotage

Story

This is a tiny vineyard planted at around 450 meters above sea level on the side of the mountain. The soil is a unique mixture of decomposed Table Mountain sandstone and iron rock over ancient shale and clay.

Tasting Notes

Each vintage is slightly different, reflecting the always changing growing season and weather. A wonderfully well structured, bone dry rose with bold red hues. The classic intriguing floral nose of nectarines and strawberries introduces a palate awash with spring blossoms and cherry, with just a hint of blackberry tannins.

Winemaking

Gently destemmed and crushed, then left in the press for juice to absorb some of the color of the skins. Pressed to tank where wild fermentations spontaneously starts then transferred to very old barrels. Bottled with a rough filtration.

P800

Moon Rabbit Syrah

~ 100% Syrah

Story

This wine is dedicated to Bruce’s eldest son Robert – born in the Year of the Rabbit and nicknamed Moon Rabbit because of his curiosity with the stars and planets.

Tasting Notes

Our ancient soil and warm weather means our wines are soft, full-bodied and delicious.

Our Syrah is majestic and proud, tasting of red forest fruit with hints of vanilla and spice.

P750

Moon Rabbit Chenin Blanc

~ 100% Chenin Blanc

Story

This wine is dedicated to Bruce’s eldest son Robert – born in the Year of the Rabbit and nicknamed Moon Rabbit because of his curiosity with the stars and planets.

Tasting Notes

Our ancient soil and warm weather means our wines are soft, full-bodied and delicious.

Our Chenin Blanc is refreshing and juicy. Tasting of ripe peach and sunshine.

P750

Bruce Jack Lifestyle Collection

~ 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Story

A special selection of grapes are destined for Bruce Jack whites from selected vineyards. The point of difference results from carefully blending premium Sauvignon Blanc vineyards from different areas.

Tasting Notes

The cool climate component from the Cape South Coast lends this wine intense crunchy green apple and lemon grass. The riper components provide juicy white peach and touch of citrus.

P750

Bruce Jack Lifestyle Collection

~ 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaking

Grapes are harvested early in the day. They are then crushed, destemmed, and fermented on the skin. Open and closed pump overs are given for color extract. From there the juice is fermented, blended, stabilized and filtered.

Tasting Notes

A classic Cape Cabernet nose, full of cassis and black fruit. Soft, chocolate tannins on palate with ripe blackcurrant fruit.

P750

Bruce Jack Lifestyle Collection

~ 100% Merlot

Story

Bruce Jack Wines only used the best quality grapes to make its fantastic wines. The vineyards are situated mostly in the beautiful Breedekloof valley which has some of the oldest viticultural soils in the world. The diversity of climate and soil makes this terroir a treasure trove of winemaking possibilities.

Tasting Notes

Notes of ripe Raspberries and Chocolate with a swirl of Vanilla.

P750

Bruce Jack Lifestyle Collection

~ 100% Shiraz

Winemaking

Selected vineyards are harvested early in the morning when still cool. Grapes are destemmed and fermented on the skins in a combination of open and closed tanks. Selected vineyards are punched down by hand and wild fermentation is encouraged. Open and closed pump overs are given to carefully extract colour and build a soft, juicy mouthfeel. The fermented wine is aged in a combination of stainless steel tanks and barrels. When ready the wine is painstakingly blended to create both complexity and yumminess.

Tasting Notes

We love the raspberry, Indian spice and ripe plum aromas. The palate is full and rich with dark chocolate, black forest fruit and smooth sexy tannins.

P750

Bruce Jack Bumblebee

~ 100% Muscat d’Alexandrie

Winemaking

Healthy grapes received early in the day. Grapes were crushed, juice drained and skins pressed. After juice settled, clear juice is used to cold ferment in stainless steel tanks. From there the wine is stabilized and filtered.

Tasting Notes

With enticing aromas of an exotic flower garden, this light, low alcohol wonderfully refreshing wine tastes of peaches and cream, and tangerine.

P650