2021 Vilafonté Seriously Old Dirt

The second label of the Vilafonté winery Seriously Old Dirt is named after the old Vilafontes soil on which the vines have been growing for almost two decades. "It's all about the dirt." The sticks are planted on completely uncultivated soil: Seriously Old Dirt. Each hectare of vines at Vilafonté is meticulously grown and harvested, with attention to detail and a unique focus. For Seriously Old Dirt, hand-picked grapes are used from the younger vines, from about 4 to 6 years old. After picking, the grapes remain soaked for 6 to 7 days in a cool climate. During fermentation, partial natural fermentation and an extended fermentation period are used. The juice is aged in French oak barrels for 22 months.

Seriously Old Dirt is also described as “Playful and Intriguing”. The wine is ruby red in color and has a remarkably fresh and fruity aroma, with aromas of red cherry, plum and blueberry. Accentuated by hints of spicy Sichuan and cayenne pepper and notes of dried herbs are complemented by vanilla, white chocolate, cinnamon and a scent of cigar boxes. The taste of the wine is generous, with juicy red fruit and a wonderful mouthfeel, with a core of fine tannins and a long aftertaste. Delicious with a steak in a coffee rub, fillet steak with truffle jus, a lamb tagine, green lentil curry and meatballs with eggplant and porcini mushrooms in tomato sauce.

All three 2021 Vilafonté wines made the James Sucklings “Top 100 Wines of South Africa” – each scoring over 93 points!

Vilafonté - America meets South Africa

Vilafonté is a special project in Paarl. It is the first collaboration project between an American and a South African company in the world of wine. And it is not only in that respect that it is unique. It is also special because it is a collaboration between partners fully committed to top quality, with specialists from both countries fully focused on making 'quality wines'.Vilafonté started as a project that initially focused on the American market, but which is now also successful in other important export markets.

Vilafonté's commitment to quality concerns the entire production process, from the bottom to the bottle, and with a luxurious and grand appearance as the first focus. The name, Vilafonté, is taken from the main soil type of the estate, which covers 40 hectares and which, due to its character, is the source of the estate's wines. The composition of the team involved in Vilafonté creates a unique mix of knowledge, skills, international vision, and at the same time international recognition. The goal of the Vilafonté project is no less than to become South Africa's first true luxury wine brand.

The project involves the following partners: Zelma Long is head of the team of winemakers of the Vilafonté project. Zelma is one of the best-known winemakers in the United States, with a great international reputation. Michael Ratcliffe is the General Manager of Vilafonté. Mike is Managing Director of his family estate, Warwick, regarded as one of South Africa's leading wine estates. Phil Feese is responsible for the strategic direction of vineyard management and everything related to vineyard development. Phil is in charge of vineyard management and is the one who designed the Vilafonté vineyard, which he calls “Different by Design”.

Also at the base is partner Bartholomew Broadbent (yes, the son of), who is responsible for the distribution of Vilafonté in the US. Bartholomew is the owner of one of the most prestigious small importers in the United States. Decanter Magazine recently put him on its list of the 50 most influential people in the wine world. Vilafonté owns a total of 12 hectares, planted in 1998 and 1999. The winery measures a total of 42 hectares. Vilafonté is planted entirely like a classic Bordeaux vineyard, with carefully selected clones of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Malbec and Merlot. During the planting, the most modern techniques in the field of satellite cartography were used, whereby the wine list was mapped with infrared photos and multi-spectrum images, to see which grape should be planted where and to determine where more or less irrigation is necessary. In this way, the best results are achieved from the plantings through optimal care of the vineyard. The wines are a perfect reflection of this: South African with great class.