Vilafonté

Vilafonté is the ambitious prestige project of Mondavi Opus One's winemaker Zelma Long, who is considered one of the best and best-known winemakers in the world, and Mike Radcliff of the famous Warwick. A so-called joint venture, but one in which the winemaker himself actually actively participates. A true South African icon winery that may not make the cheapest wines, but certainly offers extremely good value for money compared to Australia or California, according to Tim Atkin MW. "Most all of them are too cheap."

Vilafonté's commitment to quality concerns the entire production process, from the vine to the wine, and with a focus on producing a high end luxury wine experience. 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 Radcliffe 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 Michael Broadbent), who is responsible for Vilafonté's distribution in the U.S. 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 what South Africa has to offer.