Giannikos Winery - Olifantsberg

Olifantsberg Family Vineyards is less than an hour's drive from Cape Town, in the heart of the Breedekloof wine region in South Africa. This small, 5 hectare winery has been in the hands of the Dutch Leeuwerik family since 2003. The Olifantsberg vineyards lie on the slopes of the Brandwacht Mountains. Thanks to the high altitude and the almost constant blowing wind, there is a cool microclimate.

Ideal conditions for the production of top quality grapes! The vineyard works with respect for nature. The vines are organically fertilized and the yield in the vineyard is deliberately kept low. All this with the aim of harvesting optimally ripe, healthy and concentrated grapes of high quality. After the manual harvest, these grapes are brought to the newly built vinification cellar. Here too, winemaker Elizma Visser lets nature do its job. After crushing the grapes, a traditional peel maceration follows and the grapes are fermented. After this they are aged in oak barrels, of which approximately one third is renewed annually. The Olifantsberg wines are therefore perfectly balanced with beautifully dosed oak in aroma and taste.

The fact that we are talking about a great winery here is evident from the fact that their wines receive very favorable reviews. The Silhouette won gold in 2015 at the most prestigious wine competition in South Africa, namely The OLD MUTUAL TROPHY WINE SHOW and won the 1st prize for Best Shiraz-based blend and received no less than 94/100 points. This is very special for a young winery such as Olifantsberg. In addition to the focus on quality, low yields and passion, it certainly plays a role that these wines receive these high ratings. In contrast to, for example, Stellenbosch, which is on the other side of the gorge, this is the Breedekloof an almost Priorat-like terroir with a lot of slate. This explains the beautiful mineral tones in the Olifantsberg wines.