About
Where wines are born from an ancient soil and crafted with precision and perfection. Where a passionate winegrower nurtures his vines to get the ancient soil to release its gift. Where a talented Opus One trained winemaker turns the small, concentrated berries into two distinct Bordeaux style wines that have intense flavor, focused, and beautifully balanced on the palate with extreme longevity in the bottle. Resulting in wines that hold their own with the great Bordeaux style wines in the world.
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People
The best of South Africa and California meet at Vilafonte, where the founders Mike Ratcliffe, Zelma Long and Phil Freese fused their expertise to produce world class wines. Mike’s background is deeply rooted in the wine industry of South Africa and is the general manager of Vilafonté. Zelma is one of America’s best known winemakers. She oversees the winemaking and style development of the Vilafonté wines where she infuses her ‘fanatical’ pursuit of quality. Phil Freese is a ‘winegrower’ expert. He stood at the foundation of the creation of the first vineyards of Opus One and designed the vineyards for Vilafonte. But it is Vilafonté’s Ed Peterson, winegrower, and Chris de Vries, winemaker, who are making the day-to-day magic happen and you will hear their story.
Place
The Vilafonté estate is located at the foot of Simonsberg mountain in Paarl, South Africa at 33.5° S latitude and 130 m (1,000 feet) altitude. It was founded in 1997 and today comprises 42 hectares of land planted with a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec. Vilafonté raises vines from the most ancient of ancient soils in the world. These soils have weathered naturally over millions of years untouched by glaciers, oceans, rivers or volcanos. The undisturbed, healthy but nutrient deficient topsoil dates back 1.5 million years. The maritime influence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans cools the property and creates a Mediterranean-like climate. Wet and cold winters paired with long dry summers create an excellent environment for high quality wine.
Culture
Passion, Precision, Patience and Perfection. Passion for their unique estate vineyard site where the vines found themselves in an ancient soil and need to be tended carefully and patiently to grow these small concentrated berries. Precision in guiding the berries to peak at harvest in unison with minimal variability to strive for perfection. Nurturing patience in the cellar to let the wine evolve its elegant complexity, balance and longevity. Focused and committed with a touch of playfulness. Seriously!
