Translated as “Heaven & Earth”, the Hemel-en-Aarde is undoubtedly one of the most exciting places to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in South Africa.
Cap Maritime is located within the middle of the three appellations, the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, a mere 4km from the ocean and perched on the north-west face of the valley with views across the hills and the Bot River Lagoon.
With roots set, Boekenhoutskloof strive to create wines that reflect the essence of their origin while representing a style to which they aspire.
The three Hemel-en-Aarde appellations are sub-divided by two distinctive terroir characters: altitude and soil type. The Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley stretches between 4 & 8km in proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. It’s uniqueness is the emergence of igneous decomposed granite over iron-rich clay and sandstone subsoils. The climate here is generally cool and temperate, benefiting from the parallel mountain ranges channelling cold winds through the appellation during summer while being regulated by misty maritime influences from the valley below.
Gottfried Mocke follows a traditional winemaking philosophy using only concrete tanks and native yeasts during fermentation with a slightly longer elevage in Burgundian oak barriques. His preference to accentuate texture and perfume characters over the opulence of primary fruit, are a hallmark of his wines.
Making great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir come naturally to Gottfried Mocke. – Greg Sherwood MW
The combination of Gottfried Mocke’s talent, of Marc Kent’s vision, their new cellar and also the quality of their vineyards, has just taken Boekenhoutskloof to a different level. – Tim Atkin MW South Africa Special Report 2020
