Anthonij Rupert

Dr. Anthon Rupert bought the historic L'Ormarins farm in 1968. It is situated in the breathtaking Franschoek Valley, beneath the rugged peaks of the Groot Drakenstein Mountains, right in the heart of South Africa's Western Cape Winelands. In 1984 Anton's son Anthonij took over the running of the farm and restored the manor house which had been built in 1811, and the cellar which dated back to 1799 – both have been declared national monuments. By 1989 L'Ormarins had won every local wine competition, giving a taste of what was to come. Anthonij passed away in 2001, but the estate was taken over by his brother Johann Rupert in 2003, who constructed a state-of-the-art gravity fed winery with a revolving ceiling and an underground barrel cellar in memory of his late brother. All the grapes are hand-picked, and transported to the winery in refrigerated trucks. On arrival they are de-stemmed and hand-sorted on a vibrating table, which guarantees that only the best grapes are selected, and no green matter goes into the fermenting vessels, which are either stainless steel or French oak. They make terroir-specific wines and the grapes come from four vineyards; L'Ormarins in Franschoek, Riebeeksriver in Swartland, Altima in Elandskloof and Rooderust in Darling. Due to the diversity of the sites, with their own unique soils and climates, Anthonij Rupert produces a stunning portfolio of wines and is one of the most impressive and innovative wineries in South Africa today.