One of our first stops in Roberston had to be, of course, Mont Blois Wines in De Hoop just outside the town. The picturesque tasting room sports a unique French style, with two turreted towers, a beautiful garden and a sunken tasting area, and also (may I add, ladies) the most stunning bathroom nicknamed the Selfie Bathroom which features big windows, loads of light, hanging green plants and the washbasin was originally a water trough for the farm animals – very cool!
The turrets double as storage areas and are self-cooled with its own wind flow (quite nifty) and the beautiful decor in soft greens and golds would elude you into thinking that you were actually in France.
We were greeted on arrival by wine-maker Nina-Mari, who, together with her husband run the farm which has been in the Bruwer family since 1869 and sees its name originating from the picturesque town of Blois in the Loire where the Bruwer’s originate from and to this day the family still practise sustainable farming and less use of pesticides and additives to their wines, as they have for centuries.
Nina-Mari was welcoming, warm and friendly, and what better way to learn about the wines of an estate than from the winemaker herself? I loved her gentle air and also the way she described her wines, and how they came about.
Nina-Mari and Ernst met whilst studying Viticulture & Enology together at Stellenbosch University, and Nina-Mari joined the Mont Blois team in 2008, achieving her Cape Wine Master title in 2014 – her passion is evident to see.
My favourite that we tasted had to be Kweekkamp Chardonnay (and I am not usually a fan of Chards) – it was creamy and delicious, as well as their Tarentaalsdraai Pinotage – even more of a surprise for me as I don’t usually drink much red wine either. All of the wines are unique, yet the theme that carried through for me was the exclusion of unneeded additives from all of their wines, creating the right balance naturally – and the way it should be done.
They also do not one but two incredible Muscadel’s, and if you love sweer wine, then these are for you. Find your Mont Blois wines in any good boutique wine store or from their website.
A: Mont Blois Wine Estate, De Hoop, Robertson
T: 023 626 3872
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