The wines of Zoetendal, Elim
Visiting Elim, South Africa, part 2

Website: www.zoetendalwines.co.za

Johan de Kock (above) was a successful farmer who was the pioneer of winegrowing in the Elim region when he planted vines on his property at the encouragement of friends in the industry. Along with a small group, he formed a syndicate—Land’s End—that planted the first 15 hectares of vines in the Elim ward in 1996. It proved quite tricky to work in this new region, and eventually Land’s End was sold. In 2004, Johan launched his own label, Zoetendal.  

THE WINES

Zoetendal Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Elim
Lovely focus here: nice fresh mineral and citrus nose. The palate is open and fruity with fresh fruit characters and a herby edge. A bit green, but this greenness works well with the herbal fruit. 89/100

Zoetendal Shiraz 2007 Elim
There is only one block of Shiraz on the farm, and the vines were just two years old when this wine was made. Lovely fresh, vivid black cherry and berry fruit with some stern spicy structure, good acidity and peppery freshness. Hints of mint and menthol in the background. Robust with nice fruit purity. 89/100 

VISITING ELIM

The Elim wine region: an introduction
Zoetendal
Black Oystercatcher
The Berrio
Strandveld
Quoin Rock
Photos from Elim
Photos of Fynbos, Elim

See also:

South Africa revisited (series)

Wines tasted 10/10  
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

 

Back to top