Welcome to the world of emotions Johann Peter Rupert, chairman of Richemont, rarely grants interviews but he made an exception for Spirito diVino and opened his cellars to us: “for me, wine is all about passion and craftsmanship.”
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by Daniele Cernilli
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Here above, Johann Peter Rupert at the L’Ormarins estate, one of the four owned by Anthonij Rupert Wines (www.rupertwines.com): in the background is a portrait of Johann’s parents, Anton and Huberte Rupert, with his children Anton (left), Caroline and Hanneli. Adjoining page, one of the horses of Drakenstein Stud Farm, located in the L’Ormarins estate.
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Viticulture in Franschhoek dates from 1600
South Africa is a country of great contrasts. Things have improved today thanks to the crucial national peace accord secured by Nelson Mandela, and a great deal has changed for the better in the past twenty years. However, as you leave Cape Town’s Airport, which has been named after Mandela himself, you cannot ignore the vast stretches of “townships” that are clearly visible from the road. Then, as you get to the Stellenbosch junction, everything changes: you enter an agricultural area and the landscape is now characterised by vineyards, orchards and even olive groves, giving it an almost Mediterranean feel. Were it not for the tall looming mountains, with their jagged forms and reddish colour, this could be a view from the Tuscan Maremma or Provence. But we are at the antipodes, around the 34th parallel of the southern hemisphere, which, in our own hemisphere, corresponds to the areas of Los Angeles and Lampedusa. The climate here, however, is oceanic, with cool, rainy and windy winters, and hot subtropical summers, and if you come here in August – as I did – you’ll find that it’s the middle of their winter season. The principal wine producing regions are situated to the east and north-east of Cape Town, in the Western Cape State. The three main ones are Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Each of these is close to a large mountain, the Trout Hatcherries, Du Toits and Groot Drakenstein respectively. Stellenbosch is the closest to Cape Town and is also the highest wine producing region. Paarl is about twenty kilometres north of Cape Town, while Franschhoek (which literally means “the corner” or “the French hook”) is twenty kilometres to the east. This is an ancient wine producing area which was founded by the French
Huguenots towards the middle of the sixteenth century, using mainly French vine varieties and cultivation systems from their places of origin. So we find the sapling for Grenache, Chenin blanc, Mourvedre and a slightly modified variety for the Syrah. Espaliers with Guyot or spurred cordon pruning for Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet franc and sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. There is also a sapling for the Pinotage, the archetypal South African vine, itself a combination between the Pinot noir and Cinsault. The soil is quite similar throughout these regions, with a high percentage of silt and red clay. But there are also areas with shaly soil, closer to the mountains and at higher altitudes, that are more suited for the white berry strain. There are also other areas with good quality viticulture, like Wellington or Robertson Valley. Or even Constantia, at the start of the Cape Peninsula, where Moscato d’Alessandria - which they call Zibibbo in Pantelleria - is used to produce one of the most famous sweet passito wines in the world. There is no question, however, that the first three areas are the most important, both in terms of the quantities they produce and the quality of their wines. I chose to visit the cellars of the Rupert group because of the impressive growth of their wines in recent years. They are now considered to be amongst the very best in South Africa, thanks also to a very successful wine making style that makes little of no concessions to the so-called “international style”. This approach is instead based on a highly consistent research for a balance in terms of taste and territorial characteristics that are expressed in a very precise manner, thus enabling
Above, Daniele Cernili, managing editor of Spirito diVino, and Gidi Caetano, hospitality manager of Anthonij Rupert Wines, during the session in the tasting room of the company. Top of page, the entry gates to Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons (www.rupert-rothschildvignerons.com) and a detail of the wines. Adjoining page, corks from the wines of the Cape of Good Hope collection.
Marco Pagani / wagnerphoto.de
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ANTHONIJ RUPERT WINES
The cellar was founded a few years ago and its wines represent the top of the range of the entire production of Johann Rupert’s wineries. The wines are overseen by Dawie Botha, the group’s enologist, while the general manager Gary Baumgartner is responsible for the coordinating the winery. The wines are obtained from the “blend” of
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the finest batches of the winery’ various vineyards that are situated in different areas of the Western Cape region, especially L’Osmarins and Darling, in the Coastal Region, to the north of Cape Town. The selected varieties are all from red grapes and all wines age in between 18 and 24 months in small French oak barrels of first passage.
Anthonij Rupert 2007 A moving wine, which is amongst the finest “Bordeaux cuts” in the world outside the classic Bordeaux areas: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It ages for 24 months in new barriques of Allier oak. It has an intense and bright ruby colour. On the nose it is characterised by very typical balsamic notes, which precede subtle hints of spices and blackcurrant. Soft and diffuse, highly elegant tannins, good body, firm and held together by a delicate and refreshing acidic component. An extremely long finish. A truly great wine that will age for a long time. Euro 80
Syrah 2007 This comes entirely from L’Ormarins and ages for 24 months in new oak barriques. It is a world-beater in its genre, although it doesn’t have, nor could it have, the complexity of the previous wine. The colour is a very intense and deep ruby, on the nose it is obviously spicy, in keeping with this variety, with notes of cassis and black pepper coming to the fore. In terms of taste the tannins do not overpower the rest and the fullness of the body is made more agile by the acidity and the aftertaste is very long. It doesn’t yet have the class of a Hermitage, but it is better than many other wines of its categories. Euro 50
Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 It comes from grapes grown in L’Ormarins and Darling. It has an intense and deep ruby colour. The aromas are essentially typical of this variety, with hints of blueberry, blackcurrant and nuances of liquorice, cocoa and mint. It is firm in the palate, with abundant but unaggressive tannins which are well offset by a structure which is held together by a good acidic almost salty component, making it similar to a Bolgheri Superiore. It has a long, warm and emracing finish. Euro 50
Cabernet Franc 2008 It has an intense ruby colour with a good depth. The aromas are extremely varietal, with floral, balsamic and spicy notes and hints of green tea which are particularly typical. To the taste it is still broken slightly by rather abundant tannins, that are not yet completely offset by the alcohol or sweetness. It is a very young wine, which is still in a phase of harmonisation, but which bodes very well for the future. The finish is long but not excessively heavy. Euro 50
Optima 2009 It comes from a complex blend with a prevalence of Cabernet sauvignon, then Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Petit Verdot. This would be the cellar’s basic offering, but it is not inferior to the others. It has an intense ruby colour, slightly smoked initial aromas, then ripe blueberries and wild berries, even jammy notes, hints of wood (it is aged for 24 months in new wood). It is firm on the palate, dense, young, fine tannins and has a long and poised finish. A very pleasant wine which on the whole is easy to drink. Euro 25
TERRA DEL CAPO
Johann Rupert was affectionately accused by the editors of the Platter’s guide, the most authoritative publication on South African wines, of being a bit of an “Italophile”. This is because his production features varieties that are inspired by Italian winemaking. This led to the creation of the Terra del Capo line, which is written in Italian, that
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includes only three labels: a Pinot Grigio, which despite not being an actual Italian wine variety has effectively become one. Then a Sangiovese and finally the Arné, a blend between Sangiovese with 20% Merlot, which is meant to be a South African interpretation of a “Supertuscan”.
Sangiovese 2010 Were it not for the label which specifies its origin in the Western Cape region, this could be mistaken for a young and even traditional Chianti or Chianti Classico. It ages for about 10 months in barriques of second passage and has a bright ruby colour. The aromas are very varietal, with notes of black cherry and violet and slight vegetable nuances. To the taste it is subtle fine, fresh and easy to drink and is well held together by an acidic component with soft tannins. Euro 10
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I like finding wines before they are famous
Marco Pagani
the most prestigious wines to have a “terroir” definition. Moreover, Johann Rupert is one of the leading South African entrepreneurs and he owns companies all throughout the world, almost all of which are in the luxury sector. Cartier, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, Panerai, are all controlled by him. He is a shy and kind man, very different from the overwhelming entrepreneurial figure many may imagine. He is a great supporter of Nelson Mandela, and a large oil portrait of the former leader hangs in his apartment in the L’Ormarins estate, near Franschhoeck. He is above all a highly cultured and sensitive man, a founding member of the WWF and a highly effective philanthropist. Since 2001, when his younger brother Anthonij – who, along with their father, was the real creator of the wine producing business– was killed in a road accident, he has also managed the family’s wine cellars. Some time ago he even named the most prestigious line after his late brother thus giving rise to Anthonij Rupert Wines, which is based in Franschhoek. He owns many vineyards throughout South Africa, and also owns Cape of Good Hope, Terre del Capo and Protea, whose wines are produced in the central cellar in L’Ormarins, which also serves as the productive centre for all the other wines of the group. In addition to these, although they don’t yet have their own production lines, there are the Riebeek Creek vineyards - which grown typical Rodano varieties - that are about one-hundred and fifty kilometres north of Cape Town. Alongside this is the Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, “joint-venture” in Paarl with Edmond de Rothschild, that is currently held by Benjamin de Rothschild, the owner in Haut-Me-
doc of Chateau Clarke and other magnificent wine estates in Argentina and New Zealand, and a “sister” cellar with a completely autonomous management. The management of La Motte is also completely autonomous and is owned exclusively by Hanneli Rupert, Johann’s sister. It is also situated in Franschhoek, less than one kilometre from L’Ormarins. Questions When did your family first embark on its activities in the winemaking sector? Answer My father Anton Rupert began in 1966. My brother Anthonij took over the reins of the activity at the end of the Seventies, after his studies at Geisenheim, the famous German university reputed to have one of the world’s best oenology faculties, which is located in Rheinessen. I never wished to compete with him, deeming him very expert and professional, and I looked after the family’s other activities. My sister Hanneli, on the other hand, set up her own company, La Motte, not far from here, which she manages completely independently. Q. Three wineries, all in the Franschhoeck district, lying to the east of Stellenbosch and Paarl, the two most eminent denominations in South Africa. It is apparently a minor area; yet you have constructed perhaps the three best viticulture businesses in the country. Was this a planned and rational choice or was there a spot of luck involved? A. You are right. It has to be said that the terrain here in the Franschhoek district is identical to that in Stellenbosch, which incidentally lies not more than twenty kilometres from here. Then, Stellenbosch is a university town and also owes its fame to this. In reality, grape cultivation in Fran-
Above, the Anthonij Rupert wines tasted on the adjoining page (prices are the average on-line winery prices): from left, Optima 2009, Cabernet Franc 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Anthonij Rupert 2007 and Syrah 2007. Top of page, a detail of the architecture of L’Ormarins, and Johann Rupert: “Wine is not business; it is passion. It is part of the world of emotions.”
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On these pages, an evocative aerial view of Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons: founded in 1997 by Anton Rupert and Edmond de Rothschilde, it lies in Fredericksburg, at the foot of Simonsberg Mountain. In all, the vineyards cover a surface area of 370 hectares, plus 110 of Rupert & Rothschild. The total final production is in the region of two and a half million bottles a year.
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schhoek is at least as old as the other place, considering that there are testimonies dating back to the mid-Seventeenth century. Q. The original Ormarins has now become Anthonij Rupert Wine, a company that you dedicated to the memory of your brother, who sadly died in 2001, and actually dates from the late 1600s. What is the sense in defining South African winemaking as “New World” when it is at least as old as that in Bordeaux? A. No sense at all, in fact. From a wine perspective, this part of the world is like a piece of Europe stuck on to the bottom of Africa. The terrains, hence, are among the oldest on Earth. Q. You are one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world. How do you consider your adventure in the wine sphere? Is it always a business, or is there also room for sentiment? A. Wine is not business; it is passion. It is part of the world of emotions, like the sound of a Ferrari engine. The production of alcohol and spirits, though, can be a business, and large global companies are living proof of this. But that is industry, while wine is a craft. And then, the wine world is full of great people, people of quality and noble sentiment such as perhaps would not be found in any other sector of human activity. Q. You are involved in several luxury companies. Is there affinity between them and your wineries? A. There is no proximity between luxury and wine. Principally because producing a fine watch or luxury car requires planning and organizing in a structural sense. With wine, this is not possible. We take whatever Nature gives us; our activity takes place in the open air and is
subject to the elements. When you buy a luxury item you have precise expectations, and so there must be standards that are exact and always repeatable. This is impossible with wine. It changes every year. It has to represent the diversity that every harvest brings. We are not completely organic, but we try to follow certain practices that are typical of organic viticulture. For example, we use natural, non-selected yeasts. And this can determine quite significant differences in the characteristics of the wine in the various vintages. Q. Much is spoken of the Far East, and China in particular, as possible new markets for exporting quality wines. What do you think of this? A. In the Far East, but I would say throughout the world, everything depends on the tastes of the people and their eating and drinking habits. Whether or not spicy food is eaten, for example. Then, I have an idea of my own: I divide people into tea drinkers and coffee drinkers. The former are less used to tannins, and almost instinctively they prefer lighter wines with fewer tannins. In the Far East they mainly drink tea; but so, too, in Great Britain. In America and in the south of Europe more coffee is drunk, so the people appreciate more tannic and full-bodied wines. In general, this is the case, if you look. Q. Well, that analysis is at least original, and it might even be true. But let us continue our interview. Wine, art and culture are part of the tradition of your family at least as much as, and maybe more than, your various economic and financial activities. Your sister Hanneli is a world-famous mezzo-soprano, and you are among the founding
Above, the cellar of the L’Ormarins estate. Top of page, left, Yvonne Lester, oenologist of Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons; on the right, a bunch of grapes: the viticulture practiced here is fundamentally ancient, begun by French Huguenots in the mid 1600s, based essentially on Transalpine varieties and employing cultivation systems that are typical of their places of origin.
Marco Pagani / wagnerphoto.de
We use only natural, non-selected yeasts
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CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
The wines of this line, made from some of the oldest South African vines, are produced with grapes purchased from historic producers of Anthonij Rupert Wines, who even sign the labels with their own name or with those of the vineyards they own. Grapes grown in different areas of the Western Cape that will
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The vineyards are just beneath the Stettyn Mountains, in Elandskoof, in the Overberg district. This is north-west Franshhoeck, at an altitude of between 600 and 900 metres above sea level. The wine ages for 10 months in barriques, it is an intense yellow colour and citrusy aromas, of cedar, lemon flowers and mandarin, which are followed by notes of vanilla and custard. To the taste it is firm fresh, poised, as you would imagine from vineyards at such a high altitude. It is also complex and elegant, with a very long-lasting finish. An excellent wine. Euro 14
Parel Vallei Merlot 2009 Here the grapes are produced in a vineyard near Somerset West, near the Heidelberg area, to the south-west of Franschhoek, which is owned by Johann Rupert and lies on very clayey soil, which is perfect for Merlot. The wine ages for 24 months barriques that are in in part new and has a ruby pomegranate colour. The aromas are complex, with notes of red and black wild berries, vanilla, mint and cocoa. The taste is firm, with a slight abundance of tannins as a result of being so young, then warm and very long-lasting. It is very good, despite being young. Euro 30
Pinotage Basson Vineyard 2009 The Basson family owns the vineyards in Swartland, between Darling and Riebeek, to the north of Cape Town - more precisely in Paardeberg – and grows the Pinotage on soil which is rich in granite. The resulting wine is of a very intense red colour, with aromas of cassis, cocoa and spices and hints of blackcurrant. To the taste it is subtle, poised, agile, but with an excellent long-lasting finish. It is a wine that is more elegant than full-bodied. Euro 14
This cellar is right on the border between Franschhoeck and Paarl, in Fredreicksburg. It was founded in 1997 by Anton Rupert and Edmond de Rothschild, who then passed in the reins to their sons Anthonij and Benjamin. Following Anthonij’s death in 2001, he was replaced by Johann Rupert. The management is autonomous and separate from the other cel-
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force you to carry out a little exercise in South African geography but which will allow you to better understand the different varietal expressions and the relationship between these and the territories the individuals wines come from as well as the reasons why certain types come from specific vineyards.
Chardonnay Serruria Vineyard 2012
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lars. The enological management is entrusted to Schalk-Willem Joubert, while Debra Savage is responsible for marketing. The style of the wines is very French, Burgundy for the Chardonnay, strictly Bordeaux for the reds and is the result of a “joint-venture” featuring a notable figure of the Bordeaux wine-making scene, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild.
Baron Edmond 2010 It comes from a classic Bordeaux cut: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 20% Cabernet franc. Had I not known this was a South African wine, I could easily have sworn it was a “cru classé” of the Haut-Medoc (Pichon Comtesse de Lalande). The colour is a very intense almost dark ruby. To the nose it is spicy, with young notes of sweet wood, then scents of blueberry and blackcurrant. To the taste the tannins are already refines and on the way to being integrated, the acidity is excellent and refreshing, holding together the body and facilitating drinkability. This is a young but already very elegant wine. Euro 40
Baronesse Nadine 2010 It is made from Chardonnay grapes. 20% of the vinification takes place in cement tanks and this part of the wine then ages in the these containers for about a year. For the remaining 80%, steel tanks and then French oak barriques are used, of which a third are made from new wood. It has a golden yellow colour and on the nose it is instantly reminiscent of certain Meursault. Initial citrusy notes, then scents of grilled bread and peanut butter. To the taste it is surprisingly fresh, with an excellent acidity to support the imposing structure. Euro 26
Classique 2011 It is made of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It ferments in steel and then ages for 18 months in barriques of first and second passage. It is the basic wine and 800,000 bottles are produced every year. The colour is an intense ruby, the aromas are especially reminiscent of blueberry and blackberry, with balsamic and minty hints, and scents of cocoa and roasted pine kernels. On the palate it has a good intensity, with the slightest hint of tannins and on the whole a good drinkability. The finish is of average length. Euro 15
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Cars and horses are the family’s passions members of the WWF, just to cite a couple of examples. Do you think it is necessary in the modern world to combine art, ethics and the economy? A. You are asking me a philosophical question. In reply, I will quote Seneca, who said that modesty and ethics must go further, and represent principles even stricter than those allowed by law. Q. What you are saying could be completed by the ideas of synthesis between economics, ethics and justice expressed by the great Indian economist Amartya Sen, and your president Nelson Mandela, of whom I spy here a marvellous portrait. A. I totally agree. Q. And back to us. You are also a wine enthusiast. Apart from your own, what wines do you prefer? Anything Italian? A. I like discovering wines before the media starts talking about them. In the Seventies I happened to drink a wonderful Spanish wine, Vega Sicilia from Ribera del Duero. My brother Anthonij discovered Etienne Gui-
gal’s Cote Rotie wines, La Turque and La Landonne, before I did, and he helped me to fall in love with them. Then, a lot depends on the situation. The great Burgundies are undoubtedly excellent, but by now they are so expensive that I am not sure that those who drink them are able to appreciate them, because only extremely rich people, who often know nothing about wine, can afford them, and they drink them only as a status symbol and to show off in restaurants. Recently, Marvin Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator, let me taste a Marcassin Pinot Noir, made in Calistoga in the Napa Valley by oenologist Helen Turley. It was fantastic. Maybe also because women pay more attention to the details than we do. Among Italians, I know Piero Antinori well; he is a friend. Q. I know that you do not particularly like appearing in public and giving interviews, so it only remains for me to thank you, also on behalf of our readers, for your kindness and your time. A. Thank you.
A SPECIAL MUSEUM IN L’ORMARINS One of Johann Rupert’s passions is collecting vintage cars. In his L’Ormarins estate in four large buildings, he has put 80 cars together to create one of the most important collections in the world. They are all perfectly restored and the collection includes some of the most important vintage cars. Just to give some examples, the collection features the famous 1911 Ford T as well as the
1923 Isotta Fraschini, and many more recent models, such as a Ferrari Berlinetta of 1968 and a 1971 Alfa Romeo Osso di Seppia, which was made famous throughout the world by Dustin Hoffman in the movie “The Graduate”. It also includes a Tyrrell Formula 1 model of the great South African pilot Jody Scheckter, who went on to win the Formula 1 World Championship with Ferrari.
Above, the top cars that Rupert (on the other page) collects: like wine, cars are a passion of the Richemont chairman, alternated with that for horses (top of page, right) of his wife Gaynor, who every year in the month of January organizes the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, South Africa’s elegant horseracing equivalent of Ascot. Top left, Dawie Botha, oenologist of Anthonij Ruper Wines.
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