Patatsfontein Wines

Named in homage to the sweet potato farm that once sat on this extreme site in the arid, slate-rich Little Karoo, the principal Patatsfontein project is located approximately 180km inland from Cape Town in a region called Montagu. The talented Reenen Borman (of Boschkloof fame) has taken this formerly unknown region to levels nobody quite expected. First introduced to Montagu by Chris Alheit in 2014 while on his hunt for heritage vineyards for Cartology, Reenen took over in 2015, gradually restoring the vineyards, and is now producing truly unique expressions of Chenin Blanc and Colombard in South Africa. The extreme nature of the climate and high proportion of slate in the soils bring an initially reductive, mineral feel to the wines, which in time develop spicy, more textural sensations. Patatsfontein Wines has grown to mean more than just Montagu though, as it now takes adopts a philosophy which seeks out special parcels of vines wherever they may lie. For this readon, Sons of Sugarland has been taken on as a Patatsfontein brand, as Reenen uses this to shine a light on distinctive single vineyards in the cool, decomposed granite soils of the Polkadraai Hills. The Syrah has found favour as one of the most exciting in the country – a product of 100% whole bunches and solely concrete vinification and aging. More varieties and distinctive vineyards are expected to join the Sons of Sugarland project in due course.

Meanwhile, Kottabos is a jovial reference to an ancient Greek drinking game (hence the beautiful mosaic-styled labels) in which wine lees was thrown at targets whilst uttering the name of the object of one’s affection. The red is produced from Grenache and Syrah, raised in a combination of concrete and oak to harness a lighter, fragrant and drinkable style, jovial in nature but with seriously good quality fruit. The white is a pure Chenin Blanc which sees some skin contact to showcase the variety’s distinct textural qualities. Produced exclusively from Stellenbosch fruit.