We are proud to announce that Koen Roose of Spioenkop Wines has released a range of excellent wines from the 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages.

Koen has faced huge challenges since his car accident in April 2022. It is great to see him back in the vineyards and the cellar.

Spioenkop is based on top of a steep hillside in Elgin with different aspects and soil profiles. Koen farms the land with an obsessive attention to detail and makes very striking wines.

Winemaker Koen produces two ranges under the Spioenkop label:
The Spioenkop range shows some of Koen’s rebellious (some say, stubborn) spirit: highlighting varieties not usually found in the Elgin area. A touch experimental but alway high-quality.

The ‘1900’ range focuses on classic Elgin varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. These are joined by the only wine not from Elgin, the ‘1900’ Pinotage from Stellenbosch.

Queen Manthatisi is the only blend Spioenkop produces: this is a racy blend of Sauvignon Blanc (74%) and Chardonnay (26%).

The Sauvignon Blanc brings freshness and brightness, with the Chardonnay adding texture and weight. Koen selects only the finest grapes for this wine, and adjusts the blend ratio with each vintage. Beautifully poised as a mid-week option.

WO Elgin
100% Sauvignon Blanc

Christian Eedes, Wine Mag – 92/100
“Lime, white peach, grapefruit and blackcurrant, with fresh herbs in the background. The palate is dense and round but not without freshness – nice weight and texture.”

WO Elgin

100% barrel-fermented Elgin Chardonnay, giving weight and freshness. 30% of new French oak is well integrated, resulting in a classically-structured wine.

Pale lemon straw colour with a nose of ripe stone fruit, melon, citrus and bruised apple with almond flavours from the wood.

A real treasure for Chardonnay fans.

WO Elgin
100% Chenin Blanc

Koen produces two Chenin Blancs. The ‘Johanna Brandt’ is the more full-bodied of the two, having spent 11 months on lees in older French Barrels.

Smell ripe tropical fruit so typical of Chenin in the glass, joined by ripe apples and a hint of ginger on the palate, rounded off with a beautiful acidity.

Tim Atkin – 95/100
“Johanna Brandt comes from shale and is a broader, richer, more concentrated wine with wild yeast complexity, pear and stone fruit flavours and a long, mealy finish.”

Christian Eedes, Winemag 92/100
“Grapes from a vineyard on shale. Matured for 11 months in older oak. Some reduction before citrus, peach and herbs plus some subtle yeasty, wet wool notes. Powerful with a hit of sweet fruit on entry before the zippy acidity kick in, the finish dry. Idiosyncratic as Roose’s wines so often are. Alc: 14.13%.”

WO Elgin
100% Chenin Blanc

While the ‘Johanna Brandt’ spends time in oak, the ‘Sarah Raal’ sees some stainless steel. On the nose we find clean and fresh lemon and pineapple. With the first sip we taste apple, citrus blossom and a bright minerality.

Tim Atkin – 95/100
The grapes that used to go into the Johanna Brandt bottling now go into this wine, as they are “better together”, according to Koen Roose. Intensely mineral, this is very much a cool climate style, with wonderful freshness and vivacity, citrus and passion fruit flavours and baking spice top notes.

WO Elgin
100% Riesling

Koen loves riesling and it shows: he treats the variety with respect (and perhaps, reverence).  A beautiful wine that showcases both the variety and the winemaker. Intense and singular, much like Koen.

Tim Atkin – 95/100
“Since its first vintage Spioenkop’s Riesling has established itself as the best expression of the grape in South Africa, very much in a dry Alsace style. Dense, pithy and wonderfully racy and pure, with lime and grapefruit flavours and a hint of nectarine.”

Christian Eedes, Winemag 95/100
“Wonderfully complex aromatics of blossom, lime, pear, peach, orange, spice and a hint of petrol in the background. Good fruit concentration matched by a great line of acidity – proper nuance and poise, the weight just right, the finish long. Alc: 13.12%”

WO Elgin
100% Syrah

Koen sources grapes from a neighbouring farm – sadly, this will be the last Syrah from that parcel. Dark red and purple fruit come forward, with flavours of red plum, black olive and spice joining on tasting.

Christian Eedes – 90/100
20% whole-bunch fermentation, matured in older oak. A touch of reduction before red and black berries plus white pepper on the nose. The palate is light-bodied with fresh acidity and crunchy tannins  – subtle and understated.

WO Stellenbosch
100% Pinotage

This wine is Koen’s only use of grapes sourced from outside of Elgin, in this instance from Stellenbosch. With generous fruit, this wine possesses the perfume and light touch Koen is known for.