Intellego 2021 Release

Jurgen Gouws has been producing his Intellego wines in the Swartland since 2009. In many ways Intellego Wines embodies the international reputation the Swartland has gained over the last decade: one of total commitment to quality, pushing boundaries, while not taking yourself too seriously. Intellego means “to understand” and this guides Jurgen’s philosophy of trying to interpret the region and its vineyards when producing his wines.

The phrase ‘minimal intervention’ gets thrown around a lot in wine, and while this is true in terms of winemaking (“letting the grapes do the talking” as Mick Craven puts it), it misses the most important aspect: farming. It is impossible to make great wine of terroir from mediocre grapes. This is why Jurgen (and many other producers in our portfolio) spend most of their time in their vineyards, or working with their grape growers. Jurgen follows organic and biodynamic practices, but is not certified.

Jurgen’s wines, in our opinion, are now ‘post-natural’. He has for a very long time made his wines via the natural wine mantra of ‘nothing added, nothing taken away’, but the recent vintages have seen him shift slightly away from that razor’s edge. The wines now see small amounts of SO2 added to ensure they arrive in the drinker’s glass in the same state in which they leave the cellar.

Hard-core fans can rest assured, Jurgen continues to make some of the most exciting wines in South Africa.

N.B. Intellego Wines are made in small quantities.

Dry-farmed, bush-vine Paardeberg Chenin Blanc on decomposed granite. Whole-bunch pressed into 500L old oak, no racking for 10 months. Textural and satisfying.

Christian Eedes: “Hay, naartjie, peach and cut apple on the nose while the palate is medium bodied with fresh acidity and a gently savoury finish. Slightly fleshier than the previous vintage and the better for it – entirely smashable.“

Welcome to the NEW Story of Harry – 100% Paardeberg – a blend of skin-contact Chenin Blanc and early-picked Chardonnay (you read that correctly). Aged in smaller old oak. Charming and delicious.

CE: “74% skin-fermented Chenin Blanc and 26% Chardonnay. Citrus, peach, oatmeal and a hint of potpourri. A cheerful wine with good fruit expression and texture, moderate acidity and a gently savoury finish.“

100% Chenin Blanc. Single block from west of Malmesbury, on koffieklip gravel. Destemmed, fermented on skins for 13 days, minimal extraction, aged in 500L old oak. The iconic Intellego wine.

CE: “Compelling aromatics of orange, stone fruit, flowers, fynbos and spice while the palate is light bodied with great tension – pure with exhilarating acidity and super-saline finish. Some subtle tannic grip lends interest and as with the straight Chenin, this seems that much better realised than 2019.“

100% Viognier. Single site north-west of Kasteelberg on Genrosa soils (new soil over heavy rock) – fermented whole-bunch for 13 days. Insane.

CE: “Subtle aromatics of peach and apricot, floral perfume and spice while the palate shows quite dense fruit for a wine with an alcohol of just 11%, moderate acidity and some mild tannins leaving a dusty sensation on the finish.“

38% Syrah and 19% Mourvèdre, 8% Cinsault. Cinsault is whole-bunch fermented and then left on the skins for four days to give this wine its pale red colour while the other two components were pressed straight to barrel. The rosé that thinks it’s a red wine.

CE: “Subtle and alluring aromatics of cranberry, raspberry, fynbos and rose geranium while the palate is delicate and intricate – light bodied and yet succulent with bright acidity and a nicely savoury finish, the tannins being fine and powdery. Really charming.“

100% Pinotage. Semi-carbonic fermentation pressed into old oak. Remarkably charming and fragrant. Super-limited.

CE: “Cranberry, red cherry and some earth on the nose while the palate is juicy and fresh with fine tannins.“

Syrah 38%, Mourvedre 31%, Cinsaut 22%, Pinotage 9% – dry-farmed bush-vines. Semi-carbonic maceration (whole bunches in sealed tank) for 8 days, pressed off into old oak to finish fermentation. A total weapon of a Swartland red.

CE: “The nose shows red and black berries, lavender, fynbos, earth and spice while the palate has a pleasant sweet ‘n sour quality – light-bodied with snappy, almost tart acidity and fine tannins, the finish long and super-savoury.“

Single vineyard, on a southeast-facing slope of decomposed granite. Fermented semi-carbonic for 11 days and aged in used 400L barrels for 10 months.

CE: “Alluring aromatics of dark berries, lavender, fynbos, earth and spice while the palate possesses dense fruit, lemon-like acidity and grippy tannins before a super-dry finish. Absolutely no affectation in evidence. 94/100“

Blend of 2/3rds Abbotsdale and 1/3rd Paardeberg bush-vines, dry land farmed and average age of 15 years. Paardeberg portion fermented in open tops for 12 days whole bunch. Abbotsdale portion semi-carbonic for 10 days whole bunch. Aged in 500L barrels for 10 months.

CE: “Beguiling if slightly wild aromatics of red and black berries, fynbos, olive, a slight meaty note and white pepper while the palate is light yet packed with flavour – super-detailed, super-vibrant and super-long. Lean and nervy and just about irresistible. 97/100“