Anwilka Vineyards is located just 7km from the ocean in Stellenbosch’s prime golden triangle in the lower Helderberg region. Established in 1997 as a partnership between Bordeaux giants, Hubert de Boüard (co-owner of Chateau Angélus in Saint-Emilion) and Bruno Prats (former owner of Chateau Cos d’Estournel in Saint-Estèphe) with their South African partner as Lowell Jooste (the former owner of Klein Constantia).

Much has happened on this Helderberg farm since the release of the maiden 2005 vintage, which Robert Parker declared as “the finest red wine I have ever had from South Africa”. Extensive research and analysis is done constantly in association with Stellenbosch University and other entities. Precise soil mapping, identifying best performing blocks, and streamlining new plantings best suited to each variety are just some of the interesting things happening here. Some of the original 40Ha have been pulled out and is making way for regenerative farming. 10Ha is completely dedicated to nature conservation, where animals can roam freely without any fencing.

Matthew Day, winemaker at Klein Constantia since 2008, became involved in the winemaking process at Anwilka in 2019 and since 2021 is completely in charge of the cellar. The first vintages were in fact made in the Klein Constantia cellar, but Anwilka now has its own cellar, complete with water purification and zero waste processes. The future for this Stellenbosch property is looking bright indeed.