The Beauty of Building
Behind the winding Chenin Blanc vines at Brookdale Estate, a cellar, restaurant and winemaker’s office are growing from their deeply-rooted foundations.
The upcoming restaurant and existing manor house at Brookdale are under the sage hands of Executive Chef Gary Coetzee and his wife, General Manager, Yvonne, who previously harnessed the art of luxury at the Kerzner Estate and Singita.
The wine cellar is the domain of rising star, Kiara Scott, who was born in 1993.
Kiara Scott began her wine career as a student at Elsenburg Agricultural College. After she graduated from Elsenburg in 2014 she gained entry into the Nedbank Cape Winemaker’s Guild Protégé Programme.
During her tenure as an intern, Kiara crisscrossed the Cape Winelands. She explains: “In my first year, I interned at Cederberg Cellars in the Cederberg, then at De Grendel in Durbanville and then at De Morgenzon, with Carl van der Merwe, in Stellenbosch.”
After graduating from the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme, Kiara worked as an assistant winemaker at Savage Wines under the wise eye of Duncan Savage, in Salt River.
“You know, it was really cool to work with Duncan in Salt River, particularly that first year, because it was his first year in the cellar, my first year having graduated from the Cape Winemakers Guild and now working full time – and definitely a more serious role,” Kiara says.
In 2017, Duncan worked as the consultant winemaker at Brookdale. Kiara says: “I was involved with the bottling of that first vintage, 2018. I was still at the cellar with Duncan and Banele Vakele (fellow Nedbank CWG Protégé Programme graduate). In 2019 Banele graduated from the Protégé Programme and I was in transition at Savage and at Brookdale.”
Kiara made history, when she was appointed as sole winemaker at Brookdale in 2019 – the youngest head female winemaker in South Africa. In 2020, Kiara moved to Brookdale full time. Now, in her office at Brookdale, which is still somewhat under construction, building plans adorn the walls.
In the light of the early Paarl morning sun, stone cladding, a concrete mixer, bricklaying and piles of plans surround the new building – the wine cellar and restaurant that holds the future of Brookdale. The Syrah and Chenin that Duncan first nurtured are under Kiara’s custodianship and she walks among the vineyards and alongside the new building with ease and eagerness.
About 50 kilometers away, recently inducted Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild member, Alex Starey surveys the vineyards that carefully grace the valley in which Keermont’s Vineyards is ensconced in Stellenbosch. In 2021, Alex accepted a coveted invitation to join the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild, alongside pioneering winemaker, Samantha O’Keefe from Lismore Estate.
Prior to forming an irrevocable part of Keermont’s history, Alex was raised near to the property, at what is now, Waterford Estate. Subsequent to completing his BSc in viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch University, Alex worked in Chile and Spain before working at De Trafford for its 2004 vintage.
“Mark Wraith (the owner of Keermont, De Trafford’s neighbours) arrived at De Trafford with some grapes,” Alex explains. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have landed at the right time and to have had the opportunity to put it together,” Alex says. Mark’s invitation to Alex included an opportunity to plant the vineyards that would potentially supply neighbouring properties.
“In the first few years, we bottled very few bottles a year,” Alex explains of his tenure, since 2005, which has now expanded to 50-60,000 bottles a year. Alex considers the early success of Cabernet and Merlot, which are suited to the area as he surveys the rows of neatly planted vineyards which from above the valley.
Keermont, the former water bottling site is situated above the Blaauwklippen Valley – known as Paradise Valley, or Paradyskloof – the Blaauwklippen River bisects the farm and is fed by five streams. Over 100ha of Keermont is dedicated to conservation.
Alex holds bulbous king proteas in the palms of his hands, with the same ease with which he holds the vines he helped to plant as pruning takes place in the vineyard. “Pruning is a very particular thing, it keeps the vines in good health, and it determines how much the vine is going to carry. It’s your one chance to get things right,” Alex says.
In 2009, 0.28ha of Merlot was planted at Keermont and the wines have received widespread local and international acclaim. The Cabernet Franc is worthy of waves of praise. A keen surfer, Alex is sagacious in his study of waves and wine. “Cabernet Franc is a very subtle variety, even though it’s got all of that spice and fruit,” Alex says.
Similarly, the Brookdale Sixteen Field Blend 2021 and the Brookdale Chenin Blanc vintages have received sweeping success. “Because we don’t intervene much, you get to see the true reflection of the vineyard – it’s a picture of Paarl,” Kiara says.
In March 2022, Kiara welcomed the birth of her baby. “As women, we are givers and nurturers, before having a baby Brookdale was the focus of my life, so leading up to harvest, I was fortunate to have a fantastic team in place, and Duncan kindly oversaw the vintage. It’s time you don’t get back, once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Kiara says.
Whether they are building new cellars, planting new vineyards or raising hopeful new lives, Kiara, Alex and their fellow winemakers’ foundations are deeply rooted.
The online Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Online Protégé Auction, which takes place from 26 September to 3 October, 2022 will see the support of Keermont Vineyards and Lismore Estate Vineyards, alongside other Guild members and protégés. In an endeavour to support the Protégé Programme – and more success stories, like Kiara and Banele’s, Keermont Vineyards will auction a 1.5 liter bottle of Keermont Amphitheatre 2015 and an exclusive lot by Lismore Estate Vineyards.
- Blog by Tšepang Molisana