“My winemaking philosophy is quite simple. It’s input is equal to output. I feel very strong about terroir. One should spend more time in the vineyard than in the cellar because that is where the great wines are made.”
Since ancestor Heinrich Oostwald Eckstein (changed to Eksteen due to Dutch influence) settled in the Cape in 1702, the Eksteens have been involved in wine farming. Bartho inherited the winemaking passion, as demonstrated by his successful career in winemaking.
As a young – and first new era – winemaker in Bot River, he won the General Smuts Trophy (South African Champion Young Wine) in 1996. This was the first time it was awarded to a red wine from ‘the other side of the mountain’. He was a key figure in the rise of Wildekrans Wine Estate, consultant winemaker for Sumaridge and Raka, and initiator/winemaker/director of Hermanuspietersfontein Wingerde (HPF). He believes unreservedly in the terroir of Walker Bay.
Bartho and his family own and run their boutique wine business, Bartho Eksteen Wines, in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Wine of Origin Cape South Coast
Top wine judges and writers have provided outstanding feedback on this wine. Jancis Robinson MW praised it as fresher than Pessac-Léognan and awarded it her highest score for a white wine from Hemel-en-Aarde. Tim Atkin MW recognized Bartho Eksteen as one of the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc winemakers. Dr. Winifred Bowman CWM noted that while it nods towards Pessac-Léognan, it possesses a unique Cape character, calling it a true winner. This wine holds the distinction of being the highest-priced and most acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc in CWG Auction history and regularly earns 5-star ratings from Platter’s and 95+ scores from Tim Atkin MW.
Tasting Notes: A symphony of soft oak and exceptional Sauvignon flavours, focussed with superb intensity. Really excellent wine with great agreeability. Fresher than Pessac-Léognan, promising years of drinking pleasure.
If you can put away some bottles for a couple of years, you can delay the pleasure and have it back with interest for anything up to 10 years after harvest.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Wine of Origin Cape South Coast
Top wine judges and writers have provided outstanding feedback on this wine. Jancis Robinson MW praised it as fresher than Pessac-Léognan and awarded it her highest score for a white wine from Hemel-en-Aarde. Tim Atkin MW recognized Bartho Eksteen as one of the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc winemakers. Dr. Winifred Bowman CWM noted that while it nods towards Pessac-Léognan, it possesses a unique Cape character, calling it a true winner. This wine holds the distinction of being the highest-priced and most acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc in CWG Auction history and regularly earns 5-star ratings from Platter’s and 95+ scores from Tim Atkin MW.
Tasting Notes: A symphony of soft oak and exceptional Sauvignon flavours, focussed with superb intensity. Really excellent wine with great agreeability. Fresher than Pessac-Léognan, promising years of drinking pleasure.
If you can put away some bottles for a couple of years, you can delay the pleasure and have it back with interest for anything up to 10 years after harvest.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Wine of Origin Upper Hemel-en-Aarde
Tasting Notes: Nods towards Pessac-Léognan but has a Cape character all of its own. Flinty, grapefruit, fresh lime, green herb flavours. Focused, with superb intensity. Older oak adds complexity and gravitas.
If you can put away some bottles for a couple of years, you can delay the pleasure and have it back with interest for anything up to six years after harvest.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
100% Pinot Noir
From the incomparable, cool Hemel-en-Aarde terroir. Dedication, attention to detail and the appreciated support of fellow wine companions resulted in a work of art which I am proud to put my name to.
From the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, the capital of Pinot Noir in South Africa. Harvested on the historic 2nd of February, when Jan van Riebeeck harvested his first grapes in 1659, and also my son and fellow winemaker, Pieter Willem’s birthday.
Tasting Notes: Come closer – a whisper; muted with a soft touch and light intensity. Think intimacy, privacy and the ambient whispering of the sea. Think Pinot Noir.
If you can put away some bottles for a couple of years, you can delay the pleasure and have it back with interest for anything up to 15 years after harvest.
Estimate (6 bottles): R3 000 – R3 500
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Whole bunch pressed, no settling. Naturally fermented in older, big wood. Matured for 11 months on lees. Bottled with minimum interference. Serve with crayfish bisque, petit poulet and creamed spinach or alikreukel trio (ref. the CWG book “Cellarmasters in the Kitchen”).
This is the most successful Sauvignon Blanc in the history of the CWG Auction. Acclaimed by international wine advocate as the best wooded Sauvignon Blanc amongst 41 icons from around the world, making this a true benchmark.
Tasting Notes: Nods towards Pessac-Léognan, but has a Cape
character all of its own. Flinty, grapefruit, fresh lime, green herb
flavours. Focused, with superb intensity. Older oak adds complexity and
gravitas.
If you can put away some bottles for a couple of years, you
can delay the pleasure and have it back with interest for anything up to 6
years after harvest.
Estimate (6 bottles): R2 800 – R3 800
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Wine of Origin Cape Coast
Whole bunch pressed, no settling. Naturally fermented in older, big wood. Matured for 11 months on lees. Bottled with minimum interference. Serve with crayfish bisque, petit poulet and creamed spinach or alikreukel trio (ref. the CWG book “Cellarmasters in the Kitchen”). Accoladed 92 – 96, 5-star Platter’s, Tim Atkin’s winning wine out of 41 world class entries by producers from around the globe, and the most successful Sauvignon Blanc in the history of the CWG auction – a true benchmark.
Tasting Notes: Nods towards Pessac-Léognan but has a Cape character all of its own. Flinty, grapefruit, fresh lime, green herb flavours. Focussed, with superb intensity. Older oak adds complexity and gravitas.
If you can put away some bottles for a couple of years, you can delay the pleasure and have it back with interest for anything up to 6 years after harvest.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
Professore is a tribute to two of the greatest pioneers in the history of the South African wine industry, professors Abraham Perold and Chris Orffer, fathers of our very own Pinotage, Roobernet and Nouvelle. This might be a world first and a true Cape blend. A solid Pinotage from granite soil was used, 20% juice was bled off after crushing and replaced by 10% juice of full-ripe Nouvelle. After fermentation 20% Roobernet was blended in and matured for 21 months in small French oak.
Tasting Notes: Pinotage, known for its cherry (Pinot Noir) flavours and earthiness (Cinsaut), ripe Nouvelle often adds a waxy, bubble-gum tone – but be careful with Roobernet; it’s another “animal”. A new born magic.
If you can put away some bottles for a couple of years, you can delay the pleasure and have it back with interest for anything up to 20 years after harvest.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
Whole bunch pressed, no settling. Naturally fermented in older, big wood. Matured for 11 months on the lees. Bottled with minimum interference. Serve with crayfish bisque, petit poulet and creamed spinach or alikreukel trio (ref. the CWG book “Cellarmasters in the Kitchen”). Previous vintages of this wine were accoladed 92 – 96; 5-star Platter’s, Tim Atkin’s highest score internationally wooded Sauvignon Blanc and most successful Sauvignon Blanc in the history of the CWG auction – a true benchmark.
Tasting Notes: Nods towards Pessac-Léognan, but has a Cape character all of its own. Flinty, grapefruit, fresh lime, green herb flavours. Focused, with superb intensity. Older oak adds complexity and gravitas.
If you can put away some bottles for a couple of years, you can delay the pleasure and have it back with interest for anything up to 6 years after harvest.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
Professore is a tribute to two of the greatest pioneers in the history of the South African wine industry, professors Abraham Perold and Chris Orffer, fathers of our very own Pinotage, Roobernet and Nouvelle. This might be a world first and a true Cape blend. A solid Pinotage from granite soil was used, 20% juice was bled off after crushing and replaced by 10% juice of full-ripe Nouvelle. After fermentation, 20% Roobernet was blended in and matured for 21 months in small French oak.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
Whole bunch pressed, no settling. Naturally fermented in older, big wood. Matured for 11 months on lees. Bottled with minimum interference. Serve with crayfish bisque, petit poulet and creamed spinach or alikreukel trio (ref. the CWG book “Cellarmasters in the Kitchen”). Previous vintages of this wine have been accoladed 92 – 96 points, 5-stars in the Platter wine Guide, Tim Atkin’s highest scoring internationally wooded Sauvignon Blanc and the most successful Sauvignon Blanc in the history of the CWG Auction – a true benchmark.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
Whole bunch pressed, no settling. Naturally fermented in older 500 litre
French oak and
matured for 11 months on lees. Bottled with minimum
interference. Great accompaniment
to crayfi sh bisque, petit poulet and
creamed spinach or alikreukel – three ways (ref. the
CWG book
“Cellarmasters in the Kitchen”). Previous vintages of this wine have
enjoyed
accolades such as 92 – 94 points from three different
continents, 5-star Platter’s and have
fetched the highest price for
Sauvignon Blanc in the history of the CWG Auction – a true
benchmark.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
This oaked style nods towards Pessac-Léognan, but has a Cape character all of its own. Hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, no settling, naturally fermented in a 500 litre older French oak barrel, matured for 11 months on lees, bottled with minimum stabilisation and filtration. Enjoy with crayfish bisque, petit poulet and creamed spinach or alikreukel – three ways (ref. the CWG Book “Cellarmasters in the Kitchen”).
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
The ability to read a vintage, years of research and trials to find the perfect combination between terroir and origin, grain and toasting levels of the right wood, age and sizes of barrels, cooper’s craftsmanship and winemaking techniques have resulted in a work of art which I’m proud to put my name to.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
Sluitsteen (cornerstone) is Bartho’s crown jewel and an inspiration to every student at his Wine Academy for young winemakers. It is here where dedication, respect, passion, skill and confidence are captured with great love into the next generation of winemakers. Tasting Notes: Eckstein (German) – sluitsteen or hoeksteen means cornerstone. Besides its biblical context, an “eksteen” is the central focal point of any foundation and determines the position of the entire structure. A solid, medium to full bodied wine with perfect wood and fruit integration: currants; cacao beans; rich, round black stone fruit, particularly plums, nutmeg and smoke. This wine is packed in wooden boxes.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
The ability to read a vintage, years of research and trials to find the perfect combination between terroir and origin, grain and toasting levels of the right wood, age and sizes of barrels, cooper’s workmanship and winemaking techniques has resulted in a work of art which I’m proud to put my name to. Tasting Notes: Typical Bo-Hemel en Aarde terroir expression. Scrunched up fynbos herbs, and slices of ripe pear. Delicious fruit and perfectly well integrated oak. Full palate, harmonious and seamless from start to the long ending. If you can put away some bottles for a couple of years, you can delay the pleasure and have it back with interest for anything up to 6 years after harvest. Serve with Chevre and green olive-stuffed guinea fowl breast with sauce Albufera.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
Renowned for its character and versatility, Sauvignon Blanc is notoriously demanding of its growing conditions, the viticulturist’s skill and the winemaker’s craft. After many years of experimenting with different coopers, grains, toasting levels, barrel sizes, ages of barrels, time in barrels and different winemaking techniques and terroir, I’ve found the ‘sweet spot’. Good integration between fruit and wood comes with time, but too much time can also result in ‘oak juice’. This wine was bottled after 13 months in a big barrel with regular rolling and no stirring. The reward has been great this year, and with our Vloekskoot, we invite you to celebrate an exceptional harvest and the outstanding quality we have achieved. Tasting Notes: A true reflection of Sunday’s Glenn terroir, with nuances of Granny Smith apple from the small portion of Nouvelle, the oily, lanolin texture of Semillon and a bowl full of ripe Sauvignon Blanc fruit, harmoniously finished off with well integrated oak.
Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen
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