“That sense of place is what is important. Wherever you go in the world, wine is always traced back to the origin. I think that is why the winemaker is almost like the messenger between the grapes and the vineyard and the wine in the glass.”
Johan is the third generation winemaker at this legendary wine estate in the world-renowned Stellenbosch region. Johan upholds the family winemaking legacy and took over the reins from his pioneering father, Frans Malan.
He has left his own imprint on the wines of Simonsig during his career. It was a memorable milestone in the history of this family-owned estate when the 50th anniversary of Simonsig was celebrated in 2018 to commemorate the first bottling of Simonsig Steen in 1968.
The international reputation of the famous Kaapse Vonkel Cap Classique flourished under his guidance with the expansion of the range. The weathered shale and decomposed granite soils serve as the best starting point to grow premium quality wines and his commitment over many years has established Simonsig as a leading producer of red, white and Cap Classique wines.
In 1992 he founded the Cap Classique Association which led the category to grow immensely in the domestic and international market. Johan has been a member of the CWG since 1984 and twice served as chairman. It was a proud moment in his career when his son, Michael Frans, joined the Simonsig team as red winemaker after working in Australia and in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. He is the third generation Malan to qualify with a BSc in viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch University.
100% Shiraz
Grapes from a 25-year-old Shiraz block were hand-picked at 23.5 Balling, with 16% whole bunches added to a concrete fermentation tank. Cooler fermentation was followed, by extended skin maceration lasting 22 days. The young wine was immediately transferred to 500 litre barrels to allow malolactic fermentation to complete in oak. New French oak comprised 60% of the final blend with 40% second fill. After a total of 18 months in barrel, the wine was bottled specially for the auction.
Tasting Notes: Dried fynbos and perfumed white pepper spice on the nose give the wine a vibrant freshness. Refined black berry fruit in a tightly-knit frame of restrained tannins provides purity and finesse on the palate.
Ready for drinking in 2026 and until 2028.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
100% Pinot Meunier
Hand-picked early in the vintage to preserve acidity and then whole-bunch pressed. The juice is fractioned and only the finest cuvée is used. After yeast and sugar is added, the prise de mousse took place in our cool cellars to create an extra fine mousse. Ageing on the lees lasted more than a decade before disgorging in May 2022. A very low dosage was added, the result being an extra brut with only 3.9 grams of sugar.
Tasting Notes: Complex aromas of roasted almonds and brioche. Showing beautiful evolution after a decade in the bottle, creating a rich, creamy texture and persistence on the palate. Fresh and bone-dry finish.
This is the first Pinot meunier Cap Classique that has ever been released by Simonsig.
Ready for drinking now.
Estimate (6 bottles): R3 000 – R4 200
Winemaker: Johan Malan
100% Chenin Blanc
Whole-bunch Chenin from our single, old vine Chenin vineyard, was put into a small tank and allowed to go through an enzymatic fermentation inside the berries. The yeast does not cause the fermentation and the enzymes convert the sugar into alcohol instead. After eight days on the skins, the whole bunches were pressed and finished fermentation in two 400 litre barrels. This is a type of orange wine with a twist. Matured on gross lees in older French oak with regular battonage. Bottled after 20 months.
Tasting Notes: Intriguing nose showing warm spices like whole cloves and all spice followed by lemon blossom perfumes. Vibrant freshness on the palate with subtle tannins and the secondary flavours of skin maceration.
Ready for drinking now, through to 2026.
This wine is packed in a wooden box.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
100% Shiraz
Hand-picked Shiraz, French clone SH99 planted on a deep red soil in front of my house. Fermented in an old concrete tank with 22% whole bunches. Gentle pump-overs and délestage was done to extract fruit and colour. Total maceration time was 20 days and the wine was matured in new French oak barriques. Only the best two barrels were selected for the auction.
Tasting Notes: Juicy, ripe plum and mulberries complemented by white pepper and wild herb aromas. Impressive full-bodied structure with enticing wild herb and fynbos Shiraz expression. Lots of maturation potential.
Ready for drinking between 2024 and 2026.
This wine is packed in a wooden box.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
66% Roussanne, 28% Grenache Blanc, 6% Verdelho
Wine of Origin Stellenbosch 
Carefully selected high-altitude vineyards in Stellenbosch and the oldest Verdelho vineyard in South Africa provided the grapes. Hand-picked and hand selected before the grapes were cooled overnight. Whole bunch pressing gave only the most delicate free run juice which was fermented in seasoned French oak with wild and cultured yeast. Minimal interference was used but did include battonage during the nine months on primary lees. The delicate fruit was preserved with minimal oak influence.
Tasting Notes: Beautiful freshness with zesty citrus rind and lime aromas followed by sweet riper yellow apple and subtle oak characters. Extra years in bottle have brought delicious texture and layers of complexity.
50 cases of this wine were previously sold on the 2016 CWG Auction.
Ready for drinking now and until 2025.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Roussanne and Marsanne were picked five weeks apart on 10 March and 2 February respectively. Grapes cooled in lug boxes overnight in cold room before whole bunch pressing, no sulphur and no settling, directly into six to ten year old French barrels followed by natural fermentation. Blended and bottled after 12 months.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Grapes from a 19-year-old vineyard planted with SH99 on deep red soil, ripened to perfection. Picked on 18 March with a good natural acidity, the juice was inoculated with French Rhône yeast. Pump-overs as well as delestages were done to extract optimum colour and fruit. Skin contact lasted 20 days and after pressing, the young wine went straight into new French oak Nevers barriques. The wine spent 17 months in new barrel to achieve the perfect balance.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Roussanne and Marsanne were picked fi ve weeks apart on 10 March and 2 February respectively. Grapes cooled in lug boxes overnight in cold room before whole bunch pressing, no sulphur and no settling, directly into six to ten year old French barrels followed by natural fermentation. Blended and bottled after 12 months.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Chardonnay grown on weathered shale soil on the estate was whole bunch pressed and the cuvée was fermented in seasoned French oak. During winter only three barrels of outstanding quality were selected out of a total of more than 100. Matured for 15 months on the primary yeast lees and bottled. Cellared on the yeast sediment in the bottle for four years and disgorged in April 2012. Matured on cork for another four and a half years. Chêne means oak.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
The grapes were hand-picked in small crates and chilled overnight before whole bunch pressing yielded only the free run juice. All three varieties were fermented in seasoned French oak using natural and cultured yeast. Fermented and matured on the primary lees with some battonage for nine months before blending and bottling. Gentle handling and minimal interference preserved the full potential of the delicate flavours.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Full, ripe Shiraz grown on deep red weathered shale soil was picked at the end of March and fermented in a concrete tank with regular pump-overs. Slightly cooler fermentation at 24°C added fresh fruit and softer extraction. Maceration lasted 4 weeks and the wine was racked straight into new Nevers oak seasoned for 36 months. Regular rackings helped to soften the tannins and expose the fruit. Bottled after 18 months.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Hand-picked in late March at 24.6? balling. After two days cold soak, fermentation and maceration lasted another 25 days, resulting in optimal extraction of colour, fruit and tannin. Malolactic fermentation took place in two new French oak barrels and the wine matured for 19 months before bottling. Tasting Notes: Bright, garnet-red colour. Attractive, sweet cinnamon and vanilla spices with deeper lying cacao, roasted coffee bean and lifted red berry perfume on the nose. The palate shows fragrant fruits of the forest and toasty French oak aromatics. The fine grained tannins are a sign of ripe fruit and gentle extraction from the skins. This wine is packed in wooden boxes.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Hand-picked Roussanne was cooled overnight, whole bunch pressed, fermented with natural yeast in third fill French oak and matured for 12 months on lees before being blended with the Chenin Blanc. The 14% Chenin is from the 2012 vintage and comes from old vines which were harvested at 23.8? balling. Oxidatively handled, with no sulphur added in the first year, the Chenin portion was fermented and matured in 5 year old French oak for two years before blending with the Roussanne. Bottled in February 2014. Tasting Notes: A blend of reductively made Roussanne and oxidatively vinified Chenin Blanc (14%). Citrus blossom fragrance with ripe yellow apple aromas and hints of sorrel. Palate entry is crisp with zesty natural acidity. Understated spiciness adds to the depth of flavour on the mid palate and a delightful minerality results in an intriguing twist on the finish.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
The grapes were hand-picked and cooled overnight before being crushed directly into the press. Wild yeast fermented in 5 year old Allier medium toast barrique. The wine spent 13 months in wood before bottling in April 2013. Tasting Notes: Roussanne is subtle and restrained in its youth, but with a great reputation for long ageing. The citrus blossom and lemongrass aromas are given further impact by a zesty limestone minerality. The palate is full-bodied with a silky, viscous texture and a bright, natural acidity. Delicious floral, apricot and hints of honey linger on the palate of this hand-crafted wine.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Harvested at 26? balling and left on the skins for 26 days for perfect extraction of colour, fruit and condensing of the tannins. Straight into new barrels for malolactic fermentation and a few barrel to barrel rackings. The one barrel was Allier medium toast seasoned for 24 months and the second was Nevers seasoned for 36 months. Bottled after 19 months. Tasting Notes: Dark Persian carpet red with youthful crimson rim. Delicious sweet brambleberry and black cherry fruit with a touch of earthy dried fynbos aromas. Densely packed liquorice and cloves embellish the fruit on the palate. The velvety tannins are in total harmony with the oak and fruit to leave a lingering complex finish.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Our premium Chardonnay block was harvested in mid-January and only the most gentle whole bunch pressed cuv?e was fermented in seasoned French oak. Three barrels were selected after extensive tastings and matured for 15 months. Bottling was followed by 48 months on the yeast before disgorging with very low dosage. Tasting Notes: Light golden colour with very fine bead making a crown against the rim. The nose is toasty with delicious roasted almond and brioche aromas. The zesty Chardonnay freshness is revealed by the delicate lemon cream character on the palate. Five years of evolution adds yeasty flavours in perfect harmony with the masculine oak influence. A rich and characterful bubbly to be enjoyed with fine food.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
The first vineyard planted with the new SH470 clone on a low potential soil with lots of clay. Picked in two separate batches on 11 March and vinified separately. The first pick was not shrivelled and the second lot showed prominent shrivelling. The one lot spent 36 days and the other 13 days on skins. The best new Nevers barrel of each lot was selected and matured for 24 months before bottling in May 2012. Tasting Notes: A perfumed Shiraz showing succulent bramble berry fruit withlifted aromatic spices on the nose displaying fingerprint Rhone style personality. The core of berry fruit and herb flavours run persistently to the velvety finish. Delicious fruit intensity in a more restrained, elegant style.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
100% Pinotage The 14 year old bush vine Pinotage is organically farmed yielding a meagre 4.4 tons/hectare. Ripening was slow and picking was 10 days later than 2008 on 19 February 2009. Phenolic maturity was only achieved with sugars in the high twenties. Two days of cold soak in traditional open fermenters was followed by a short, hot fermentation peaking at 30?C. Manual punch down was done every 2 – 3 hours. During the press cycle a special cut was made when the whole berries burst open yielding exquisitely concentrated fruit. Only two new Vicard Prestige Allier, Medium Toast barrels were filled and after 15 months the wine was bottled. Tasting note: Opaque in colour with a vibrant, youthful purplish rim. Beautiful blackberry and plum fragrances dominate the nose. The high intensity fruit aromas are further complexed by subtle mocha and spicy oak flavours. Succulent sour cherry flavours are framed by mouth-filling sweet tannins. A richly flavoured classic Pinotage from an outstanding vintage. Drink from 2015 to 2029.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
These grapes come from a twelve year old vineyard grown on a deep red soil, yielding 8.5 tons/ hectare. Picked on 10 March at an optimal sugar level of 26 degrees Balling. Three days of cold soak were followed by another 28 days on skins, achieving perfect extraction of fruit and tannins. Oak maturation in a single new Francois Fr?res Nevers oak barrel lasted 25 months, with the oak tannins perfectly supporting the fruit. 70 cases of this wine were sold on the 2008 Auction. Tasting note: Delicate creamy mousse with roasted almond and buttered brioche flavours against a backdrop of lemon cream complexity. The toasty French oak adds depth of flavour and a masculine firmness to the structure.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Picked on the riper side of 20 degrees Balling and whole bunch pressed. Fermented in seasoned French oak. Four outstanding barrels were selected and after 16 months on primary lees the wine was blended with 10% Chardonnay Cuvee 2005 before bottling in June 2005. Degorged after 39 months on the lees with very low dosage.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Winemaking Notes A twelve year old bush vine vineyard planted on a shale soil produced these excellent quality grapes. Picked at the end of January at 27 °B with high natural acidity. Two days of cold soak were followed by a very active 3 day fermentation at 26 – 27 °C. Wood maturation lasted 25 months in 100% new French (77%) and American (23%) oak before the Pinotage was bottled exclusively for the Auction. Tasting Notes Dark, brooding black berry fruit, infused with perfumed, sweet vanilla pod aromas. Rich, complex plum and sour cherry flavours intertwine with smooth ripe tannins. A boldly structured, full bodied Pinotage from an outstanding vintage indicates excellent maturation potential.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Winemaking Notes Low yielding vineyard (5.5 T/ha) on deep red Hutton soil produced super ripe grapes. Viognier skins were added to the fermenter and gentle pump-overs with 3 delestages during 25 days on skins. Malolactic fermentation in barrel and 4 rackings were done during the 26 months in a single new Francois Freres Nevers barrel. Tasting Notes Juicy, ripe mulberries and spicy cinnamon sugar on the nose. Hints of white pepper aromas are layered with a cedary oak influence. Beautifully concentrated fruit in a framework of fine grained tannins culminating in a long silky Shiraz finish.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Picked on the riper side of 20? Balling and whole bunch pressed. Fermented in seasoned French oak. Four outstanding barrels were selected and after 16 months on primary lees it was blended with 10% of 2005 Chardonnay cuv?e before bottling in June 2005. Degorged after 24 months on the lees with very low dosage. Tasting note: Delicate creamy mousse with roasted almond and buttered brioche flavours against a back drop of lemon cream complexity. The toasty French oak adds depth of flavour and a masculine firmness to the structure.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
A ten year old vineyard planted on a poor sandy loam soil consistently produces a highly perfumed Shiraz. Very ripe Shiraz was handpicked on 23 March 2004 and given 3 days cold soak before yeast inoculation. Fermentation temperature peaked at 28? C and total maceration on skins lasted 15 days which allowed for maximum extraction of fruit. Malolactic fermentation finished in new oak and after 17 months, the two best barrels were bottled. One barrel was French Vicard Allier medium toast oak and the second was Seguin Moreau American M+ white oak. Tasting note: Fragrant, spicy nose with cinnamon, cloves and vanilla pod. Ripe berry and chocolate flavours with a touch of white pepper. Silky smooth texture and elegant soft tannin structure. Further aging will see perfumed fruit emerge and oakiness subside.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
A nine year old, low yielding vineyard on a lean sandy loam soil ripened the grapes to perfection. Two days cold soaking were followed by a warm fermentation and maceration which lasted 10 days before the wine was pressed into new American oak. After 10 months, the wine was racked into new French oak for a further 10 months before it was bottled. Tasting Note: Classic Shiraz, showing perfumed violet and cherry aromas with layered mocha, pepper, wild herbs and fynbos flavours. Smooth, ripe tannins and a mouth filling richness that leads to a lingering, elegant finish.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
This wine was made from a ton of Viognier that was pressed on Valentines Day. Natural fermentation in two 4th fill Dargaud & Jaegle barrels took two months to complete. Oak maturation lasted 12 months before one barrel was selected and bottled. Tasting Note: Pungent Acacia flower and rose petal aromas, with a touch of honeyed ripeness. Soft textured mouthfeel that shows a touch of the phenolic astringency which is so typical of Viognier.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
100% Shiraz Picked at 26?b from very low-yielding (3.7 tons/ha) vineyard. Fermented between 26 and 30?c with a total of 20 days on the skins. Matured in 100% new Vicard prestige and Fran?ois Freres barrels for 14 months before bottling in July 2003. 60 cases of this wine were sold at the 2003 auction. Tasting note: Pepper and dried fynbos on the nose, with black mulberry flavours. Spicy oak vanillins and sweet cinnamon aromas integrate well with the concentrated fruit. Very tight, with substantial structure promising great maturation potential. A classic expression in the perfumed Rhone style.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir Whole bunch pressed chardonnay and pinot noir. Chardonnay was fermented in older French oak barriques and left on primary lees for 9 months. Pinot noir brings red grape fullness to the cuv?e. Four years on the lees before degorgement gave the wine ample time to develop further complexity. 66 cases of this wine were sold at the 2003 auction. Tasting note: Lemony chardonnay followed by roasted almond nuttiness. A refreshing entry on the palate shows freshly baked bread flavours and subtle oak taastiness. The finish is clean and the sophisticated dryness lingers on the finish. A complex food style wine.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
85% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc Very low yield: 3,3 tons /ha. Picked at full ripeness at 26?b, fermented between 27 – 29?c for 9 days. Matured in 100% new Taransaud Allier barrels for 16 months. Blended with 15% Bordeaux varieties to enhance berry fruit. The perfect wine to add variety to your cellar and spice to your life! Tasting note: Deep colour with almost black centre. Black berry fruit with savoury pepper flavours. Spicy vanilla oak adds to the complexity. Densely packed wine with full bodied structure which will reward a few years in the cellar.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
100% Shiraz – Picked at 26?B from very low-yielding (3.7 T/ha) vineyards. Fermented between 26 ? 30?C with a total of 20 days on the skins. Matured in Vicard Prestige and Francois Freres barrels for 14 months before bottling in July 2003. Tasting note: Pepper and dried fynbos on the nose, with black mulberry flavours. Spicy oak vanillins and sweet cinnamon aromas integrate well with the concentrated fruit. Very tight, with substantial structure promising great maturation potential.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir – Whole bunch pressed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay was fermented in older barriques for subtle oak influence. Malolactic fermentation added complexity. Three years on lees before degorgement and low dosage completed the process. Tasting note: Lemony Chardonnay backed by a roasted almond nuttiness. Delicious, warm bread yeastiness and subtle oak toastiness combine to give this wine a sophisticated and complex flavour.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
The intense white pepper, fynbos and herb aromas of this wine are complemented by perfumed blackberry sweetness and spicy vanilla oak.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
Toasty mocha and black cherry aromas on the nose follow through to the palate. Full-bodied, with delicious liquorice and smoky oak characters that linger on the finish.
Winemaker: Johan Malan
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