“I have evolved over the years to understand that winemaking is a small function of what we actually do. Primarily, I am a soil farmer.”
Born in Blantyre, Malawi, and schooled at Rondebosch Boys’ High in Cape Town, Kevin graduated from the University of Pretoria with a BSc honours degree in zoology. Always drawn to winemaking, he went on to complete a diploma in Cellar Technology at Elsenburg Agricultural College, graduating as the Dux Student in 1990.
While working at top-end estates in South Africa, he was able to undertake study/harvest trips to France, Oregon in the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Making the inevitable decision to embark on a solo career came in late 2004 when Kevin launched his own label – Ataraxia. Having extensively scoured the Walker Bay for the piece of land that would at last measure up to the exacting criteria of location, climate, soil and slope of this self-confessed terroirist, he found and purchased the ‘ultimate site’ in Hemel-en-Aarde. Here he pours his considerable energy and winemaking skills into developing a small, focused range of hand-crafted, individual and terroir expressive wines – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a classically styled red blend named ‘Serenity’.
100% Chardonnay
Wine of Origin Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
Tasting Notes: A very individual and accurate articulation of Ataraxia’s “dirt”, this is a sublime wine which effortlessly balances fruit intensity with mineral acidity. A wine of pedigree and style.
Reading for drinking now until at least 2030.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
100% Chardonnay
This forward looking “black” Chardonnay is sourced from a single, organically grown, cool, south-facing vineyard. It revives a centuries-old traditional Burgundian winemaking method now seldom used. Fruit is vigorously, even harshly worked; juice that is so excessively aerated that it turns to an ebony colour at the press; then a thorough, aerated pump-over before settling. Spontaneous fermentation occurred in custom ordered Burgundian barrels, followed by 10 months’ ageing before being bottled.
Tasting Notes: A pure articulation of Ataraxia’s “dirt”, this sublime wine effortlessly balances fruit intensity with mineral acidity. A touch of “grip” on a lingering finish deftly rounds off this stylish wine.
Drink now, and until at least 2030.
Estimate (6 bottles): R4 000 – R5 500
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
100% Chardonnay
Sourced from a single (now fully organically grown), cool, south-facing vineyard, this vin de terroir is made in an old, now seldom used, traditional “black” method – fruit that is vigorously, even harshly, worked; juice that is so excessively aerated that it turns a deep ebony colour at the press, followed by a thorough juice pump-over before settling. Spontaneous fermentation occurred in custom-ordered Burgundian barrels and the wine then aged for a further 10 months before being bottled.
Tasting Notes: A pure expression of our “dirt”, this supple wine effortlessly balances fruit intensity with mineral acidity. A touch of “grip” on a lingering finish deftly closes the circle of this stylish wine.
Drink now until at least 2030.
This wine is packed in a wooden box.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
100% Chardonnay
Wine of Origin Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
Sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia in the Hemel- en-Aarde outside Hermanus. Minimalist winemaking and a sensitive wooding regime ensure the most accurate and intimate expression of site and place possible. Entirely fermented in small, tight-grained French oak barrels, custom selected from specific Burgundian coopers, this wine was aged for a further nine months before being bottled.
Tasting Notes: This is Ataraxia’s quintessential “vin de terroir”, in that it is an interpretation of our dirt (soil) in bottled form! Precise, complex, lingering and pedigreed!
Ready for drinking now until at least 2029.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Once again sourced from a single, cool, south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia, located in the Hemel-en-Aarde outside the Atlantic coastal town of Hermanus. Painstaking fruit selection at harvest was followed by an extreme non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented entirely in small, tight-grain French oak barrels, custom ordered from selected Burgundian coopers, this wine was barrel aged for a further nine months before being bottled.
Tasting Notes: Inspired by the mantra “Terroir can be found by anybody who would care to look for it”; this wine is the purest expression of Ataraxia’s dirt (soil). Broad-shouldered, yet undeniably athletic.
Drink now until at least 2028
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Once again, sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia, located in the Hemel-en-Aarde outside the Atlantic coastal town of Hermanus. Fruit selection at harvest was painstaking, followed by an extreme non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented in small, tight-grained French oak barrels, custom ordered from selected Burgundian coopers, this wine was quietly barrel aged for afurther nine months before beingbottled.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfi elds, home to
Ataraxia in the
Hemel-en-Aarde located outside the coastal town of
Hermanus. Painstaking fruit selection
was followed by a
non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented in small, tightgrained
French
oak barriques, custom ordered from very specifi c Burgundian coopers,
this
wine was barrel aged for a further 10 months before being bottled.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia in the Hemel-en-Aarde located outside the coastal village of Hermanus. Painstaking fruit selection was followed by an extreme non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented in small, tight-grain French oak barriques, custom ordered from very specific Burgundian coopers, this wine was barrel aged for a further 9 months before being bottled.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia in the Hemel-en-Aarde outside Hermanus. Intensely interventionist fruit selection was followed by an extremely non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented in small, tight-grain French oak barriques, custom ordered from very specific Burgundian coopers, this wine was barrel aged for a further 9 months before being bottled.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Made from grapes sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia in the Hemel-en-Aarde outside Hermanus. Intensely interventionist fruit selection was followed by an extremely non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented in small, tight grain French oak barriques, custom ordered from very specific Burgundian coopers, it was barrel aged for a further 9 months before being bottled. Tasting Notes: This wine is The Skyfields terroir in a bottle! It expresses the ancient soils and maritime influenced meso-climate of this specific vineyard. Reflecting the very best of New Word and Old World styles, the wine is signatured by minerality and effortlessly manages to be both subtle and intense. A complex, classy and pedigreed Chardonnay.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia in the Hemel-en-Aarde outside Hermanus. Intensely interventionist fruit selection was followed by an extremely non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented in small French tight-grain oak barriques, custom ordered from very specific Burgundian coopers, this wine was barrel aged for a further 10 months before being bottled. Tasting Notes: This wine is The Skyfields terroir in a bottle. It expresses the ancient soils and maritime influenced meso-climate of this specific vineyard. Reflecting the very best that both the New World and Old World styles have to offer, the wine is signatured by minerality, and effortlessly manages to be both subtle and intense on bouquet and palate. Complex, classy and pedigreed.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia in the Hemelen-Aarde outside Hermanus. Intensely interventionist fruit selection was followed by an extreme non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented in small French oak barriques, custom ordered from very specific Burgundian coopers, this wine was barrel aged for a further 9 months before being bottled. Tasting Notes: This wine reflects both the ancient soils and the heavily moderating maritime meso-climate of The Skyfields terroir. Although New World in provenance, it is decidedly Old World in stylistic leaning. Signatured by minerality, it effortlessly manages to be both subtle and intense on nose and palate. A complex wine which shows both class and pedigree.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Sourced from a singularly unique vineyard site in the upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Intensely interventionist fruit selection was followed by an extreme non-interventionist winemaking approach. This wine was 100% fermented and matured in French oak barrels personally sourced from selected coopers in the Burgundy region of France. Fortnightly battonage was employed throughout the 9 month maturation period before the wine was carefully prepared for bottling. Tasting note: Made as a ?vin de terroir?, this wine reflects both the ancient soils and the heavily moderating maritime influenced meso-climate in which the vines grow and the fruit ripens. The result is a wine that reflects its New World provenance yet is Old World in stylistic leaning. Signatured by minerality, it effortlessly manages to be both subtle and intense on the nose and the palate. Classy and complex. Drink now and for the next 7 to 10 years.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Winemaking Notes The grapes used to create this wine were sourced from the same two vineyard sites along the R320, Hemel-en-Aarde, as all the previous Ataraxia CWG Auction Chardonnay wines. Intensely interventionist fruit selection was followed by an extreme non-interventionist winemaking approach. This wine was 100% fermented and matured in French oak barrels personally sourced from selected coopers in the Burgundy region of France. Fortnightly batonage was employed throughout the 10 month maturation period before the wine was carefully prepared for bottling. Tasting Notes Made as a vin de terroir this wine reflects both the ancient soils and the heavily moderating maritime influenced mesoclimate in which the vines grow and the fruit ripens. The result is a wine that reflects its New World provenance yet is Old World in stylistic leaning. Signatured by minerality it effortlessly manages to be both subtle and intense on the nose and the palate. Classy and complex.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
Sourced from the same two vineyard sites along the R320, Hemel-en-Aarde as the Ataraxia CWG Chardonnay 2006 which, at last year’s CWG Auction, achieved the highest price for a case of white wine in the Auction’s history. Painstaking, interventionist fruit selection was followed by a minimalist, non-interventionist winemaking approach. This wine was 100% fermented and matured in French oak barrels (42% of which were new) made by personally selected coopers located solely in the Burgundy region of France. Fortnightly battonage was employed throughout the 10 month maturation period, during which time only partial malolactic fermentation was allowed to take place before being prepared for bottling.
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
This wine is the product of two individual and unique vineyard sites situated along the R320, Hemel-en-Aarde. Soils from these sites are derived from well-drained Table Mountain sandstone which overlay intrusions of clay rich shale from the bokkeveld group. Because of the cool climate that exists in this valley, the grapes were required to hang long on the vine in order to reach optimum ripeness. Picked during the early hours of the morning in the first week of March 2006, the grapes were rushed to the celler to ensure that all the exciting fruit flavours were preserved and reflected in this wine. Tasting Notes A minimalist, non-interventionist winemaking approach was adopted. It is 100% barrel fermented and carefully matured in specially selected small French oak barriques sourced exclusively from Burgundian coopers. Fortnightly B?tonnage was employed throughout the 10 month maturation period. The result is a Chardonnay that is New World in provenance but Old Word in stylistic leaning. A chiselled, focused wine that effortlessly manages to be both subtle and intense. It has a core of fiercely expressive grapefruit, white flowers, pear and grilled almond aromas and flavours. The palate is penetrating and enduring yet remains graceful and poised. A bright acidity and soil-derived minerality adds to the classic length and complexity of this stylish, classy chardonnay
Winemaker: Kevin Grant
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