Vusi Dalicuba, winemaker of Vergenoegd Löw, was the runner-up at the inaugural 2024 Next Generation Awards. Photo: Sean Gibson
“This farm is my place of learning, all the time, each new day,” said Vergenoegd Löw’s young winemaker Vusi Dalicuba judged runner-up at the inaugural 2024 Next Generation Awards sponsored by FedEx Express and convened by Winemag.co.za.
The wine that earned the second-highest score of 95 points is the 2022 Vergenoegd Löw Lara Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2022 vintage was Vusi’s first on the estate.
“Here I get to grow with the vines,” Dalicuba said, referring to the farm’s still ongoing vineyard replanting programme, which started in 2017 after extensive soil analyses, following the acquisition of the historic estate in 2015 by German investor Prof Dr Dr Peter Löw. Since then the owner has appointed various specialists to revitalise what is one of South Africa’s oldest working farms, dating back to 1696.
Establishing new vineyards, farming regeneratively in a mixed farm environment and identifying a new-generation winemaking approach were among Löw’s top priorities, a comprehensive process spearheaded by the farm’s managing director Corius Visser and other experts, with Dalicuba joining the team as viticulturist and winemaker halfway through 2021.
Dalicuba, who has a master’s in viticulture and oenology from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, was mentored by Lorraine Geldenhuys of Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, Beyers Truter of Beyerskloof and Abrie Beeslaar of Kanonkop. Truter and Beeslaar proposed him for the new-generation role.
“So, one Sunday in April 2021 I met Corius,” he explained. “He showed me around the cellar, introduced me to people, and then handed me the reins for the day. I had to run the show! Guess I didn’t do too badly as based on that, I got the job.”
Dalicuba said what he really loved about wine is that it combined art and science, both well suited to his personality. “The one needs the other. Science is the backbone. Art is the beauty. Two sides of the same coin.”
Each of the wines made here, in its own way, reflected a respect for heritage and for traditional ways of farming, for better vineyard health and sustainability. But, infused with fresh, dynamic and progressive thinking. And, by letting nature take the lead in the vineyards, he and the team can give the grapes centre stage in the cellar. Their way is to stand back to let the grapes guide them.
“I have huge respect for Corius and all my colleagues. Here the learning never stops. We experiment as far and as widely as we can, innovating and exploring with different problem-solving and techniques, discovering different ways to augment traditional winemaking.
“We have, for example, introduced slightly cooler fermentation temperatures for greater freshness and to preserve the delicate fruit flavours of our wines.”
Dalicuba explained each vineyard block is vinified individually to express its distinctive characters. So, fruit from one block may go into open-top fermenters and another into stainless steel tanks. Grapes in open-top fermenters are punched down every two to three hours, while the rack-and-return technique is used for the fermenting fruit in the tanks.
“After fermentation, we keep the grape must on the skins for five days. The extended skin maceration is for optimal colour stabilisation and to form softer tannins. By the time we take the various red wine components to barrel, they already have a nice juicy, round mouth feel.
“We also make use of a special practice that we call ‘the last drop’. It means when we drain the open fermenter, we leave around one third of the juice on the skins for half-a-day before adding it as another component to the eventual wine. Why? It adds a fuller palate weight.
“Our reds spend around 18 months in French oak, 30% in new and the rest in second-, third- and fourth-fill barrels. We then blend from the various barrels. In our experience, intra-varietal blending brings an amazing balance to the final wine.”
The wines grown and made at Vergenoegd Löw all benefit from a relatively cool climate, proximity to the sea and lime-rich soils. You’ll find them elegant, beautifully balanced and refreshing. And, if you don’t give into temptation they are structured for longevity. So why not think of some for enjoying now and others to put away.
The estate’s collections of wines are available to taste in a luxurious, serene environment: the Vergenoegd Löw Homestead Wine Lounge, situated in its beautifully restored 1717 manor house.
With the fireplace ablaze in winter, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere, it really is an idyllic place to sit back, relax and discover finely crafted wines at your own pace, with sommelier George Young and his talented team on hand to expertly guide you (or not, if you prefer to taste on your own).
The wines in the Vergenoegd Löw range are also served by the glass, in case you’d just like to sip and savour.
The Vergenoegd Löw Homestead Wine Lounge also offers delicious platters that celebrate local tastes. Or, opt for freshly baked roosterkoek from Geuwels, one of two Bertus Basson restaurants located on the farm. Platters and roosterkoek can be ordered between 11:00 and 16:00 from Monday to Sunday.
The team looks forward to hosting guests at Vergenoegd Löw this winter. To order wine online, visit https://vergenoegd.co.za/collection/all/.
