Tim James: Is the cult of the winemaker coming to an end?

It would be hard to overestimate the role of the winemaker in the Cape wine revolution of the past few decades – and only partly because many of them gave their names to their new wine brands. Although this winemaker-as-hero concept has spread its influence into how we think of the older and newer wine estates, whose image is more attuned to the property, the latter can often change their winemaker with not too much of a ripple.

Very recently, for example, Hartenberg lost Carl Schultz, the winemaker who for more than 30 years had been very publicly associated with its success. That’s not going to matter as it would if Duncan Savage disappeared from Duncan Savage Wines. Although such an important change can indeed have a significant effect. It was important when Chris Williams took over as cellarmaster from Giorgio dalla Cia in 2004 and revitalised the portfolio; it might also be significant that Altus Treurnicht is now in charge of the cellar, just as it is that there’s new blood at Vergelegen, for example. Kanonkop, long regarded as one of the Cape’s greatest estates, appears to be shifting towards a team-as-hero approach following the departure of Abrie Beeslaar from his full-time role; and that should also work OK.

On the other hand, there are some important Cape producers where even many serious wine lovers would not be entirely certain who is the winemaker. And even a few of the new-wave winemaker-central producers where most people might get the answer wrong. I’ll mention another shortly, but the case of Sadie Family Wines, where for some years Eben Sadie largely stepped away from the cellar (though remaining deeply involved in the vineyards and in the public image of his business), is a signal one.

I was thinking about all this for two reasons. Firstly, an entirely different perception of winemaker centrality in much of classic Europe, I’d say most notably in Bordeaux, was apparent in May de Lenquesaing’s memoir, which I reviewed last week. In her account of the establishment of Glenelly, the winemaker from the outset, and there for 15 years, rates just one brief mention: “Vinification was entrusted to Luke O’Cuinneagain and his team”. Others of the Glennelly team do get rather more notice. I wondered (but couldn’t check) if this off-hand dismissal of the substantial role Luke played was only in the English edition, prompted by the obviously hard feelings when he moved to Vergelegen.

But very possibly not. The much greater space devoted to Mme de Lenquesaing’s Bordeaux properties has scarcely more than a few references to the Pichon team, with only Thomas Dô Chi Nam, who became technical director in 1992, getting a few brief non-committal mentions. This shrugging off of winemakers seems rather alien to large parts of the wine-producing world (including much of France), but it is very bordelais: the proprietor-manager is what it’s all about there. I would be hard put to name Bordeaux winemakers – although there are a handful of consultant oenologists whose names are famous (Rolland, Dubourdieu, Derenoncourt, etc): they are vastly more important than the cellarmasters, the maîtres de chai, who seem to mostly be regarded as mere technicians.

Bruwer Raats and Mzo Mvemve of Mvemve Raats.

The second reason for my rambling in this direction was the Cape Town launch of the new white blend from Mveme-Raats, Vesperi 2023, and the 2022 vintage of the famous De Compostella. It was a while since I’d seen Mzo Mvmve, who was largely out of the wine industry (working for South African Breweries!) for a time. I’d first met him in 2001 when he – from an impoverished background, and previously a chemical engineering student in his native Durban – was developing his passion for wine and studying at Stellenbosch University, soon to graduate as South Africa’s first formally qualified black winemaker. I told his story in Grape. The difficulty of getting funding for black winemaking students was shocking then, as it is to be reminded about it now. No space to rehearse the story here – but Mzo overcame huge obstacles with determination, intelligence and charm, as well as some welcome support.

Mzo had early experience in winemaking as Bruwer Raats’s deputy at Delaire. In the 2006 Platter’s Guide, introducing the first, 2004, vintage of Mvemve Raats De Compostella (given a so-so rating by Michael Fridjhon), Bruwer says of the collaboration that it was “a fantastic opportunity to make wine with a friend”. Fast forward a few decades to the excellent lunch at Pier restaurant at Cape Town’s Waterfront, where the pair were both present at the launch of De Compostella 2022 and Vesperi (referring to the evening star) 2023. Mzo was as full of charm as ever – and, I presume, of the other qualities I’d once noted. Well-matched by Bruwer – but he’s a more usual item on display, so I won’t go there.

This white blend was the third made, they told us, but the first two vintages were not thought to be of sufficient quality, and more tweaking was needed. This was not the first public showing of the wine, in fact: Greg Sherwood wrote in late 2024 on this website about its appearance in London – and you can see that article for a fuller, greatly appreciative, account of the wine and of De Compostella 2022.

Since the turn of the century, Bruwer Raats has built Raats Family Wines (and later also, with Mzo, Mvemve-Raats) into one of the very finest Cape producers of chenin and cab francs, with the Bruwer Vintners partnership with Gavin Bruwer Slabbert a very fine label too. In later years, though, Bruwer’s vital role has been more akin, in fact, to that of a Bordeaux proprietor/manager. He’s undoubtedly been closely involved with the cellar, but it’s been Gavin who has actually been primarily responsible for the winemaking, out of the limelight (not even mentioned in Greg’s article, for example). Hence my preamble about winemakers and their centrality or otherwise. Gavin is undoubtedly one of the top handful in the country, and if anyone needs reminding – or telling – of that, I’m happy to insist on it!

The team’s MR Vesperi unsurprisingly joins the elite of South Africa’s great category of white blends. You might have trouble getting a bottle, though, even if you’re willing to pay R1,200 for it. Only a thousand bottles were made, and half of these went to England already, and the remainder is being nibbled away by launches – I have just seen (Monday morning) that the Raats website mentions 11 bottles being available from the farm. Happily, volumes doubled in 2024 to an also-tiny 2000.

Vesperi is the classic Bordeaux-style blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc, with a very Cape admixture of chenin – about a third of each, all from the granitic vineyards of Polkadraai. It’s ripe and with a little sugar adding richness but no obvious sweetness, so there’s a weight and generosity that’s quite welcome as a change from the  ultra-linear, taut style of so many top local whites; it makes the wine very approachable in youth – although there’s just an edge of supportive austerity, perhaps from the skin-contact-made sauvignon, which also adds a little colour. And there’s a brilliant liveliness and refinement. Really a beautiful, thoughtfully and finely made wine.

MR De Compostella 2022 is as good as it should be for one of South Africa’s most expensive wines (R2,150 ex cellar), remarkably approachable already – akin to the 2014 in this respect, says Bruwer. Great polish and refinement is obvious; there’s concentration and already harmony in the balance; and it’s pretty delicious as well as serious. Sweet fruit helps to remind you that it’s South African rather than Bordeaux, which is probably as well. Another beautifully poised wine from Gavin – not to mention Mzo and Bruwer.

• Tim James is one of South Africa’s leading wine commentators, contributing to various local and international wine publications. His book Wines of South Africa – Tradition and Revolution appeared in 2013.