Bergkelders

The Bergkelder cellar is one of the most advanced and the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, this 'cellar in the mountain' was built in 1968.

The wine farm hugs the steep slopes of the historic Papegaaiberg mountain. This mountain is named after the clay pigeon ('papegaai' in Dutch) shoot, held to commemorate the birthday of Governor Simon van der Stel in the late 1700s.

A footpath takes you along the banks of the Plankenburg River and during the harvesting season the tipping of red wine grapes can be observed.

Inspired by nature, Fleur du Cap wines are handcrafted with minimal interference by a devoted team. Meticulous vineyard selection and an overriding passion for winemaking, has led to the creation of quality wines that capture and reflect the highly sought-after qualities of the grape.

These exceptional qualities are shaped by the temperate climate of the Cape Coastal region whilst the special care in the vineyards and the cellar, ensure superbly balanced wines that abound with fruit and flavour vintage after vintage.

The wines are handcrafted by dedicated winemakers, Kobus Gerber and Thinus Krüger under the guidance of cellar master, Coenie Snyman.

Founded in 1967, The Bergkelder was the first of its kind in South Africa and is today home to some of the Cape's finest wines. In 1979, it took the lead by introducing maturation of quality wine in small casks of new French oak and in 1998 The Bergkelder launched the premier range of Unfiltered wines, as a superior, small volume range under the Fleur du Cap banner.

As a result of a more hands-on winemaking process - with minimal human interference - the new generation premier range of Fleur du Cap unfiltered wines is set apart by its superior quality. Handpicked in the vineyard, handcrafted in the cellar, Fleur du Cap unfiltered wines are made in compliance with environmental practices.

Each of the wines in the unfiltered range is made from grapes of a specific vineyard block or as a blend from two vineyards.

The Unfiltered range heralds a new style of winemaking with wines with greater complexity and richness. This is achieved by returning to more traditional winemaking practices by relying more on sedimentation, racking and fining as opposed to filtration, thereby maximising the preservation of the colour and flavour elements until the wine is ready for bottling

This natural method of production may result in the development of some sediment in the bottle, in which case decanting would be advised before consumption.

The Fleur du Cap Unfiltered range offers a selection of four noble cultivars - Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The Fleur du Cap Standard range is made up of the following wines - Fleur du Cap Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Noble Late Harvest, Natural Light, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Pinotage.

The Fleur du Cap wines are matured in the underground maturation cellar inside the Papegaaiberg where temperature and humidity are constantly controlled.

They are then transferred to the bottle-maturation cellar where, under controlled conditions, the wine is smoothed and mellowed - and the real bouquet is built.

Each bottle that is released by The Bergkelder attests to its absolute commitment to quality, each having achieved perfection.