Lowerland, Tolbos, 6 Bottle Case 75cl

Bertie Coetzee represents the sixth generation of his family to farm Lowerland, on the banks of the Orange River near Prieska in the Northern Cape. Let’s not beat around the bush: traditional wine country this isn’t. The desertlike climate is peculiar, being approximately 29 degrees south so on the outer limits of what’s considered prime latitude for vines, but the African heat is moderated by over 1,000 metres of altitude and consequentially high diurnal range. Generally conditions are dry and therefore favourable for organic farming, on which Bertie is something of a visionary. Once picked, the grapes are driven for 12 hours south to Stellenbosch, where the wines are made by two of the best young talents in the Cape, Thistle & Weed (aka Stephanie Wiid & Etienne Terblanche) and Lukas van Loggerenberg.