Weltevrede Estate



Article in Anywhere Anytime Magazine - December 2009

 

The world wine producing farm, Weltevrede, has been home to four of a winemakers, and now its producing beautiful bubblies too. Just outside Bonnievale, in the picturesque Robertson Wine Valley, lies the historical Weltevrede, the Jonker family wine estate whose rich heritage extends an impressive four generations. Weltevrede could not boast a more idyllic setting: surrounded by the ubiquitous splendour of the Valley - with landscapes of roads fringed by a colourful array of vineyards, mountains, flowers and trees: all of which are sustained by the life-giving source of the Breede River. It is therefore hardly surprising that, when Klaas Jonker arrived in this lush Utopia in 1912, he was transfixed by the surrounding beauty.
He bought the farm, planted the first vineyards and, in so doing, put down the roots that were to anchor the Jonker family legacy. And so began the love affair. So satisfied with what he had discovered, this pioneering patriarch, named the farm 'Weltevrede', meaning 'well-satisfied' (in the highly visceral Afrikaans language). Since then, this pursuit of well-being and satisfaction, or 'weltevrede', has translated into an aesthetic of producing wines of excellence, a heritage which has been passed on from generation to generation. Klaas was succeeded, by his son, Japie who was, in turn succeded by his son, Lourens who with his son Philip run the farm today.
Philip is in the driving seat and has been since 1997, when, after having studied oenology and viticulture at Stellenbosch university, Philip then put theory to practice, adding the notches to his belt in completing harvests in the Napa Valley and Bordeaux. Just meet Philip and you will know what I mean when I say that he 'smiths' his words arguably as well as he mixes his wines, adding a hint of Wordsworth to the Weltevrede blend! Not dissimilar to the romantic poets, his 'church' is the natural milieu: "I played in the soil as a boy and so did my father and grandfather before me", says Philip.

THE PHILIP JONKER CAP CLASSIQUE COLLECTION
With his poetic predilection, its of little surprise that Philip's bubbly collection narrates the unfolding of a love story. A Chardonnay specialist, this varietal is threaded throughout all four cap classiques in the range. The Philip Jonker Brut was his inaugural bubbly and the first wine Philip made, some fourteen years ago. The first corks were popped on the day of his wedding, under an old oak tree in the Karoo. Named The Ring, this 100% chardonnay (current vintage 2006) bubbly, is a tribute to love and covenant. Its a stylistically complex and elegant wine - with ripe lime and citrus, hints of honey and a creamy lees character.
After 12 years of only one producing one bubbly, Philip released Entheos which, when translated from its Greek root, means uncontainable enthusiasm, a joie de vivre. This wine is one which should have a set place in everyone's refrigerator, says Philip, as he claims it to be an 'every day and any occasion' win, the last (or first, if you like!) appointment everyday. In the same year, 2008, the Philip Jonker Brut Aletheia, 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay (current vintage 2006) - a rich, yeasty Cap Classique with hearty flavours of orange peel, vanilla oak and cream permeating throughout,
was also released.
Aletheia honours mutual transparency, vulnerability and openness: the raw honesty at the core of a true relationship of reciprocity. The word Aletheia means 'to be open or genuine': the opposite of Aletheia would mean 'to act' or to 'don a mask'. This bubbly is a perfect late night choice when all fagades have dissipated and masquerades evaporated. Finally, Philip has complemented this collection with a fourth bubbly, a Brut Rose called Lindelize, named after his wife. Lindelize concretises the bliss of love, the shy blush of early affection, and the rose hue attempts to reflect sheer delight: the effervescence of excitement. The salmon-coloured Cap Classique exudes refinement and poise, and the delicate mousse displays great finesse with hints of cherry and strawberry on the nose. Philip - who eschews making a 'John Wayne' wine, favouring elegance over the archetypal 'blockbuster' - has captured exactly that in this graceful wine. The Lindelize Rose boasts a fitting colour for the wine that is the proverbial cherry on the top. All four bubblies signify a celebration of love which, as the inaugural bubbly, The Ring presciently captured, has come full circle.

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