In 1997 Charles Back, having established Fairview in Paarl as one of South Africa’s most successful and popular wine estates, bought a farm called Klein Amoskuil near Malmesbury in the Swartland region north-west of Paarl, then rather better known for its wheat than its wine. It was the next step in applying his philosophy to ‘go where the terroir is’.
Says Charles:
‘I wanted to break away from the estate concept, which constrains a property owner, not necessarily blessed with the best viticultural land, from exploring the wine styles and levels of quality he aspires to. For me the quality of the wine became more important than the name of its source.’
The relaxation of legislation confining wine growers from producing in designated areas gave the entrepreneurial Back free rein to set out and find new vineyard sites to expand beyond what his inherited farm Fairview could offer in terms of new styles of wine, particularly reds, expressive of the Cape’s Mediterranean climate. He found it in the combination of mixed clay-gravel laterite and deep, red, decomposed granite soils of Klein Amoskuil.
The Spice Route farm buildings in the early 1900s
In just two years he transformed the place. Under performing Chenin Blanc, Cinsaut and Pinotage vines were grubbed up, though select blocks of 40-year-old Chenin and Pinotage, which promised – and subsequently delivered – distinctive wines, were retained. Warm-climate reds, many new to the Cape and historically at home in the Rhône, South of France and Italy, were established: Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Barbera, Tannat, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Tempranillo and Carignan. Also some Viognier (as seasoning for the rich, full-blooded Rhône reds Back was convinced the vineyards would deliver); the port variety Souzão and the Cape’s own warm-blooded red grape: Pinotage. All in all: some 140 hectares.
Back bucked viticultural trends of the time, adopting practices dictated by the immediate environment: dryland (un-irrigated) bushvines, with just four to five fruiting spurs per vine. He chose to be satisfied with the resultant low production levels of around three to four tons per hectare:
‘There was not enough natural moisture to sustain more… so be it!’
Hot, dry summers are balanced by deep, moisture-retentive soils which remain cool. And night temperatures are also surprisingly temperate, effectively slowing the ripening process – especially important for the late-ripening varieties – to close the gap between high sugars and phenolic ripeness.
Though this project initially involved friends and industry compatriots Gyles Webb of Thelema, wine writer John Platter and wine ‘activist’ Jabulani Ntshangase, Back bought his partners shares after just a couple of years, leaving him to continue moving full steam ahead to realise the enormous potential of the Spice Route venture.
From the start, this innovative vintner with the brave and adventurous spirit has succeeded in finding like-minded individuals to make his Spice Route wines. First on board (from the maiden 1998 through the 2001 vintage) was the young maverick Eben Sadie, who quickly started turning out wines that both earned critical acclaim and had broad appeal, in South Africa and internationally.
After Eben’s departure to follow an independent path, Back approached Charl du Plessis, a winemaker who the Spice Route owner admits to having “had his eye on for a while”. Back puts it in a nutshell: ‘The man has enormous passion for wine and pays incredible attention to detail – with talented winemakers it’s usually either the one or the other; it’s rare to find both in one. He has an incredible affinity for the Swartland and dryland viticulture’.
In 2005 Spice Route Winery acquired vineyards in the cool hills outside the town on Darling near the Cape’s west coast. Sauvignon Blanc has found its home in these hills, with their deep red oakleaf soils. In addition, the Spice Route team has Semillon, Chenin Blanc and Shiraz vines here as well. The additional 80 hectares provide fruit for our wines as well as some of the bottling under Back’s Fairview label.
In essence, the Spice Route Winery’s name reflects what the vineyard, the wines and the people are all about. It recalls the ancient mariners of the 15th century braving the tempestuous waters of the ‘Cape of Storms’ as they plied their trade bringing exotic Eastern spices to Western Europe along the so-called ‘Spice Route’. (The view of Table Mountain from the Spice Route vineyards takes the imagination back to the scene which would have greeted those bygone sailors as they rounded the Cape Peninsula). In much the same way Charles Back went sailing into largely uncharted waters on his route to realising the viticultural potential of this part of the Swartland wine region. His venture’s name is equally evocative of the style of wines being made: rich, complex yet infinitely enjoyable, with ripe fruit of the finest quality skilfully enhanced through careful oaking… much as carefully selected spices bring out the flavours in a dish.
