Vergelegen

When Willem Adriaan succeeded his father, Simon van der Stel, as governor of the Cape in 1700, it didn't take long before he claimed a modest 30,000 hectare piece of land for himself just as his father had done in his time at Constantia. It took three days by ox-wagon to reach Willem Adriaan's farm on the slopes of the Hottentots Holland mountain range overlooking the Atlantic Ocean; hence its name 'Vergelegen', meaning 'situated far away'.

Six years after he started planting vines, Willem Adriaan had half a million vine stocks. He laid out fruit orchards and orange groves, planted camphor and oak trees, and established eighteen cattle stations with 1000 cattle and 1800 sheep. Willem Adriaan also built reservoirs and dug irrigation canals. He built himself a beautiful Cape Dutch homestead, added a corn mill and many other subsidiary buildings.

When, in November 1705, Reverend Francois Valentijn visited Vergelegen he uttered the now well-known words: "I saw this Estate with exceptional pleasure, since everything was laid out wonderfully finely."

The younger van der Stel was a man of divergent interests, but his enthusiasm to turn this barren land into an agricultural paradise got the better of him and after only six years in office, Willem Adriaan was found guilty of corrupt practices and was ordered to return to the Netherlands in October 1706. Nevertheless, Willem Adriaan was considered a genius for his knowledge of farming and his visionary mind contributed greatly to the agricultural development of the Cape.

Three years later the Estate was sold and divided into 4 separate farms: Vergelegen, Lourensford, Morgenster and Cloetenburg. From that time, Vergelegen passed through a succession of owners until 1798, when the Theunissen family took ownership of the Estate. Under their care, which lasted for about a century, the vineyards flourished.

After Willem Adriaan van der Stel was forced to return to the Netherlands, Vergelegen went through a succession of owners until 1917 when Sir Lionel Phillips purchased the property for his wife, Lady Florence Phillips, who transformed the dilapidated Estate into a floral and cultural treasure trove.

The Phillips' spent vast sums of money on the restoration and upgrade of the Estate. Sir Lionel Phillips was known as a ‘Randlord,’ making his millions on the diamond fields of Kimberley and the gold mines of the Witwatersrand. He also served as chairman of the Johannesburg Chamber of Mines for several years.

Dams were built, roads constructed and the old footbridge was replaced by a structure wide enough to accommodate motor traffic.

After the deaths of Sir Lionel and Lady Phillips, Vergelegen and its contents were sold by auction to the Barlow Family in June 1941. Cynthia Barlow was as devoted to Vergelegen as Lady Phillips had been.  She was able to purchase many of the beautiful pieces of furniture and works of art collected by Lady Phillips.

To this collection she added her own considerable treasures and in so doing the tradition of Vergelegen was maintained.The Barlows resumed farming operations on Vergelegen and started a Jersey cattle herd, which became one of the largest and best in South Africa. They also planted extensive peach orchards and replanted vines on a small scale.  Their son, Tom, took over the running of the farm in 1966 until Anglo American purchased the Estate in October 1987.

When AngloAmerican purchased the property in 1987, extensive investments were made in viticulture and in restoring the Estate's historic core, with a view to sharing the Estate with visitors worldwide.

Among the many projects undertaken on the Estate by Anglo American was an extensive programme of clearing invasive alien vegetation, land rehabilitation and restoration of the Estate's historic core. The vineyards were re-established following intensive climatic and soil tests. A detailed master plan was drawn up for the development of the farm and in 1992, an impressive, multi-leveled, sunken hilltop winery was built and opened by Baron Eric de Rothschild, owner of Château  Lafite (Bordeaux) in France. Today, Vergelegen competes with the top 100 wines of the world and positions itself among the leading conservers of Cape cultural heritage.

Throughout its history and especially during the last two decades, heads of state and celebrities of international renown have been visiting Vergelegen.

The first vines were planted at Vergelegen in 1700 by founder Willem Adriaan van der Stel and included varieties such as 'blue muscadel', 'steendruif' (chenin blanc), white muscadel and frontignan.  Vineyards also flourished under the Theunissen family's tenure between 1798 and 1899. In the 20th century there were sporadic plantings by various owners, the last of these vines being removed in 1962. The soils of Vergelegen lay fallow until 1987 when the Estate was purchased by Anglo American.

The climate at Vergelegen is mild due to its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean at False Bay some six kilometres away which places the farm within the lower Region 111 according to the 'degree days' temperature classification. Vineyard sites range in altitude between 140m and 310m above sea level, with slopes facing north to north-west, and south to south-east.

The farm boasts a rich array of soils; 21 different types have been identified including some that are among the most ancient viticultural soils in the world. Vines have mainly been established on Clovelly, Glenrosa and Pinedene soils, generally known for their high clay content which ensures good water retention during the critical early-summer ripening stage. Rootstock and varieties have been carefully matched to the most suitable soils, and vine density, ranging from 2 666 to 5 000 vines a hectare, has been dictated by soil type, rootstock and variety. All the vines are trained vertically onto a hedge trellis.

A detailed master plan was drawn up for the development of the vineyards and, after intensive climatic and soil analysis conducted over two years, the first new vines were planted in 1989. Current plantings make up some 158 hectares comprising cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, shiraz, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and sémillon.

The Vergelegen cellar, opened in 1992,  has a Cape aesthetic classic base, yet incorporates a freshness that sets new standards and also complements the longevity of the property’s heritage. Situated high on a hill, the octagonal structure, the shape of which mirrors the octagonal walled garden laid out by Willem Adriaan van der Stel in 1700, offers sweeping views of the property and the surrounding areas, as well as False Bay with Table Mountain as a backdrop. 

This gravity flow cellar reflects a return towards simplicity and craftsmanship in wine making whilst retaining the property’s natural splendour.