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  • Time

    09:55 AM
  • Wine average?

    87 Tb
  • Popularity ranking?

    247

History

A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines are made in the Paardeberg area in Swartland district of South Africa. Owned by cousins Hein and Adi Badenhorst restored the cellar on the farm that was last used in the 1930’s to make natural wines in the traditional manner. The vineyards are made up of very old bush-vines planted with Chenin Blanc (average 40 year old vines), Cinsault (average 45 years), and Grenache (average 58 years). The vines are un-irrigated and farmed as biologically as possible. The vineyards are planted on East, North and South facing slopes bringing tremendous variety to the fruit.

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Vineyards

 The winery is located on a mountain range which is a granite outcrop and three distinctive types of granitic soil are found on this property - specifically Paardeberg, Lammershoek and Lemoenfontein granites. The soils are extremely old and considered by many to be ‘low potential ‘ as vine growth is not as luxeriant as in other areas. Yields are generally quite low averaging 3-4 tons/ha for Chenin Blanc. No irrigation is used as the soild have the potential to store a good amount of water and slowly release during the growing season. Rainfall is around 480mm/yr falling mainly in the winter months of May – August/September. Winters tend to be cold and wet and leaf fall is quite sudden with the onset of Winter. Otherwise, the weather is pretty much medditteranean.

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Inside information

Andre Adriaan Badenhorst’s grandfather was the general manager at Groot Constantia for 46 years. His father was born there and farmed on neighboring Buitenverwachting and Constantia Uitsig for many years.  Adi grew up between the vineyards and spent his time picking (stealing) grapes. “It all started when Jean Daneel, then winemaker at Buitenverwachting, let me make my first wine when I was thirteen,” Adi recalls.

After completing his studies at Elsenburg, Adi worked a few harvests at Chateau AngelusAlain Graillot in the north Rhone,France and Wither Hills in New Zealand and did stints at local cellars SimonsigSteenbergGroote Post and nine years as winemaker at the esteemed Stellenbosch estate, Rustenberg.

In 2008 he packed it all in and bought a 60-hectare piece of land in the Paardeberg with his cousin Hein. They now proudly farm together, practice biological farming and make natural wines in the traditional manner.

On Kalmoesfontein it is back to basics, using traditional winemaking equipment and old cement kuipe. “We make wines with immense character. We’re using what we can afford. We are making the best wines we can. And we are having great experiences. I want to make something, involving interaction from my family.”

Today Adi Badenhorst is an award winning winemaker, member of the Cape Winemakers Guild, founding member of the Swartland Revolution and Swartland Independent, proud dad to Samuel Sunnyskies & Ana Kalander and ever evolving Vigneron.

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