Saxenburg's got soul

A vinious playground for adults and children alike

‘My mother loves to garden,’ says Fiona Bührer as we walk along lush, fragrant pathways. Fiona is showing me around her family’s farm, Saxenburg Wine Estate, situated on the slopes of Bottelary Hills above Kuils River.

Her mother’s passion for horticulture is evident; all kinds of herbs and blossoms weave a romantic facade around the farm’s old Cape Dutch buildings. There’s a lived in, homely feel to this grand estate.

Dating back to 1693, the farm overlooks both False Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  According to Fiona, this is what makes the area unique. ‘Our micro-climate is what’s special about this farm,’ she says, ‘we make both excellent red and white wines; our terroir is suited to both.’

Adrian and Birgit Bührer bought the farm in 1989. The Swiss couple have five children, of which Fiona and second oldest son, Vincent are actively involved in the family’s winemaking business.  

Traditional winemaking ensures consistent quality

Their winemaker, Nico van der Merwe, has been with Saxenburg since 1991. We make our way to the wine cellar to meet him.

‘This is my engine room,’ says Nico, gesturing at the entrance to his cellar. It’s the day before harvest kicks in and there are workers scrubbing pumps and stainless steel fermenters are empty and waiting.

Blue-eyed and hiking boot-shod, Nico has the slightest tinge of French to his Afrikaans accented English. Fiona explains, ‘we also have a wine farm in the South of France, Château Capion. Nico has worked eight vintages there. During that time he did two harvests a year. We now have a French winemaker, so Nico can can give his full concentration to Saxenburg.

Wine lovers wanting to sample the French wine can buy it from the tasting room. Château Capion also stocks Saxenburg wine.

‘Red wine is our business, shiraz our main variety, but it was cabernet sauvignon that made us famous,’ says Nico with a twinkle in his eye. He goes on to explain that in 2006, Saxenburg won Best Cabernet Sauvignon in the world at the The London International Wine and Spirit awards.

‘We have no secrets here,’ he continues. ‘Our focus is on traditional winemaking methods. We don’t add any sulphur in our initial fermentation, only with the malolactic fermentation. So, our wines are a good option for those sensitive to sulphur.’

‘And for those who don’t want a headache,’ chimes in Fiona.

Magic forests and expansive views

Vincent Bührer strides into the cellar, warm and enthusiastic, he leads us to his khaki off-road vehicle. We clamber aboard for a tour of the estate.

‘You see that patch of sandy soil?’ he asks pointing. ‘Perfect for vegetable farming. But we’re not that kind of farm. Instead we turned those 35-hectares into a mini game park.’

Off in the distance I see the twisted horns of a loping bontebok, the flash of zebras and even black and white springboks.

‘We have the normal coloured springboks too. A real rainbow nation,’ says Fiona laughing.

We reach the top of the farm, Table Mountain to the one side, and the rolling Botleray hills to the other. On our (bumpy) way back down we pass a grove of silver trees.

‘That’s our magic forest,’ says Fiona.  ‘All five of us used to play in there when we were little. We’d make friends with creatures, and sometimes bring them home.’

We also pass a cemetery, we’re moving fairly fast, but I manage to catch ‘snow white’ and ‘caramel’ etched onto some tombstones. Interesting.  Fiona laughs when I point out the strange graves, ‘we’re quite a sentimental family,’ she says. ‘We buried our first horses there.’ (The entire family are avid riders.)

‘We also have a dog cemetery,’ intones Vincent.

Birds of a feather

Soon, we’re seated in the tasting room. Wooden tables are arranged intimately and there’s a real sense of homeliness—heightened by posters on the walls of the family (in its infant stages) in adverts for Saxenburg.

Light gold Méthode Cap Classique is poured into tulip glasses. Fine and delicate the bubbles spiral out from the middle.  The production is small, only two thousand bottles a vintage.  Rumour has it that patriarch, Adrian, only made a bubbly because his wife has a taste for it, and to prove his love even further, he named the MCC, Phantom, after her favourite play (Phantom of the Opera).

Next up is the Private Collection Sauvignon Blanc; on the nose is all the usual grassiness (hint of green apples) and the palate gives way to tropical fruit.

A stand out tasting is the Private Collection Shiraz—elegant, subtle vanilla spice. So smooth. Just a hint of tobacco.  This is a wine I could imagine coming home to.

The label on the bottle depicts a family of guinea fowls. ‘They’re symbols,’ says Fiona. ‘One is the ‘brain’, the other is the ‘heart’ and the little one is the ‘soul’, the three elements that make up Saxenburg.

Leaving the wine estate, a mere 30 minutes from Cape Town,  I have a sense that there’s a real family behind the Saxenburg brand, one that rides horses, plays in magic forests and, of course, makes top-drawer wine.

By Malu Lambert

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