The Spice Route Wine Company is the result of maverick winemaker Charles Back’s unrelenting commitment to South Africa’s unique Western Cape terroir. Charles has an uncanny ability to sniff out the finest plots of land with the most interesting soils and grape varieties, and the vision to realise their potential. Before Spice Route, the Malmesbury sub-ward of Swartland was used as a reliable feeder for the area’s co-ops, but the potential for limiting the yields of the old bush-trained, dry land farmed vines planted on deep veins of rich soils had never occurred to other winemakers. Charles bought an unassuming small farm 10km outside of Malmesbury with some promising soils and a selection of interesting old vines; the first vintage was in 1998 and Spice Route was born to critical acclaim. The Spice Route farm covers 375 hectares and straddles a dry stream bed, the vineyards are planted on both gently sloping sides and there are a handful of satellite vineyards planted exclusively in the much sought after oak leaf and koffeeklip soils. With only 400mm of rain a year and no irrigation, the dry, hot summers protect the vines and grapes from disease and naturally limit yields. The temperature fluctuations are quite high though, as late in the afternoon a maritime breeze from the neighbouring Atlantic Ocean cools the vineyards. Winemaking is a decidedly hands on affair, and highly respected head winemaker Charl du Plessis is quick to point out that his mantra is to express the finest characteristics of this unique terroir through minimal handling techniques. With 8 vintages under the belt at Spice Route, quality is improving yearly with an increased knowledge of the sites and the team is contagiously enthusiastic about this premium grade project and what can be achieved in future vintages, as new plantings begin to yield dividends. Not content to rest on these achievements, vineyards were planted in virgin territory at Darling on the Atlantic Coast in August 2003. This cool climate site also boasts limited humidity and rich soils, but the moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean is far greater, making this the ideal site for Sauvignon Blanc. Although only in their second year of growth, the quality of fruit from this site is so good that a limited quantity of it has been bottled as a teaser ahead of the main crop in 2006.
