The Jonkers have lived on Weltevrede winefarm in the Robertson Valley since 1912 and were the first to plant vines in the area. Third generation Lourens Jonker has played an integral part in the South African wine industry as past chairman of the KWV and several industry bodies, as well as sitting on boards of companies like ABSA and Naspers.
He expanded the original 65 hectare farm to 160 hectares by purchasing neighbouring farms, Muscadel, River’s Edge, and Sonop. Today, Lourens’s son, Philip, has taken up the reins and together, they are working hard to define the wines of the Robertson Valley – chief among them being Chardonnay.
Living among some of the Chardonnay pioneers of South Africa, with the De Wets of De Wetshof just a stone’s throw away, the Jonkers have pulled the valley together to pioneer a quintessential Robertson Chardonnay style called Calcrete, showcasing the shale and limestone-rich soils of the area. In the process, they have identified several exceptional sites producing “singular expressions” of Chardonnay at eye-catching prices.
Weltevrede Calcrete Chardonnay 2023, WO Robertson, 13% Abv.
This vibrantly fresh Chardonnay expression is named after the Calcrete soils that are only found among the Limestone rich soils of the appellation between Bonnievale and Robertson. The terroir here is typified by arid, broken shale rocks of ancient petrified maritime deposits that bestow the fresh vibrant whites of the area with a pronounced wet stone liquid minerality and a maritime, briney rock salt salinity. Combine this unique terroir with South facing slopes exposed to cooling Southeastern breezes and you have the perfect environment for some of the most classically fashioned old world-styled white wines in the Cape. This embryonic 2023 Chardonnay delivers delicious aromas of crisp stone fruits, white pear, and crunchy green apples with hints of honeydew melon, white flowers and honey drizzled over white citrus. Incredibly vibrant and fresh, the overt minerality is undoubtedly a perennial hallmark of this unoaked wine that is embroidered with an extra three months of lees aging in stainless steel tanks. Delightfully radiant and subtly exotic, this is an incredibly demonstrative wine that celebrates its terroir, purity and minerality while remaining seamless, lively, and impressively vital. Drink on release and over the next 2 to 3 years.
(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Weltevrede Place of Rocks Chardonnay 2022, WO Robertson, 12.5% Abv.
Sourced from grapes grown on a slope of ancient broken shale rocks which lends the wine its name, this youthful 2022 is an attractive white that comes from true Chardonnay country and displays a wonderfully translucent pale gold colour in the glass. The sophisticated aromatics reveal an attractively crafted white wine that exhibits complex notes of pithy white citrus spice, wet chalk, lime peel, lemon grass, and subtle hints of dried pear and honeydew melon. Primarily mineral driven with a hint of flinty reduction but also plenty of stony green herbal spice, beneath the middle-weighted palate texture lurk delicious layers of tart yellow fruits, green apple pastille, dried mango and grapefruit confit nuances that are finely juxtapositioned against more creamy, toasted bread, popcorn and salted brioche characteristics that subside to leave a subtle nutty, salted pistachio-tinged mineral finish. An impressively classical rendition of Chardonnay that will appeal to lovers of top quality Maconnais Burgundy whites and pair beautifully with seafood and shellfish. Drink now and over the next 3 to 5 years.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Weltevrede Estate wines are available in the UK from specialist merchant Museum Wines.