Wines from South Africa by Hillcrest

Hillcrest Estate is a boutique winery that harvests around 40-50 tonnes of grapes per year. This equates to around 33,000 bottles of wine, equal parts red and white. Many varieties of Hillcrest wines are regularly awarded 4-star Platter ratings and are honoured with silver and bronze medals every year. The biggest success was winning the Grand Roche Trophy for the best Merlot in 2007.

The Hillcrest Winery from Durbanville is located in the Tygerberg hills, 30 minutes by car from Cape Town. In the afternoon, a light sea breeze from the Atlantic Ocean blows over the terroir. The Hillcrest growing area consists of many differentiated soil types that grow distinctive fruit.

The vineyards are overlaid and strewn with "hornfels", a methamorphic rock formed by the geological compaction of sand millions of years ago. This gives the wines a distinct minerality. The five Hillcrest Bordeaux grape varieties are planted on the lower slopes. The Carbernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot grapes ripen on the lowest slopes, ensuring optimal ripening under warmer conditions.

The flagship wines Hornfels & Quarry mature for 18 months in 225 litre oak barrels from France. After blending and light filtration, all wines are then bottled, where they mature for a further 12 months. Only then are they released for sale.