2026 | Elgin 

Made from the first-ever organically certified Gamay Noir vines planted in South Africa, The Antidote marks a landmark moment as the country’s very first organic Gamay Noir vintage.

Why the 'Antidote'?

In a landscape long dominated by dense, heavily wooded reds, this wine offers a vibrant, food-friendly cure. A refreshing departure rooted in vitality and purity, it captures the untamed freshness and natural elegance of the varietal.

IN THE VINEYARD

The grapes originate from our young, organically certified Gamay Noir blocks planted on our Elgin Estate in 2022 and 2023. These vineyards carry a deeply personal legacy, propagated from cuttings, grafted onto rootstock, and hand-planted on our soils. The very first vine that we planted is affectionately named "Dom", in honor of Dominique Piron, a 14th-generation Beaujolais legend and mentor to Alex Dale. The rainfall for 2026 vintage aligned closely with seasonal averages until August, followed by dry spring conditions that encouraged healthy vegetative growth and rapid canopy development. Disease pressure remained low throughout the growing season, producing exceptional quality fruit. While heavy rains arrived in Elgin during February, vigilant canopy management and precise timing allowed us to harvest the grapes at ideal ripeness between two major rain events, fully preserving fruit integrity and quality.

WINEMAKING

Hand-harvested in the cool early morning, the grapes were transported to our organic cellar and hand-fed over a sorting table. The bunches were destemmed directly into dome fermenters for whole berry, semi carbonic fermentation. Following fermentation, the grapes were gently pressed using a basket press before the wine was moved to amphorae for seven months of ageing, allowing its vibrant fruit purity and refined structure to develop naturally before bottling.

WINEMAKERS NOTES

The nose opens with vibrant wild strawberry, ripe raspberry, and juicy mulberry, layered with delicate violets and subtle spices of cinnamon bark, toasted coriander seeds, and star anise. The palate is juicy and succulent, showcasing red liquorice and bright berry fruit framed by a seamlessly silky tannin structure. Beautifully balanced with a medium-to-long, mouthwatering finish, its vibrant character makes it very moreish—a wine you keep wanting to go back to for more

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