Rustenberg: Quietly leading the way

Rustenberg wines have been part of the family table for generations and a central feature of the South African wine canon. They no longer have to prove how good they are – people simply know it as fact.
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There comes a point for some producers when they no longer have to prove how good they are – people simply know it as fact. Simonsberg icon, Rustenberg, is one such producer. “You can define yourself in two ways,” argues proprietor Murray Barlow. “What you are and what you aren’t.” What they are not is flashy or interested in chasing trends. Instead, their mantra is “quietly aspirational” – they don’t need to push their wines. Rustenberg wines have been part of the family table for generations and a central feature of the South African wine canon. “For us that is a huge responsibility,” says Barlow, pointing to the pressure they face to continually live up to expectations. 

With a history dating back to the 17th century, Rustenberg as we know it today came to be when Peter Barlow reunited Rustenberg with Schoongezicht in the 1940s, a property spanning over 800 hectares. With vineyards at elevations between 200m and 500m on decomposed granite, their wines are refined, restrained and balanced, with a poise that only comes from experience. They naturally get structure and freshness from a long ripening season that delivers typical powdery tannins and ageability. “What people feel is Rustenberg runs through the whole range: the quality, the experience of the place, the consistency, our foundation in Stellenbosch, and our foundation on the Simonsberg.”

Experimentation has led to focus, maturity and identity. Their main challenge has been deciding on what they should and shouldn’t plant and cutting things out that simply don’t work. Merlot works well in a southerly orientation and Cabernet on the west-facing slopes. Higher elevations produce remarkable Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay typical of the area. Their ultimate quest is to find the golden formula where every component works in harmony to deliver the essence of the site. Vintage variation is part of the story but that is tempered by superior terroir. One of the revelations has been Malbec which, despite a tough 2023 vintage, performed beyond expectations and will take a more prominent role in their blends of this vintage.

“We’re not re-inventing anything. We’ve got to be real and true about what we’re doing here. We make wines from what the terroir gives us, we’re not trying to force things.” Rustenberg is a force of its own.