Quoin Rock | Background & History

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

Quoin Rock is very fortunate to have the best of both worlds.

Cape Agulhas

This being that it owns a farm in the unique location of the Cape Agulhas wine district which has become one of the newest and yet most exciting wine producing areas in the world. The terroir of the area is causing quite a stir in the wine community. Relentless cool winds allow the grapes to ripen gradually, encouraging the vines to produce exceptional wines with an elegant style and the signature cool climate minerality.

The farm known as Boskloof in the Cape Agulhas, Overberg region was one of the original of the two company vineyards that were bought in 1999. This farm formed the early basis of the new wine enterprise that would become known as Quoin Rock, and holds the honour of having supplied the very first grapes that were pressed in the then brand new Stellenbosch wine cellar in 2001, namely Chardonnay, which has become one of our leading wines.

When this rugged 2888ha property was bought in 1998, it was a sheep, cattle and fruit farm, although there were already some newly established vines. Of these, however, were not cultivated on rootstock and most had to be taken out. Doug Murdoch started vineyard replanting on 1 August 1999. To date there are 23ha planted with cultivars of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Pinotage.

Quoin Rock, Cape Agulhas has become a sought after wine tasting destination for visitors and tourists to the area. The original farm homestead, more than a century old, was beautifully restored and renovated in 2005 by Doug and Sharon Murdoch. It became the quaint, rustic 'wine house' where visitors are tempted to linger by the warm log-fire in winter, or on the cool, vine-covered stoep in summer.

An untapped resource waiting to be developed at Quoin Rock, Cape Agulhas, is a constant supply of pure spring water. From as deep as 175m from within the earth's crust of Quartsite, sandstone and limestone, with no civilization above the source, this nectar of the gods flows from the earth. This water has been tested as some of the purest to be found in South Africa.

Stellenbosch

The Quoin Rock winery is situated on the foothills of the Simonsberg near Stellenbosch. This region is known for producing more complex and full bodied wines, which is partly due to the high red clay content in the soils that are characteristic of the area, and for which reason it was known as the "Clay Hole" long ago.

Although Quoin Rock Winery is literally "the new kid on the block" at Stellenbosch, the history of the land on which it is built, and the heritage that goes with it, reaches as far back as the origins of the Cape itself. This land is part of the original Cape wine-growing region. These hills and valleys have borne witness to some of the most fascinating historical events in the history of the Cape – You need only take a look at the histories of our neighbours, Muratie, Delheim and Knorhoek, to realize what a gem this area is in the development of the South African wine culture.

The 198Ha Quoin Rock land was purchased in 1998 from Knorhoek wine estate and construction began on the wine cellar, manor house and farm infrastructure. A replanting program was implemented in 2000 and continued for a two-year period. This involved removing some of the old vineyard and existing pear orchards, in order to establish selected wine grapes that have proven well suited to the soil and climate conditions of the area. Eventually 45Ha of vines were established, consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Mouvedre and Sauvignon Blanc cultivars.

In 2001 the first grapes from Agulhas were pressed in the wine cellar, with Rodney Easthope in the position of winemaker to the brand new establishment. Rodney remained winemaker until 2002. At his resignation, his then assistant, Carl van der Merwe, took over the reins as winemaker. The pattern repeated itself when Carl resigned in April 2010 and, in her turn, assistant Narina Cloete was promoted and became Quoin Rock's first woman winemaker.

The land itself

Interesting "micro climates" tend to manifest in the vineyards that stretch from the lower part of the farm, where the wine cellar is situated, to the upper reaches where the manor house perches on the hill – in all a 2km distance by road, and 200m rise in altitude.

Beyond the manor house the farm dips into a deep valley, then rises again in two steep slopes that are split by a deep and treacherous gorge. When walking these ancient hills, one can certainly drift off in your mind and almost hear the roar of lions and leopards that once roamed the land – The very reason why the land was first named "Knorhoek" by someone's distant ancestor.

It's All in THE NAME

The name "Quoin Rock" found its inspiration from the Agulhas area, where Quoin Point is the second most southerly point of Africa after Cape Agulhas itself. The name was coined at a meeting between the owner of the two farms, together with Doug Murdoch and first QR winemaker, Rodney Easthope. Furthermore, 'quoin rock' in Latin means 'cornerstone', many of which are found in the structures of "The Cave" at the Stellenbosch wine cellar. The concept thus also inspired the shape of our original wine labels that strove to create a feeling of classic strength, endurance and timelessness – Qualities that have proven true of our wines in the developing years, and promise to carry through in years to come.