Bouchard Finlayson

The founding of Bouchard Finlayson in 1989 brought together two wine worlds in a partnership that would reshape the reputation of South Africa's Walker Bay. Paul Bouchard, scion of the celebrated Burgundian wine house Bouchard Aine et Fils, and Peter Finlayson, a South African winemaker who had spent formative time studying Pinot Noir in Burgundy, shared an obsession with one of the world's most demanding grape varieties. They chose the virgin soil of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, a narrow corridor running inland from the Atlantic near Hermanus, where the cold ocean sends cooling breezes across clay-rich Bokkeveld shale soils that reminded both men of Burgundy's terroir.

Together they transformed 125 hectares of fynbos-covered valley floor into an estate where only 25 hectares are cultivated under vine. The remainder was set aside as a conservancy to protect the indigenous fynbos vegetation, a decision that was ahead of its time and remains central to the estate's identity. More than half the vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir, laid out according to Burgundian principles of site selection and aspect.

Peter Finlayson is widely regarded as the pioneer of Pinot Noir in South Africa, and it was here that he proved the variety could produce world-class wine in the Cape. The flagship Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, named after the mountain that towers over the valley, became the benchmark against which all South African Pinot Noirs are measured. Above it sits the Tete de Cuvee Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, a barrel-selection cuvee produced only in exceptional vintages that commands prices among the highest for any South African wine.

In 2000, the Tollman family purchased the estate, realising a long-held dream to own a vineyard in Africa. Their stewardship has sustained the founding vision while investing in the cellar and vineyards. In 2017, Peter Finlayson handed the winemaking reins to Chris Albrecht, a University of Stellenbosch graduate who had gained experience across six harvests in California, France, South Africa, and New Zealand. Under Albrecht, the wines continue to evolve while honouring the estate's Burgundian DNA.

Beyond Pinot Noir, the cellar produces an acclaimed Chardonnay, including fruit from the legendary inland Kaaimansgat vineyard that Bouchard Finlayson has harvested for over thirty years. The Walker Bay Sauvignon Blanc, the Blanc de Mer white blend, and the innovative Hannibal, a Franco-Italian red blend of Italian and French varieties, demonstrate the estate's range. A Riesling-based Noble Late Harvest straw wine rounds out a portfolio built on craftsmanship and terroir.

The estate offers wine tastings, cellar tours, and a gift shop, with a pop-up tasting venue in Hermanus town extending the experience to visitors who may not make it to the valley. It is a place where the Burgundian ideal of expressing place through Pinot Noir found its African home, and where the cold Atlantic winds still carry the promise of great wine.