Lammershoek

In the Aprilskloof Valley on the western slopes of the Paardeberg, roughly 80 kilometres from Cape Town, Lammershoek occupies some of the oldest continuously farmed wine land in the Swartland. The name -- Afrikaans for 'lambs' corner' -- dates to the early eighteenth century, with legend telling of ewes sheltering their lambs from raptors in this protected fold of hills. The first documented mention of the farm appears in records from 1714, official ownership was granted in 1718, and by 1719 the records note 600 vines planted on the property. Three centuries of viticulture have passed since.

For most of that history, Lammershoek was mixed farmland. The transition to specialist wine production came gradually through the twentieth century, and the farm played its part in the Swartland Revolution of the early 2000s, when a generation of winemakers began to demonstrate that this hot, dry wheat-farming region could produce wines of extraordinary depth and character. In 2013, the property was acquired by a trio of German businessmen and sporting executives, among them football legend Franz Beckenbauer. Andreas and Sonja Abold took the operational lead, entrusting the cellar to winemaker Schalk Opperman, who has since shaped Lammershoek into one of the most compelling organic producers in the Cape.

The farm spans 60 hectares of vineyard, all farmed organically and mostly by the traditional Swartland method of dryland bush vines -- unirrigated and dependent entirely on winter rainfall. The soils are predominantly decomposed granite and schist on the Paardeberg slopes, producing wines of mineral intensity and structural depth. In the cellar, Opperman works with natural fermentations, avoids fining and filtration where possible, and ages wines in a mix of old oak, concrete eggs, and clay amphorae. The philosophy is simple: let the land speak.

The wine portfolio is structured across four ranges. The Innocent collection offers everyday-drinking wines of striking quality at accessible prices -- honest Swartland Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, and blends. The Mysteries range is where Opperman experiments with single-vineyard expressions and unconventional varieties: field blends, skin-contact whites, and wines from heritage plantings that reveal the biodiversity of the Paardeberg. The Reserve range showcases the finest old-vine parcels, including a powerful Syrah and a concentrated Chenin Blanc from vines over 40 years old. At the summit sits Libero No.5, the flagship red -- a Syrah-dominant blend with Carignan and Grenache, co-fermented with touches of Viognier and Chenin, and named in honour of Beckenbauer's legendary playing position and jersey number.

Lammershoek offers tastings at the farm, where visitors can explore the full portfolio in a setting surrounded by fynbos and olive groves. The estate also produces olive oil and hosts occasional harvest events. There is a sense of deep time here -- a farm that has been making wine for over three hundred years, now guided by organic principles and a winemaker who believes the Swartland's old vines are among the most precious viticultural resources on the continent.