Super Single Vineyards

Tucked into the quiet Stellenboschkloof valley between the Bottelary and Polkadraai Hills, Super Single Vineyards is the passion project of Danie de Waal, a ninth-generation winemaker whose family has been producing wine on the neighbouring Canettevallei farm since 1682. That farm, one of the oldest in South Africa, is where Danie grew up working alongside his father in the vineyards and cellar before striking out on his own.

The philosophy behind the name is simple and uncompromising: a great vineyard makes a great wine. Danie learned this lesson during formative stints at Chateau Angelus in Saint-Emilion under Hubert de Bouard and in Tuscany, where the concept of single-vineyard expression is treated as gospel. He returned to Stellenbosch determined to bottle wines that speak of individual parcels rather than blended averages.

Super Single Vineyards now encompasses 11 certified single vineyards and 7 certified single heritage vineyards, each bottled separately to preserve its unique character. The wines fall into two distinct ranges. The Pella label is the coastal collection, sourcing fruit from around Stellenbosch including some of the De Waal family's own vineyards. Among these is a parcel of Pinotage planted by Danie's relatives Dannie and Koffie de Wet in 1950, believed to be the oldest commercially farmed Pinotage vineyard in the world. Merlot has been Danie's personal favourite since he first worked with the variety at Chateau Angelus in 1991, and the Pella Verlatenkop Merlot from a single Stellenbosch vineyard has become one of the estate's most acclaimed bottlings.

The second range is Mount Sutherland, sourced from a vineyard planted in 2004 near the town of Sutherland in the Highland Karoo at an extraordinary altitude of 1,500 metres above sea level. The extreme conditions -- scorching days, freezing nights, and minimal rainfall -- produce wines of remarkable intensity and concentration. The Mount Sutherland Syrah has drawn particular attention for its distinctly non-coastal character.

Danie won the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year award, confirming his status as one of the Cape's most thoughtful and adventurous producers. The tasting room on Canettevallei also offers lavender picking in season, set against the quiet beauty of the Stellenboschkloof.