Taaibosch Wine Estate

The farm that is now Taaibosch has roots stretching back to 1838, when the Manor House was first built on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in Stellenbosch. The property was originally known as Cordoba, and for almost two centuries it has been a working agricultural estate with sweeping views over False Bay and the distant silhouette of Table Mountain.

The modern chapter of Taaibosch began in 2017 when the Oddo family from France acquired the estate. The Oddos are a multigenerational winegrowing family, and Taaibosch became their first South African venture. They renamed the property after the Afrikaans word for the tough, resilient fynbos shrubs native to the Cape -- a fitting tribute to the landscape that surrounds the vineyards.

Under the Oddo family's stewardship, the historic Manor House has been lovingly restored, the cellar modernised, and the vineyards replanted with a singular focus. Taaibosch produces only one wine: The Crescendo, a Bordeaux-style red blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are grown on some of the highest vineyards in the Stellenbosch region, where the altitude, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, and ancient decomposed granite soils create conditions of exceptional quality.

Winemaker Schalk-Willem Joubert leads the cellar with a philosophy of minimal intervention. He believes in letting the terroir speak, integrating strict organic principles into both vineyard and cellar work. His approach has been vindicated by the wine's rapid ascent: the 2019 Crescendo received 98 out of 100 points from Tim Atkin in his South Africa Report, placing Taaibosch in the top echelon of Cape reds within just a few vintages.

The estate offers guided vineyard tours and tastings with Joubert himself, an intimate experience that reflects the boutique scale of the operation. The Restaurant and Tasting Room provide a modern, relaxed setting among the vineyards, serving contemporary cuisine that complements the wine. Accommodation is available in the restored Farsight Villa, a luxury guesthouse on the estate with panoramic views of the Helderberg and False Bay.

Tastings range from R200 to R750 per person, and the estate is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00. Taaibosch also hosts weddings and private functions in its restored Cape heritage buildings and vineyard setting.

Taaibosch is a singular estate -- a French family's devotion to a single South African wine, made on one of the oldest farms in the Helderberg, by a winemaker who believes in the land above all else.