Windmeul Cellar’s ‘The Legend’ pays tribute to late veteran Springbok

Theunis Briers, a talented Springbok of his time and a previous director of Windmeul Cellar who passed away in 2018, is a man whose legacy lives on.

Now, even more so with Windmeul Cellar paying tribute to him with the release of their The Legend Collection 2019 vintages – a Chenin Blanc and Pinotage extracted from award-winning reserve barrels.

Danie Marais has been cellar master at Windmeul Cellar for the past 23 years and says when it comes to their premium wines, they are proud to place good value on them.

The cellar produces three wine ranges where The Legend Collection is the most high-end.

This range was initially created in 2010 with the aim of paying tribute to those who inspire others to initiate and experience life’s splendour without compromise.

Whether it was parents or childhood role models, the meticulous winemaking process of this collection of wines reflects the appreciation of day-today heroes merited to be celebrated. Marais thought it might be fitting to prolong Briers’ legacy with this high-level wine range.

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“Much like those who grew up admiring their mentors or idols, I have always followed Briers’ success,” Marais says.

“We wanted to emboss Briers’ honour in a wine that mirrors the quality of his influence in various fields. It made sense to extend this sentiment to individuals who continue to make an impact on those who look up to them. May it be your work colleague, a good friend or a family member.”

The wine range emphasises Theunis Briers’ contributions to the development of an adored sport, as well as South Africa’s wine sector and according to winemaker, Abraham van Heerden “a lot of heart went into making these wines.”

The two wines exceed vintages that consistently achieved top ratings at the likes of the Michelangelo Wine Awards, Veritas, John Platter’s Wine Guide, ABSA Top 10 Pinotage and Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 competitions.

The Chenin Blanc 2019 is a full-bodied white varietal with honeyed notes adding more character to its flavour and has been dubbed one of the ‘Windmeul crown jewels.’

The Legend Collection’s Best Barrels Selection Pinotage 2019 originates from Windmeul Cellar’s Reserve Pinotage’s barrels.

The Reserve ranked among the Top 10 wines eight times since its 2006 harvest. The Pinotage matured in small French oak barrels for 18 months, securing its extraordinary keepsake potential.

A limited number of about 400 bottles of The Legend Collection’s Chenin Blanc 2019 and 500 bottles of the Pinotage 2019 are currently available at Windmeul Cellar in Paarl or online.