‘Terroir by Truck’ is the way Leon Coetzee describes his winemaking process with his wife, and fellow winemaker, Margaux Nel for their exciting and independent South African production, The Fledge & Co. You only have to know that Leon drives over 15,000 miles during harvest to get an idea of how much of a terroir junky he is, and why he and Margaux have over a dozen labels from top sites all over the Cape.
I first met Leon and Margaux six years ago in Mendoza, in a bar, over wine, as you do. When I headed out for my first trip in South Africa a few months later, Leon picked me up for a whirlwind tour of the Swartland’s old vines, Elgin’s new vines and Stellenbosch’s sweeping valleys to show me what the fuss was all about. We kicked about some rubble, marvelled at contorted trunks and cooed over new trunks, and tasted a lot of wine with different producers. A self-taught winemaker, Leon has an encyclopedic knowledge of the different vineyards of the Cape and his enthusiasm is contagious – so much so, that from that moment I too was hooked on the great diversity of South African wine regions.
Leon’s thirst for discovery is well-suited to Margaux’s cool, collected character. As an eighth-generation winemaker, Margaux is something of a rarity in South Africa but she takes it in her stride. Head Winemaker at Boplaas in the Karoo – where her and Leon live most of the year – Margaux focused on Portuguese varieties in her thesis while at Stellenbosch University, something which is evident not only in her winemaking at Boplaas but also in their delicious Portuguese-variety blend for the Fledge.
The blend of Margaux’s and Leon’s expertise and passion is quintessential to the Fledge & Co, but blending as a concept also goes deep into their winemaking. The Fledge & Co is one of many young wine brands that hunts down specific terroirs for specific wines, but I find it interesting that you’ll rarely find a single vineyard wine in their collection – even though they could well have them. “Blending is part of the tradition of the Cape,” says Leon, “whether that is varieties or vineyards, or people, it gives you a more complete wine.”
A taste of The Fledge & Co wines
Jikken Barreru, 2018 Sauvignon Blanc (Experimental Barrels)
This is the young, and experimental, label of Leon and Margaux. In this case, it’s a bright Sauvignon Blanc from the cool, coastal valleys. Crisp floral notes meddle with citrus rind and there’s a zesty acidity that invites another sip. This wine is heading to Oddbins in the UK soon, and it’s a bargain at under a tenner.
Fume Blanc 2017
Their spicy Sauvignon Blanc comes from predominantly high altitude (500m+) Stellenbosh vineyards along with some coastal elements, and just a smidge of Semillon. The result is fresh, mineral-driven and with vibrant citrus notes in the nose, and a waxy mouthfeel although the acidity is laser-sharp.
Klipspringer 2017
Leon has a weakness for Chenin (he describes it as a crack habit) and this is Chenin from old vines in the Swartland with a mix of sandstone, granite. decomposed granite/ironstone and schist soils. Just over half of the wine is fermented in barrel, which helps develop the nice waxy, honey notes but there’s also plenty of bright floral and citrus notes before rolling out a long finish.
Hoeksteen 2017
Another Chenin (see? Crack-Chenin addict…) but this time coming from Stellenbosch vineyards with more delicate floral notes, bright stone fruit and a voluptuous mouthfeel which is enhanced by some barrel fermentation. There’s the trademark pithy and bright finish from the young vintage, but this is a wine that will age well.
Vagabond 2016
Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Verdelho, Grenache Blanc and Riesling goes into this Cape blend which has a lovely complexity with both a creamy richness on the finish and a stony minerality that underpins the wine. Vagabond is almost always one of my favourites in the portfolio, and this vintage is no exception.
Elgin Chardonnay (unnamed) 2017
This is Leon and Margaux’s first single-vineyard Chardonnay from Elgin, which is all from decomposed sandstone and white clay, and the result is a really textural and mouthwatering wine. It is delicate on the aromatic spectrum but in the palate it is really quite exciting with tension and focus – a Cape Chablis!
Jikken Barreru Riesling 2017
From a meter away you can tell this is Riesling – rubber boots, lemon peel, grapefruit and white flowers invade the glass. There’s razor sharp acidity and even though this has 5 grams of sugar, it feels bone dry.
Skn n’ Bnz 2017
Dry-farmed Chenin (from 1972 vines) from the Swartland and made with skin contact, pips et al. It’s unfiltered (hence why they’ve got the ‘This side up’ label) it is a fantastically wild wine with lots of texture and makes me think of gingerbread men – packed with ginger notes and a bitter almond on the finish.
Katvis Pinot Noir 2016
Leon is one of my favourite winemakers for solid quotes. What does he say about this wine? “Pinot is like going to a nudist beach – you can’t really hide”. Their Katvis Pinot always shows the difference in the vintage and 2016 was a warmer one, although the Elgin fruit still sails through with floral, black cherry and black pepper notes.
The Fledge & Co, Pinot Noir 2016
This is the top selection of the top Pinot barrels from the vintage. It has a much darker nose (than Katvis) but with a wild graphite in the mouth accompanied by meaty, underbrush and mulberry notes. Pay attention to the back label, not for the wine information but, because Leon and Margaux almost always dedicate the vintage to a singer that has been particularly important to them that year – in this case it was Bowie.
Find out more on The Fledge & Co online.
