Tesselaarsdal

HISTORY 

Founded by Berene Sauls, Tesselaarsdal is the first wine project for Berene and, importantly, the first wine project wholly-owned by a member of a “previously disadvantaged community” in the Hemel-en-Aarde area and, indeed, the Overstrand. Berene initially joined Hamilton Russell Vineyards in February 2001 as an au pair at the age of 19. She soon moved to an administrative position in the farm’s wine business and took another step up to manage the complicated administration linked to wine exports and the detail of labeling on the estate. Fifteen years after starting her career in Hemel-en-Aarde, Berene is proud of her latest accomplishment. She recognizes and appreciates the collaborative role of winemaker Emul Ross and the opportunity provided by Anthony Hamilton Russell. With a production of only 1202 bottles of the 2015 vintage, the wine sold out quickly. Berene’s Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir is making history and leading the way forward for women in the wine industry, while adding to the quality collection of Hemel-en-Aarde wines. 

THE WINE 

The wine is named after the historic rural hamlet Tesselaarsdal, not far from Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, where Berene was born. It was at Tesselaarsdal where Berene’s ancestors once lived as freed slaves on land bequeathed to them in 1810 by former East India Company Settler, Johannes Tesselaar. The naming of her first wine appropriately honors her roots. Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir and Chardonnay continue the legacy of the Sauls and the Tesselaarsdal farm. Extreme care has been taken to ensure this small production of classically styled Pinot Noir expresses the personality of the cool, maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge and its elevated stony, clay and iron-rich soils. Master of Wine, Greg Sherwood, called the inaugural vintage an “epic first release” and told the wine media to look out for this new triumph. With the Chardonnay, Berene aims to produce a graceful and age-worthy wine, a bright and pure Chardonnay. The 2019 is the first vintage of this addition to the Tesselaarsdaal portfolio.