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Axe Hill was started
by the late Tony Mossop and wife Lyn, at
a remote site on the outskirts of
Calitzdorp in the Klein Karoo during
1993. Calitzdorp is a viticulture area
situated in the Klein Karoo Wine Region.
The area has been acclaimed for its
fortified wines for a number of years
and Calitzdorp is known as “the Port
Capital of South Africa”. The unique
micro-climate prevalent in the region is
typically characterised by dry, arid
conditions which add to the overall
concentration of true Portuguese
varietals. The name of the vineyard
originates from the stone hand tools
found on the farm and used by
pre-historic man over a quarter of a
million years ago.
Only one vintage is
made each year from a blend of the
traditional Portuguese varietals Touriga
Nacional, Tinta Barroca and Souzăo. The
wine is matured in old 500 litre French
oak barrels after hand sorting and foot
crushing in lagares for maximum
extraction of both flavours and colour.
This method closely resembles
traditional Portuguese port wine making
techniques which have been in use for
centuries.
A dry, white Port, is
also produced. Chenin Blanc grapes are
used in this drier style, fortified
wine. The wine is barrel-aged by the
fractional blending of old to young wine
so that each bottling is a fusion of
ages, with the average age gradually
increasing over the years. Axe Hill Cape
White has its origins with the first
vintage in 2003 and will continue to
grow in complexity with future releases.
A new addition to the range, a Dry Red,
should be become available in the near
future, but in very limited quantities!
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Meet the winemaker. Mike
Neebe is the winemaker at Axe Hill.
He started making wine at Axe Hill
in 2008, facing a daunting challenge
to maintain Axe Hill standards. Mike
recently spent a harvest at Ramos
Pinto in Portugal honing his port
and winemaking skills. He lives in
Johannesburg commuting to Calitzdorp
frequently – in his other life Mike
runs a pub, The Bohemian - "catering
for the real life bohemians among
us..."
His favourite wine from the
cellar:
Mike’s favourite wine at Axe Hill is
undoubtedly the Cape White, a one of
a kind, dry white port. Each
bottling a new dimension! |
Mike Neebe and team |
Facts about Mike you probably did not know:
He loves great food, classical music in the
cellar, blended with the tranquility of the
Klein Karoo which is his antidote for the "warp"
speed of Johannesburg.
Mike’s view for the 2010/2011 harvest:
As for the 2011 harvest, heat and then a
deluge then heat again resulting in a tiny crop
and ending with no water in the cellar for 4
days! Some gems in the crush nevertheless! |
