Richard Kershaw Wines - Exklusives Weingut in Südafrikas Elgin Region

With his award-winning Richard Kershaw Elgin Chardonnay and his highly endowed Richard Kershaw Elgin Syrah, he is causing a real stir in the wine industry not only in South Africa but also on an international level.

Born and raised in Sheffield, UK, Richard Kershaw completed his studies in London. After completing his studies, he initially worked extremely successfully as a chef before being drawn into the craft of wine production. Richard earned a basic diploma in oenology and worked as a winery assistant in California, Chile, France, Germany, Hungary and finally, since 1999, in South Africa. He became an assistant winemaker at Mulderbosch, after which he worked as a winemaker at the Nelson Estate in Paarl for a further two years before being appointed Master Winery Manager of Kanu Wines in 2003. In 2011 he graduated as International Master of Wine and is now the first and only Master of Wine in South Africa.

He chose the Elgin Valley because of its high altitude, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, certain cloud cover cycles, large cold units and high variations in daytime temperatures, in the belief that these factors would allow his preferred Chardonnay and Syrah grape varieties to reflect a certain local identity.

The climate of the Elgin region is similar to that of southern Burgundy and northern Rhône - the best conditions for choosing Chardonnay and Syrah. In addition, both grape varieties are considered "noble" because they have the undeniable ability to produce world-class wines in the right hands and under certain conditions, and also have an extremely positive storage and development potential over the years.

For the production of the Kershaw Elgin Chardonnay, Dijon clones 76, 95 and 96 with a low harvest yield were used, developed at the University of Burgundy in Dijon, while for the Kershaw Elgin Syrah, indigenous clones 9c and 22 were used. Each wine is produced from 3 - 4 small plots of terroir-specific land with special soil types. All berries are harvested by hand and transported in small steps to the winery in the Elgin Valley, which is only 10 - 15 minutes away. The extremely short transport time of the grapes from the vineyard to the winery avoids unnecessary crushing of the berries and premature oxidation of the juice. An important aspect for the production of first class wines.

Stylistically, Richard Kershaw Wines' aim is to accurately reflect the special attributes associated with wines from the Elgin region. In the case of the Kershaw Elgin Chardonnay, the aim is to produce a highly elegant white wine with a mineral focus and a balanced fruit character, wonderfully integrating hints of oats and the complexity of subtly perceptible wood. In Kershaw's Elgin Syrah, the focus is on creating the finest sophistication coupled with consistent precision, built on a foundation of harmonious fine tannins, incredible freshness, notes of ink-black fruit, iodine, medicinal herbs and black pepper.

Richard's secret to his groundbreaking success, along with his years of experience and devoted passion, lies in the philosophy that, despite all the technological progress, nature itself is difficult to grasp. Each year it presents itself with a series of new and fresh variables with which the winemaker must work prudently and closely to achieve a successful end product - a wine that presents an authentic reflection of the wonderful terroir and noble vines in the glass. A recipe with extraordinary success all along the line!