“Producing a vintage wine from a single vineyard is the purest expression of transparency and authenticity. It is an exercise in courage and passion, leaving no place to hide as the quality of the grapes and the skill of the winemaker are in full view,” Rudiger Gretschel, cellarmaster

“We follow the story of our terroir, so that every vintage is a true expression of the vineyard,” shared marketing director Abigail Rands. “Each year we look back to what the previous year has taught us, while at the same time we look forward to the story of the soil unfolding along with the new vintage.”

In 2016 we released South Africa’s first site specific Cap Classique to further underscore our commitment to making vintage-only bottle-fermented sparkling wines. A pure expression of mountain-born chardonnay the Krone Kaaimansgat Blanc de Blancs 2016 hailed from the iconic Kaaimansgat vineyard near Villiersdorp. The newly released 2018 also springs from this high altitude blind valley, situated 700-metres above sea level. 

“Kaaimansgat is a site of extremes,” commented Gretschel. “The old, unirrigated vines are planted on the steep foothills of the mountains. In winter the mountains encircling the vineyards are covered in snow, in summer the day temperatures are warm and sunny, the nights cool to cold: ideal conditions for later ripening of the grapes, producing wines with a strong acidity at full ripeness and low pH, perfect for making superlative Cap Classique.”

Another distinct chardonnay site has now been isolated at our home farm, Twee Jonge Gezellen. Following an extensive replanting programme, with the assistance of legendary vineyard consultant Rosa Kruger, sees the release of the inaugural Twee Jonge Gezellen Blanc de Blancs 2019.

Like Kaaimansgat the climate in Tulbagh is extreme, ensconced by snow-capped mountains in winter as well as hot conditions in the summer. The rocky soils are like nowhere else in the Cape winelands. Twee Jonge Gezellen’s vineyards run up the eastern slopes of the Saronsberg Mountain. The mountain is known as “the rainmaker” thanks to the rain-shadow effect created by the peak. Protected from the buffeting of the Cape’s summer South-Easter, the elevated vineyards are raised from the valley floor and benefit from the cool airflow that descends the mountain slopes by night. Ripening in Tulbagh occurs on average two weeks earlier than in the majority of the Western Cape’s wine regions. This allows the grapes to retain their natural acidity, which is so important for the making of elegant Cap Classique. 

Carving a sense of place from these remarkable two sites our winemaking team bottles the spirit of the vines, the character of the vintage with the philosophy of each vintage telling its own story.

Part of our commitment to celebrating a unique moment in time and place is the KRONE x WHATIFTHEWORLD gallery. And, much like our site-specific Cap Classiques are sculpted by the vintage, this summer we are hosting Seeds of the fig, a new exhibition curated by RESERVOIR. Showcasing work by 24 artists, the exhibition focuses on contemporary sculptural practice from the continent. 

The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday 26 November 2022 and will run through March 2023.