Anthonij Rupert

A legacy from Franschhoek — and a promise between brothers

The history of the estate begins in 1694, when the French Huguenot Jean Roi was granted land at the foot of the Groot-Drakenstein Mountains in Franschhoek and named it L'Ormarins after his hometown of Lourmarin in Provence. The estate changed hands many times over the centuries until Anton Rupert — South African industrialist and founder of Richemont — acquired the property in 1969. His son Anthonij Rupert, the youngest of the three Rupert siblings, took over L'Ormarins from his father, studied viticulture, and made the farm his life's work.

In October 2001, Anthonij Rupert died in a car accident. His older brother Johann Rupert — founder of the luxury goods group Richemont, which includes brands such as Cartier and Montblanc — took over the estate in 2003 with the declared goal of completing Anthonij's dream: to make wines of international standing from South Africa's Western Cape. In 2009, the first vintage appeared under the name Anthonij Rupert — a tribute that every bottle has carried ever since.

Gravity cellar, terroir search, and the signature of Michel Rolland

Johann Rupert consistently invested in the infrastructure. In 2004, a gravity-fed cellar was completed at L'Ormarins, enabling gentle winemaking without pumps — a rare process that ensures the integrity of the fruit from the harvest to the barrel. As a consulting oenologist, Johann Rupert brought the French winemaker Michel Rolland on board, who played a decisive role in shaping the stylistic direction. Since 2012, Cellar Master Dawie Botha has been responsible for winemaking; he studied oenology and viticulture at Stellenbosch University and also gained experience in France, California, and Tuscany.

The house's philosophy combines an Old World focus on terroir with precise modern cellar technology: the best grapes are sorted, destemmed, and transferred directly into 225-liter French oak barrels, where fermentation begins naturally at a controlled temperature. The barrels are rotated every four hours to ensure maximum skin contact, followed by malolactic fermentation in the temperature-controlled barrel cellar. In addition to the home estate of L'Ormarins in Franschhoek, Anthonij Rupert sources grapes from specifically selected sites throughout the Cape region — including locations in Swartland, Darling, and Elandskloof — to give the range geographical breadth and clear characters of origin. The soils at L'Ormarins itself consist of granite and sandstone; the hillside location ensures natural temperature fluctuations that favor aroma development.

Bordeaux instinct at the Cape — from Cabernet Franc to the Syrah of the Swartland

The range is divided into several lines, headed by the flagship range under the name Anthonij Rupert: exclusively red wines from the best parcels of the Cape vineyards. The Main Blend is a Bordeaux cuvée made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot — aged for 24 months in new French oak and another 24 months in the bottle before release. The Cabernet Sauvignon matures for 24 months in 80 percent new French oak, the Cabernet Franc for 18 to 24 months in new 225-liter barrels, is bottled unfiltered, and is stored in the bottle for an additional year before sale. The Cape of Good Hope line complements the portfolio with terroir-specific wines from historically significant sites — including the Syrah from Riebeeksrivier in the Swartland, which stands for spicy, cool fruit rather than warm opulence. Those who know the house's wines will find a clear signature in them: structured tannins, precise fruit, and an aging process that aims for depth rather than quick pleasure.