Between award-winning wines and back-of-toilet-door ads in Belgium, 2024 has been quite the vintage. Here's what kept us busy as we approach our 10th year of winemaking.
***
On a Thistle & Weed odds-and-ends errand to the shops a few days ago, Michael Buble’s baritone crooned, ‘It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas’ through the PA system, sparking wide-eyed facial expressions which were caught by a lady in the queue who remarked, “yup, it’s that time of year again!”.
On the car ride back to the winery, we silently thanked Christmas song veterans, Michael, Mariah, and Wham! for signalling the last lap to a well-deserved hiatus from the hustle-bustle and for prompting a moment of pause on the cellar stoep steps alongside a glass of zesty Duwweltjie to zoom out and take stock of the year 2024.
From cutting the ribbon on our Tasting Room to a bar takeover and masterclass in Belgium to releasing our first Cape Late-Bottled Vintage, P.Jackson, and the recognition our wines received at the Tim Atkin and Old Vine Project events, grab a glass a walk down memory lane with us.
The Tasting Room:
After nearly 10 years of juggling a nomadic existence, crafting wines in rented cellar space across various wineries, and conducting tastings on barrels and upturned basket presses, our boutique winery finally found its permanent home amidst the rolling vineyards of Stellenbosch. At the beginning of this year, we opened our cellar doors to unveil our very own Tasting Room! An unfussy refuge for those seeking a leisurely escape, our Tasting Room offers:
Thistle & Weed Exclusive Tasting: White and Red Wines (R180 per person) - This immersive experience includes six of our most celebrated wines.
The tasting experience typically lasts 60 minutes and includes a guided cellar tour led by a member of our knowledgeable winemaking team (read: us), and the option to pre-order a delicious cheese board to pair with your tasting on the cellar stoep overlooking the Jonkershoek Valley. Occasionally, you can expect Rex, our old cellar dog, to pop past for an approving pat or two.
P. Jackson Cape Late-Bottled Vintage:
As we hunkered down for a cold, wet winter in the Cape, we introduced our first Cape Late-Bottled Vintage P. Jackson 2020 - a port-style dessert wine (and cosy comforter for the chilly days inside) brimming with rich notes of dark berries and chocolate. Contained in a conveniently sized 375ml bottle, this fortified wine’s origins were a happy accident. P. Jackson was crafted from some very special parcels of Touriga Franca, Souzao, and Tinta Barocca grapes grown in Stellenbosch - the same vineyards that supply fruit for our flagship Nastergal red blend. In 2020, these grape varieties accumulated sugar at an astonishingly rapid rate as they ripened on the vines. We decided to let them hang a little longer, using the resulting concentrated juice to create this fortified version. After fortification, the wine was aged in barrels for nearly four years, allowing the flavours to meld and become incredibly rich and complex and voila! Presto! P. Jackson.
Belgium and Beyond:
If someone had told us we'd be hunting for stinging nettles and thistles in Belgium for decor, we would've laughed them right out of the cellar. But there we were! From seeing Duwweltjie grace the pairing menu at the Jane Antwerp, to hosting a lively bar takeover at Bar Terroir Gent (where Steph lost her voice from all the storytelling), this trip was pure magic. And just when we thought we'd hit all the career milestones, we achieved our first back-of-the-toilet-door advertisement. Still debating if that's a career high or low - we'll let you decide! Sometimes the best wine stories aren't about perfect vintages or prestigious awards - they're about these wonderfully weird moments and genuine connections made along the way.
Speaking of awards…
Tim Atkin's 2024 SA Report:
When the Tim Atkin SA Report dropped this year, we had to read it twice to ensure we weren't seeing things. Our 2023 lineup shone, with Brandnetel Chenin scoring 96 points, while Khakibos and Knapsekêrel earned 95 points. The cherry on top? Steph's recognition as 'Young Winemaker of the Year' and our viticulturist Etienne's ELMIE Rosé claiming 'Rosé of the Year.' These are wines to cellar - but we won't judge if you can't resist opening them right away ;)
WineMag Prescient Old Vine Report 2024: Top 10:
This year held special significance for us as Duwweltjie, our very first wine under the Thistle & Weed banner, earned a spot among the Top 10 Old Vine Project wines in the WineMag Prescient Old Vine Report 2024 - A full-circle moment. We've been lucky to work with three remarkable old vineyards, each certified by the Old Vine Project and each telling its own story through its wines. Our grande dame, Duwweltjie, planted back in 1961, continues to brace the fierce Joostenberg winds in Paarl, producing fruit that seems to get more character each year.
Platter’s 2025 Awards:
The 45th edition of The Platter's by Diners Club South African Wine Guide hit our desk in November, wrapping up the year in a neat bow. In a field of 9,000 wines, our range stood tall: Knapsekêrel, Nastergal, Brandnetel, Duwweltjie, and Springdoring all earned 4.5 stars with Highly Recommended status, while P. Jackson secured 4 stars.
We're still pinching ourselves about our Khakibos 2023 earning its 5-Star status - a real badge of honour in the South African wine industry, which each bottle of Khakibos 2023 will wear in the new year.
We’re humbled by this recognition and raise a glass of Khakibos to all the early mornings, dirty boots, and endless attention to detail that goes into every bottle we produce.
We raise our glasses to our incredible team and to every friend, family member, and wine lover who's been part of our journey (yes, even Taylor Swift, for soundtracking our cellar sessions!). As we approach our tenth year, we're just getting started - roots deep, momentum building, and our cellar buzzing with possibilities. Here's to turning things up to eleven in 2025!
Comments