CELLAR | Rijk's Private Cellar

History
In 1997, the legendary Gunter Brozel, retired cellar master from Nederburg was consulted and planned every minute detail of the 300 ton state of the art cellar, specifically geared for minimum interference in the winemaking process. Building started in 1998 and was completed in August 1999 in time for the 2000 harvest. By the end of November 1999, all equipment had been installed and tested. We then waited for the first grapes to arrive. This was on the 28 January, 2000.

Inside the Cellar
In order to keep the grapes from each vineyard block separate, the cellar is equipped with numerous small stainless steel tanks of varying capacities :
4 X 1 500 litre, 6 X 2 500 litre, 3 X 5 000 litre and 2 X 10 000 litre.
8 raised red wine fermentation tanks each have their own horizontal settling tank below, to allow for gravity draining. All tanks have temperature control.
The crusher and press were selected to treat the grapes with the utmost gentleness.

Harvest Time
This is the time of year that we all can’t wait for. The culmination of all the decisions made during the growing season. The cellar is prepared. All the tanks and equipment are spotlessly clean. Now we wait.