Sun. Soil. Vine. Man.

Our Wine Philosophy

Since our first vintage, Haute Cabrière has specialised in the exploration of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

wine philosophy

Our wines are a true celebration of terroir – the marriage of sun, soil and vine – together with man’s passion and fearlessness.

Surrounded on three sides by mountains with varying soils and slopes, Franschhoek’s terroir is undoubtedly distinctive. At Haute Cabrière, we love thoughtful simplicity and so do not over manipulate fruit but follow gentle cellar practices to showcase our terroir. Combine this with a passion for innovation and colouring outside the lines and you end up with a range of quality wines from Franschhoek composed of pioneering blends and intriguing single varietals for you to enjoy.

terroir. Combine this with a passion for innovation and colouring outside the lines and you end up with a range of quality wines from Franschhoek composed of pioneering blends and intriguing single varietals for you to enjoy.

01 Sun

The Franschhoek Valley is surrounded by mountains on three sides and receives late morning and lingering evening sunlight.

This encourages slow and balanced ripening, leading to fruit-forward flavour profiles. A higher than average rainfall and a cooler temperature than neighbouring regions contributes minerality to flavour profiles.

02 Soil

Our lower lying vines have sandy top layers and alluvial bottom layers, while the higher lying vineyards are rooted in Table Mountain sandstone at different stages of weathering.

Our top vineyards are, therefore, reminiscent of Burgundy and were the inspiration behind specialising in the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals.

03 Vine

30 hectares are under vine, strategically situated on the eastern and western slopes in the Franschhoek Valley.

04 Man

Part of the second-generation, Takuan von Arnim continues to build upon the family legacy and pioneer new wines with the support of an exceptional cellar team.

meet the team

What’s inside the bottle has been described as liquid poetry. This makes our Cellar Team the poets, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what they create each year.

Under the leadership of Director of Wine, Takuan von Arnim, and Cellar Master, Tim Hoek, the entire cellar team turns the work done in the vineyards into bottled artistry. These are the people who innovate, create and bring us the wines that we love to share around the table with family and friends.