HISTORY OF TOPIARY

TOPIARY Wine Estate in Franschhoek was originally a fruit farm called La Tramontane. In 2005 previous owner built a cellar and a tasting room and launched Topiary.

Philippe Colin was a Burgundy producer of Colin-Deléger vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet before travelling to South Africa. During one of his travel, he fell in love franschhoek wine valley. In August 2014, Philippe Colin decided to purchase Topiary wine estate.  Since, he is enchanted with the 64­-hectare farm and work every day to improve the quality of Topiary wines.

Topiary Wines

NOTION OF TERROIR

The landscape surrounding this boutique winery is dominated by the dramatic Klein Drakenstein mountains.

Topiary Wine Estate occupies a gently sloping lower mountain slope at the Wemmershoek Mountain’s foothills, among the fynbos and fauna of Franschhoek Wetlands, bordered on the North and South by low sandstone ridges.

The estate greatly benefits from the surrounding mountain ranges (Hottentots Holland and Simonsberg) which form a wind-generating funnel that cools the vineyards, and results in even ripening and a pronounced elegance in the wines.

All the soils on the estate are sandy –products of Table Mountain sandstone and quartzite (Clovelley, Cartref, Glenrosa, Fernwood, Witfontein and La Motte).

A thorough soil analysis was conducted in 1998 before planting 20 hectares of vineyards, and the data was used to select the perfect varieties (Shiraz, Cabernet and Chardonnay) and clones for each individual block. Since a new campaing of soil analysis is established to stay even closer to the needs of our wines.

Topiary Cabernet Sauvignon
IMG_4391
IMG_4740

VINEYARD

Our 20ha vineyard is shared between three grapes varieties : Chardonnay on the highest area of Topiary, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz on the slow slopes of the mountain. The natural drainage of our sandy soils promotes light water stress in the vines, wich encourage character and complexity of our wines.

We strive to work sustainably and to intervene as little as possible. Our main objective is to reason out each phytosanitary treatment while maintaining a high level of quality in our production. We make a point of leaving natural grass cover in our plots, thus maintaining a high level of diversity within our ecosystem.
To preserve the quality of our grapes, each harvest is exclusively picked by hand.

Topiary
Topiary 2019 034LR

CELLAR

The winery can process approximately 64 tons of grapes. Grappes are carrefully selected by hand by our team, to ensure the best quality. We choose to preserve our berries whole to enhance their fruity character. Our fermentations are carried out exclusively with indigenous yeasts, making the aromas of our wines more unique.

Once end of fermentation, we presse gently berries and transfert our wines into french oak barrels for ageing.

 

OUR TEAM

126391884_1682694441909118_133185748771902672_n

After studying viticulture in Beaune, Philippe took his place in the family business in 1988. The family worked together for 16 years on an area of 18 hectares. In 2004 after his father was retired, he started doing his own wine in Chassagne. Few years after, he bought Topiary wine estate. Since, he share each season between France and South africa

Since 2019 Carlo has joined the Topiary team as farm manager. Having grown up in the Paarl region, he knows the Franschhoek terroir inside out, and works hard every day to provide the best possible care for the vineyard.

 

 

carlo