Jacobsdal is situated between Stellenbosch and Kuils River on the slopes of the hills overlooking False Bay a mere ten kilometres away. The Dumas family has been making wine on the estate for three generations. The present farmer and winemaker on the family-owned estate are Cornelis and his son Hannes. The estate is 260 hectares in size, of which 92 hectares are planted with vineyards. Grown as bush vines, the crop is limited by extensive pruning, making it possible to produce quality grapes under absolute dryland conditions.
At Jacobsdal something of the “Old World†lives on. Here wine farming is a creative act, and dedication to soil and vine a way of life. The wine is made with minimal intervention. No cultured or selected yeasts have ever been used in the Jacobsdal cellar. The wine is produced using traditional French techniques. The must is fermented in open concrete tanks. Fermentation is allowed to develop spontaneously from the natural yeast cells on the grape skins. Colour and flavour is extracted by punching down the cap regularly into the fermenting juice, using only the free-run juice when separating the juice from the skins. This method allows for subtler but deeper flavours where tannins are less evident. After malolactic fermentation the wine is racked from the lees and matured in small casks of French oakfor 18 months, before bottling.
