Paul Clüver Family Wines experienced challenging weather conditions during vintage 2023.
As a Burgundy acolyte, Andries Burger, winemaker of Paul Clüver Family Wines in Elgin, found renewed respect for the vignerons of that famous French wine region with this year’s challenging weather conditions Paul Clüver Family Wines experienced during vintage 2023.
“Burgundy is known for steep variations from vintage to vintage due to the erratic weather conditions that differ every year in that part of the world,” says Burger.
“The unexpected rainfall experienced in Elgin and throughout the Cape this year, seldom seen in our summer, gave me practical insight into what Burgundy goes through during harvest in terms of its ever-changing array of climatic challenges.” After a dry winter and growing season on Paul Clüver Estate in 2022, the vineyard growing season commenced with even bud-break, flowering and veraison in the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, Paul Clüver’s flagship varieties.
“Being the coolest wine-growing region in South Africa, with steep diurnal temperature differences, our vines were healthy, disease-free and heading for even stages of ripening predicting another quality vintage,” says Burger.