Gargantua Muscadel

Strong cheeses, or enjoy on its own after a meal.

In 1983 Gyles Webb and his wife's family purchased a run-down fruit farm at the top of the Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch where they established Thelema Mountain Vineyards. At a time when the South African wine scene was focused on quantity rather than quality Webb was a trailblazing pioneer on a mission to craft world-class wines. Construction began on the winery in 1987 and Thelema produced its first vintage in 1988. Situated on the slopes of the Simonsberg Thelema occupies mainly south-facing aspects that afford spectacular views of the Simonsberg Drankenstein and Jonkershoek mountains. Elevations ranging from 370 to 640 meters above sea-level make the 157-hectare estate one of the coolest and highest wine farms in Stellenbosch.

Wood maturation was 18-21 years in older French oak barrels.

Grapes handpicked in the vineyard early in the morning, to ensure that the fruit is nice and cool when it arrives at the cellar for processing. De-stalked, crushed, pumped through mash cooler into stainless steel tank and left on the skins for 2 days before pressing. The juice is then clarified via natural settling, fortified with a neutral wine spirit and allowed to age in older barrels.