“His winemaking is careful, sensitive and subtle, and so are his wines.”
– Charles Metcalfe, Wine International Magazine

Le Riche Wines are crafted in the Jonkershoek Valley, just outside Stellenbosch. Approximately 60 tons of grapes are processed, of which 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 5% Chardonnay. The relatively small size of the estate allows him to follow every step of the process personally. It also helps to focus and to be acknowledged as someone who specialises in Cabernet Sauvignon.

The grapes are handsorted, fully de-stemmed and immediately transferred to open tanks to ferment. If necessary, the tanks are covered and be hermetically sealed, but it is preferred to leave the wine to ferment in open tanks. During this process, which takes about five days, the yeast cake is submerged at regular intervals; juice is extracted from the bottom of the vat and sprayed over the yeast cake at the top, activating contact between the husks, yeast cells and juice.

Alternatively, big sieve-like plungers are used to plunge through, and break the yeast cake, thus also encouraging maximum contact. The very young wine is left in contact with the yeast cake for another two weeks to improve extraction of colour and aroma. Therefore, the tanks are covered to avoid bacterial problems. After this maceration period, malolactic fermentation follows after which the wine matures for 18 to 24 months (depending on the wine) in oak barrels, mainly French Nevers oak. The barrels are medium toasted to temper the oak influence. The bottles are labeled using a small hand-machine.

Because Etienne does not have his own vineyards, it is of the utmost importance that he chooses the right grapes. This is probably the secret to his success, not being limited to one vineyard or region. He has the luxury of finding the best viticulturists, the best grapes and the best soil. With 90% of his production being Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stellenbosch region, he can be classed as a real specialist. Assistant winemaker, Mark Daniels, also has years of experience in the ‘nursing' of Cabernet from the fermentation stage through the maturation and the bottling stages.

Etienne is a founder member and past chairman of this prestigious organisation, The Cape Winemakers Guild. Every year he produces a unique wine, Le Riche CWG Auction Reserve, made especially for the Guild Auction. More information on this can be obtained by visiting www.capewinemakersguild.com

In 2002 Etienne returned to France (Bergerac in Southwest France ) and produced a vintage …… From South African terms this link has extra significance in that Etienne has always been regarded as one of South Africa's “classic” winemakers. For all the vintages he had harvested, his style has always leaned in the direction of French elegance as opposed to the general “blast” of some New World wines. Etienne worked in partnership with the vineyard owner of Domaine de Garrou in Saussignac and put together a wine he describes as follows:

”It still shows a lot of fruit because of its youth but has a lovely classical tannin structure. The classic elegance of the French wines comes across magnificently! Do not, though, expect similarities to my SA wines. What is so interesting is the fact that it is so different - even though it was made by the same person, with the same methods, from the same wine varieties, only in a different hemisphere. It certainly confirms the influence of terroir.

The “Grand Vin de Terroir' is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (70 / 30), fermented in open tanks and matured in French barrels. The uniqueness of this wine lies in the fact that compared to his local Cab/ Merlot, it is made by the same winemaker, using the same varietals, percentages, vinification methods (open-tank fermentation) and maturation techniques… but in a different hemisphere of the world! The only major difference being the “terroir”. The wine is matured, bottled and labelled in France under the Le Riche name and under Etienne's instructions. Comparing the local Le Riche Cab / Merlot with the French Bergerac Cab / Merlot is certainly a fascinating tasting experience. The wine is bottled in an elegant bottle with a very deep punt. The back label is in both English and French.