Stellenbosch
Radford Dale
Radford Dale Vinum Gamay Noir
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Details
Variety
Gamay Noir
Style
Red
Region
Stellenbosch
Appellation
Elgin
Producer
Radford Dale
Country
South Africa
Trade Materials
The Inspiration
Gamay is a variety Radford Dale has championed with unusual conviction in South Africa. This bottling comes from their Polkadraai Hills vineyard, established from the first new Gamay plantings in the Cape in more than two decades.
The site is important far beyond this one wine. It also serves as a mother block for quality Gamay cuttings, supplying material for new vineyards at Radford Dale's organic Elgin farm and on the Helderberg. With fewer than 10 hectares of Gamay currently planted in the Cape, the variety remains rare, but Radford Dale sees real potential for it as a serious quality grape in South Africa.
As the vines mature, the Vinum Gamay continues to gain definition and confidence. Bright fruit is lifted by floral notes and spice, while the palate stays juicy, fresh and finely textured. It is a natural fit for the Vinum philosophy: minimal intervention, purity of fruit and elegance, but with an added sense of purpose - helping build a future for Gamay in the Cape. The Vinum book similarly describes the wine as pure, fresh, poised and wonderfully refreshing.
The range reflects their broader sustainability focus, with Vinum wines bottled in lightweight 396g glass and recyclable screw caps.
About Radford Dale
All About Individuality
"All About Individuality" defines Radford Dale. Founder Alex Dale arrived in South Africa from Burgundy in 1994, bringing a deep understanding of French wine tradition, but an equally strong belief in South Africa's ability to forge its own identity in the new South Africa. Since co-founding Radford Dale in 1998, that balance of classical expertise, independent thinking and distinctly South African expression has shaped the wines to become a benchmark of its own.
People are at the core of Radford Dale with a strong female team, international expertise and impactful upliftment in the communities they work in. Winemaker Petroné Thomas leads a talented cellar team, working with a light touch and a holistic philosophy that connects vineyard, cellar, people and place. Organic and regenerative farming, minimal-intervention winemaking and a willingness to challenge convention result in wines defined by freshness, elegance and individuality.
Being a co-founder of the Certified Organic Wines of South Africa, sustainability has an encompassed meaning for them that runs much deeper than just farming. Radford Dale's Sustainability Charter encompasses environmental responsibility, ethical employment and traceable social impact such as the Land of Hope Education Trust which directs 50% of profit from its namesake range towards education for employees and their dependants.
Their wines are proudly site-driven, unmanipulated and balanced - because they believe that South African wines should reflect their natural environment, vintage and distinct terroirs. Made using natural yeast fermentations, low or no adjustments, minimal usage of new oak resulting in restrained alcohols and healthy natural acidities, both hallmarks of elegant and refreshing wines, with balance the ultimate purpose.
From their long-standing focus on Chenin Blanc to exploring Gamay's impressive potential in Stellenbosch and Elgin, Radford Dale continues to push South African wine forward with passion, contagious energy and undeniable South African spirit.
