PIEKENIERSKLOOF WINES UNVEILS RARE OLD VINES PALOMINO FROM STELLAR 2025 VINTAGE
Piekenierskloof Wines is proud to announce the release of 2025 Piekenierskloof Platklip Palomino Old Vine wine, a landmark new addition to its heritage portfolio and a tribute to one of the founding cultivars of South Africa’s wine industry. Grown from dryland-farmed vineyards planted in 1974 in the rugged mountains near Citrusdal, this release reflects an exceptional vintage and the estate’s continued commitment to preserving the country’s viticultural legacy.
Old vines produce low volumes of fruit and grapes with unique character, which is why there are just 713 bottles of the Piekenierskloof Palomino available. Furthermore, palomino is very rarely bottled as a single cultivar wine.
Its subtle flavours and aromatics mean that it has commonly been used for producing brandy and sherry, but with skilled winemaking, outstanding vintages produce a unicorn wine. South Africa’s total plantings of heritage vineyards comprise some 5 400 hectares of which a minute 81 hectares are old Palomino vines.
Long-term commitment from wine pioneers
Piekenierskloof Wines has established itself as a producer of exceptional quality by honing its craft over many decades and through long-term commitment to vineyards that thrive in its remote, high-altitude location. The Piekenierskloof plateau is situated 160 km north of Cape Town and 50 km – as the crow flies – from the icy Atlantic Ocean.
“We’re incredibly excited to finally release our Piekenierskloof Platklip Palomino,” says cellarmaster Alecia Boshoff. “We’ve waited several years for the right conditions to produce a single cultivar Palomino, and it was only once the quality met our benchmark that we made the decision to bottle it. This wine represents exactly what we set out to achieve — the patience has been well worth it.”
The 2025 vintage in Piekenierskloof is widely regarded as one of the finest of the past decade, delivering exceptional fruit purity, balance and site expression. The Palomino grapes were handpicked early in the morning allowing the fruit to maintain their natural freshness. The whole bunches were destemmed, and the crushed grapes were left on the skins for up to six hours. Only free run juice was then used, allowed to settle and undergo fermentation in a concrete tank. The wine was then racked to older 300L French oak barrels. It was matured for six months in the barrels, before being bottled and allowed to mature prior to release.
The result is a wine with vibrant expression, showing freshness and a distinctive minerality. Pale light straw in colour, it opens with delicate aromas of citrus blossom, green apple, white peach and a hint of wild fynbos. The palate is bright and energetic, driven by crisp natural acidity with layers of lemon zest, pear and subtle stone fruit.
A punishing mountain environment
The thick, gnarled Palomino bushvines from which it was made are among several heritage vineyards – many over 60 years old, ungrafted and free of disease – that the Van Zyl Family and team at Piekenierskloof Wines oversee.
They rely solely on rainfall and produce smaller, concentrated berries, giving the wines structure, flavour, and aging potential.
Hugging the ground, the vines thrive in a punishing mountain environment and developing root systems that draw out the essence of their location.
Nonetheless, the story goes that this vineyard block barely survived. Under Carel van Zyl’s tenure on the 250-hectare farm, he’d been called up for national service when the Palomino was to be planted. Upon his return, he found rows so roughly aligned by the then farm manager that he seriously considered uprooting them all.
Fortunately, they were left in place and the unevenness in rows can be seen to this day – most easily observed from a nearby sandstone rock dubbed Platklip, which inspired the name of the wine.
Among the first cultivars to be planted
Palomino is one of the oldest cultivars still grown in South Africa and has been part of our wine story since the early history of the Cape wine industry. Some experts believe it was among the original plantings at the Cape.
Over the centuries, it has gone on to play an important role in the development of the South African wine industry.
The Platklip Palomino now resides in Piekenierskloof Wines’ collection of Heritage Vineyard certified wines, which includes the Bergendal Chenin Blanc 1962; Samson Straw Wine Muscat de Frontignan 1962; Carel van Zyl Grenache Noir 1973; Heidedal Cinsault 1976; and, Johan van Zyl Pinotage 1976.
The 2025 Platklip Palomino Old Vine Wine is priced at R440 per bottle and available for purchase, along with all wines from Piekenierskloof Wines, from its tasting room on the Piekenierskloof Pass, selected wine specialists and its online store. In the case of the latter, spend R1500+ and enjoy free delivery. For more information, visit www.
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That’s fantastic news! It’s wonderful to see them continuing to highlight these exceptional old vines.