Our certified single vineyards are located in the heart of the beautiful Robertson Wine Valley alongside the Breede River. The valley lies between the Langeberg and Riviersonderend mountain ranges with the Breede River running through the heart of the valley as a living vein. As time passed, the soil sedimented from the mountains and ‘Karoo’ hills down to the river. This resulted in diverse soils creating unique sites for our vineyards.

Sauvignon Blanc single vineyards are positioned in our fertile sandy silt soil alongside the river, ideal for cultivating our premium Sauvignon Blanc wine. The upper soil is deep loam enriched with lime, allowing good drainage yet retaining moisture. This is perfect for our premium Shiraz, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. The Bonnievale canal system meanders through the farm and separates these extreme soils, resulting in the diversity of earth types.

The vines are planted north to south enabling them to receive all-day sun, while the south winds from the coast 150km away help to cool the vineyards during the hot summers.

The influence of the sun, rain, soil and wind (terroir), together with the skills of the winemaker, result in our full bodied Esona Boutique Wine which will mature and mellow for up to 10 years after bottling.

We have limited quantities of wooded Chenin Blanc to be released early 2018. Pinot Noir will be released mid-2018. In 2016 we planted Grenache and Mourvèrdre. Our plans for 2018 are to plant Barbera, Sangiovese and Pinotage in the fertile sandy slit soil alongside the river.

Our dream is to produce high quality release-maximum 2000 bottles of each cultivar.

At Esona we take a hands-on approach when it comes to the fair and ethical treatment of our close-knit team of farm workers. When we purchased the land, we invested in better living conditions for our staff, renovating comfortable cottages for them and their families on-site. We also installed solar water cylinders to reduce their cost of living as well as their impact on the environment.

In order to provide our team with better food security and an additional source of income, we have set aside some land for them to grow their own fresh produce. This produce is sold locally and our farm workers keep 100% of the profits.

The owners, Rowan & Caryl, are fanatical about developing people. Through the Skills Development Fund of Pyrotec, a company owned by the Beattie family, with head office in Cape Town, more than 200 individuals are getting tuition in all spheres of life. In the Robertson Wine Valley, Pyrotec sponsors, amongst others, leaner winemakers, chef and management courses.