Cloof Wine Estate Darling

The Afrikaans word Kloof has a similar origin to the English word cleft and refers to a gap or gorge between two hills. Our version is spelt with a “C” in the old fashioned Dutch way and the logo symbolizes the contours of a ploughed hillside. Cloof’s vineyards cover nearly 400 hectares which provides our winemakers with a wide range of building blocks even within the same grape variety.
The estate has been under the same family ownership for two decades and the vineyard area was significantly increased with plantings every year from 1998 to 2000 bringing the total to over 150 hectares of which the majority is Bush Vines. The 240 hectares of vineyards at neighbouring Burghers Post are under the same ownership which gives Cloof unparalleled access and control to top quality fruit.
Bold and rich flavours are trade mark of the extreme growing conditions we experience when producing in excess of 700,000 bottles a year.The vineyards were planted in 1966 when Darling was better known as a wheat farming area.
Cloof’s oldest surviving vines were planted in 1966, with additional plantings in 1976 and 1987. In that time Darling, adjacent to the Swartland, was better known as a wheat farming region. A cellar was completed in time for the 1998 harvest, which allowed the first release of Cloof wines during the course of 1999.