Muratie Estate has released new vintages from its range of Iconic Wines and a delicious summer menu at the Farm Kitchen: paying tribute to the estate’s rich heritage and honouring the extraordinary characters from the farm’s colourful past.

MURATIE’S ICONIC WINES

“Each of our wines has its own personality; with its own enchanting story described on the back label reflecting a tangible sense of time suspended. And there are a myriad stories reaching as far back as the 17th century, making Muratie one of the oldest wineries in the Cape Winelands”, says co-owner Rijk Melck.

Four New Vintage Releases

Isabella Chardonnay 2012
Named after the beautiful Isabella Melck, this Burgundian style Chardonnay displays elegant notes of citrus and a lingering mineral finish. With perfectly integrated wood and a juicy fruit centre, this wine appeals to both wooded and unwooded chardonnay drinkers.
The Muratie Isabella Chardonnay 2012 retails nationally for approximately R95.

Muratie Ronnie Melck Shiraz 2010
This wine, previously called Muratie Shiraz, was renamed to honour family patriarch and legendary winemaker, Ronnie Melck, who loved Shiraz. An intensely red wine with a violet edge, it offers rich floral and berry notes with hints of green peppercorns and gamey nuances, supported by a sweet spiciness with a vanilla, crème brûlée aftertaste.
The Muratie Ronnie Melck Shiraz 2010 retails nationally for approximately R120.

Muratie George Paul Canitz Pinot Noir 2011
This wine honours the former owner of Muratie who had two great passions in life: painting and pinot noir. Painting into his 70’s he earned fame both locally and internationally. But as the first ever pinot noir grower in the country, it was his palate for pinot which earned him the greatest renown.
With hints of strawberries, fresh cherries and French Oak and a delicate long finish, the George Paul Canitz Pinot Noir salutes the artist … and his palate for pinot.
The Muratie George Paul Canitz Pinot Noir 2011 retails nationally for approximately R165.

Muratie Alberta Annemarie Merlot 2010
Previously called Muratie Merlot, this wine pays tribute to Alberta Annemarie, daughter of GP Canitz: a remarkable woman who, upon her father’s death, became one of the first female wine farm owners in the country, and who, like fine wine, only improved with age.
This wine displays a dense purple colour with cherry, cranberry and a hint of chocolate on the nose followed by blackcurrants and dark chocolate on the palate. It is a full bodied wine, yet subtle, with well integrated oak giving it a lasting finish.
The Muratie Alberta Annemarie Merlot 2010 retails nationally for approximately R95.

Other Wines in Muratie’s Iconic Range

Muratie Laurens Campher 2012
This unique blended white wine pays tribute to the first owner of Muratie, the passionate and determined young German soldier who fell in love with a slave-girl at the Castle in Cape Town. During their 14 year courtship, Laurens frequently walked the 64 kilometres to Cape Town and back, a three day trip, to see his beloved Ansela. When she was eventually emancipated, Ansela returned as Laurens’ wife to Muratie. The oak tree she planted to bless their marriage still stands on Muratie, as does a small white house, their first home, built for them by Laurens.
The wine is a blend of chenin blanc, verdelho, viognier and sauvignon blanc with intense flavours ranging from honeysuckle to pineapple, and a sturdy backbone redolent of the eponymous Laurens Campher. All the cultivars except the sauvignon blanc were barrel fermented. The wine was matured in barrel for six months.
The Muratie Laurens Campher 2012 retails nationally for approximately R95.

Muratie Ansela van de Caab 2009
This cabernet sauvignon-led Bordeaux-style blend honours Ansela, whose remarkable story is written into South African folklore as an icon of the struggle against the horrors of slavery at the Cape in the late 17th century.
Rated 4½ stars by the Platter’s 2013 Wine Guide, this wine is described as “a handsome figure: opulent fruitcake perfume jumps out of the glass, gutsy and vibrant and packed with flavour. Well oaked but no hard edges.”
The Muratie Ansela van de Caab 2009 retails nationally for approximately R175.

Muratie Martin Melck Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Muratie’s Cabernet Sauvignon honours Martin Melck, a man of faith, hope and charity, who was one of the Cape’s greatest landowners and farmers. He bought De Driesprong (Muratie) in 1763 for his daughter, Anna Catharina. The Melcks built the manor house at Muratie and kept the farm in the Melck-Beyers family for close to a century.
This wine displays rich cedarwood, cigar box and blackcurrant notes on the nose and lingering savoury tapenade, cassis and sandalwood flavours on the palate.
Muratie Martin Melck Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 retails for approximately R95.

Muratie Lady Alice Méthode Cap Classique 2010
Muratie’s Cap Classique honours Lady Alice Sarah Stanford, society lady of note who turned every event into a dance party, who was married to a senator and bought Muratie in 1909. With its lovely acidic backbone and a long, smooth finish underlined with fuller biscuit flavours from the lees contact and malolactic fermentation, this classic blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay toasts this lady of pleasure.
Muratie Lady Alice Méthode Cap Classique 2010 retails nationally for approximately R120.

Muratie Ben Prins Cape Vintage 2009
Muratie’s Cape Vintage is produced from a vineyard planted way back in 1965. The varietals (Tinta Barocca, Tinta Roritz, Tinta Francesca and Souzao) are all planted in the same block. This block is harvested at once so this “field blend” is unique to the Muratie Cape Vintage. Matured in old 225 litre French Oak barrels for a minimum of two years, this world-class liqueur wine pays homage to Muratie’s legendary winemaker, Barefoot Ben.
Muratie Ben Prins Cape Vintage 2009 retails nationally for approximately R170.

MURATIE FARM KITCHEN

Following suit, Muratie’s Farm Kitchen’s menu also honours the estate’s fascinating history and some of these legendary personalities from the past. Rijk’s wife Kim, and Tanja Pohl (an ICA graduate with local and international culinary experience, who has worked at some of SA’s leading restaurants including The Roundhouse and Le Quartier Français, and has studied further and worked in France) oversee the preparation of this honest farm lunch, using fresh ingredients from Muratie’s organic vegetable garden and specialty foods from highly esteemed local suppliers like Dalewood Fromage and Wild Peacock Food Emporium.

Breakfast
The new breakfast offerings at the Farm Kitchen are proving very popular, especially the ‘Champagne Breakfasts’ served with Muratie’s Lady Alice MCC.

Visitors can start off the day in a healthy way with Homemade Muesli served with Greek yoghurt & fresh fruit salad, or go full-out with Muratie’s Farm Breakfast and tuck into two eggs, bacon, boerewors, mushrooms, grilled tomato, crispy fries and toast, or indulge in Eggs Benedict or Eggs Florentine made from Muratie’s own free-range eggs. For those less hungry there are scrumptious home-baked muffins, croissants and scones. And to end off they can choose from a variety of delicious coffees, teas and hot chocolates.

Summer lunch menu

The summer menu includes a selection of dishes named after some of the legendary personalities from the estate’s fascinating history, such as:

Salad Isabella (R70)
A garden-fresh summer salad with roasted chicken, seasonal vegetables, Danish feta and a sprinkling of toasted nuts. Light and fresh, this salad captures the youthful spirit of Isabella, Rijk and Kim Melck’s eldest daughter.
Suggested wine – Isabella Chardonnay

George Paul Canitz Bobotie Samoosas (R65)
George Paul, passionate artist and pinot noir pioneer, had a definite flair for blending a rich combination of colours, as does this dish which brings together a palette of flavours: a traditional Cape Malay curry wrapped in crispy pastry parcels served with a homemade gooseberry chutney and watercress salad.
Suggested wine – Laurens Campher (White blend)

Lady Alice’s Quiche (R65)
Freshly prepared with buttery crust and creamy fillings that will change daily, this homemade quiche is served with a fresh garden salad and honours high society hostess, Lady Alice Sarah Stanford.
Suggested wine –Melck’s Rosé

Laurens Campher Beef Burger (R90)
A 200g homemade beef patty on a freshly baked brioche bun topped with mature cheddar cheese, smoky bacon and tomato relish. This delicious burger, served with thin-cut crispy fries, pays tribute to Muratie’s first owner.
Suggested wine – George Paul Canitz Pinot Noir

Ben Prins Brawn (R115)
Muratie’s famous offal set & sliced, served with traditional slap haksentjies (pickled baby onions), fresh greens, coleslaw, a sweet carrot salad and freshly baked farm bread, pays homage to Muratie’s legendary winemaker, Barefoot Ben.
Suggested wine – Melck’s White

Ansela van de Caab Cheese Platter (R85)
The much-spoken-about love affair between Laurens Campher and his sweetheart, Ansela van de Caab, is captured in this robust platter of flirtatious taste and local favourites including assorted cheeses, preserves and homemade biscuits.
Suggested wine – Laurens Campher (White blend)

In addition a blackboard menu features the Chef’s Specials of the Day, which could include:

Starters:
Waterblommetjie Soup with freshly-baked farm bread
Steamed Mussels in a white wine cream sauce

Mains:
Lamb Shank served with mashed potato and summer vegetables
Crispy Pork Belly served with roast potatoes, steamed pak choi and caramelised carrots

Dessert:
Malva Pudding with homemade vanilla custard
Milk Tart with cinnamon ice cream

A VISIT TO MURATIE

At Muratie, the passion for preserving the estate’s rich heritage and the intriguing human stories woven into the very fabric of its centuries old history, are captured in every nook and cranny of this family farm, where the unique old-world ambience is almost tangible.

A visit to Muratie today, still guarded over by ancient oak trees, reveals a piece of history where time has largely stood still. The original open fermenters and winemaking implements in the werf that greet you on arrival; the rickety cob-webbed tasting room with stained glass windows; the renovated original old fermentation tanks, with their tartaric encrusted walls, where lunches and functions are held; the antique carpets and furniture; and original art; all adorn a unique and magical environment where you can still enjoy good wine, honest farm food, and great hospitality.

The many and varied attractions at Muratie include:

  • Wine tasting daily between 10am and 5pm in Muratie’s rickety cob-webbed old-world tasting room;
  • The Melck family’s home-made preserves and treats for sale at the tasting room, which include nougat made from their own free range eggs, honey from the hives in the blue gum grove on the hill above the tasting room, home baked rusks, and green fig preserves and apricot jam, made by Rijk’s mother Annatjie and his wife Kim, from fruit grown on the farm;
  • The Farm Kitchen restaurant;
  • Winery and history tours by appointment;
  • GP Canitz Art Gallery in the refurbished historic concrete tanks in the cellar;
  • Self-catering accommodation in GP Canitz’s original art studio which he built with bricks made on