Why it matters
The producer
Before Catherine Marshall established her own wine company, she graduated from Elsenburg and gained experience in Burgundy, California, Oregon and Australia. Resident winemaking posts followed at four wineries in Stellenbosch and Paarl. Her early work used the small scale, low technology, hands on methods of the emerging garagiste movement. Marshall helped formalise the movement in South Africa and later became an honorary member.
Long term grower relationships guide source selection, with each grape variety matched to the conditions of its vineyard. Jonathan Oxenham, Marshall's son, manages daily cellar operations as cellar winemaker. The enterprise first traded as the Barefoot Wine Company and now trades as Catherine Marshall Wines.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Cool conditions slow ripening and help grapes retain acidity. After evaluating Pinot Noir sites across the Western Cape, Catherine Marshall concluded that Elgin best suited the wines she wanted to create. The producer sources mostly from that valley and a second cool valley in the Western Cape for Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chenin Blanc.
Harvest there generally takes place three weeks to one month after harvest in Stellenbosch and Paarl. More time on the vine allows flavour to develop while valley temperatures help preserve acidity.
Wines to know
The range in view
Pinot Noir has two red bottlings with soil names. The 2023 Catherine Marshall Pinot Noir on Clay Soils carries the Cape Coast appellation. The 2024 Catherine Marshall Pinot Noir Sandstone Soils carries the Cape South Coast appellation. The labels name clay and sandstone soils separately.
The white range includes the 2023 Catherine Marshall Chenin Blanc Fermented in Clay, the 2025 Catherine Marshall Riesling, and the 2024 Catherine Marshall Sauvignon Blanc. The Chenin combines fruit from Elgin and Stellenbosch and is aged in locally made amphorae and neutral oak. Amphorae are clay vessels, while neutral oak lets the wine mature without the strong flavour of new oak.