Why it matters
The producer
Along Route 44 outside Stellenbosch, Lievland Vineyards is a farm whose manor house dates to 1865. Riaan Möller is the named winemaker.
José Conde and Tyrrel Myburgh, cofounders of MAN, were looking for a farm to base their growing wine business when they chose Lievland. MAN Family Wines acquired the estate in 2017. Before restoration, Lievland had reportedly been dormant for over a decade. The work included restoring the integrity of the vineyards.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Lievland lies on the western slopes of the Simonsberg mountains between Stellenbosch and Paarl, two prominent wine growing areas in the Cape. The climate, location and soils on the slopes support grape cultivation.
Wines to know
The range in view
Lievland Rosé is a dry rosé made from selected Syrah and Mourvèdre parcels on the estate. The 2025 wine comprises 61% Shiraz, 30% Mourvèdre and 9% Cinsault. Extended lees contact, meaning time with spent yeast cells after fermentation, adds texture and richness. The wine shows pomegranate, red currant, cranberry and citrus peel, with lively red fruit on a smooth palate. Its drinking window runs through 2028.
Essay Red blend 2023 is a berry led red wine with oak, blackberry, violet, strawberry, forest raspberry, liquorice and vanilla. An earlier Shiraz program kept yields low and used extended maceration to produce deep colour.