Why it matters
The producer
Jessica Saurwein began making wine part-time in 2015 with Pinot Noir from Elandskloof, after studying Oenology and Viticulture at Stellenbosch University and working in vineyards in South Africa and abroad. Her current base is Waterval, an off-grid boutique cellar on a regenerative polyculture farm in cool-climate Stanford Valley. That home farm anchors the work, while the labels follow the vineyards best suited to each grape: high Elandskloof for Nom Pinot Noir, Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge for Om Pinot Noir, and Elgin with Upper Hemel-en-Aarde for Chi Riesling.
The Saurwein name has a longer wine history than the present project. Jessica’s forefathers made dry wine for the Emperor of Austria in the 17th century; beside the sweet wines common at the time, that dry style was described as “sour.” Jessica’s own work is more immediate: she brought formal viticulture and oenology training to a small Pinot Noir project, then expanded its frame from a first Elandskloof release to a Cape South Coast range with two site-specific Pinot Noirs and Riesling.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Saurwein’s fruit comes from the Cape South Coast, where cooler vineyard conditions help grapes keep acidity as flavour develops. Nom starts in Elandskloof Valley near Villiersdorp, while Om comes from Walker Bay near Hermanus and Chi joins Riesling from Elgin and Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. These are not interchangeable place names on a label: Nom’s 700-metre mountain setting supports a fresh, light-footed Pinot shape, while Om’s lower, dry-farmed site sits 12 kilometres from the sea and brings a different red-fruit and savoury register.
Nom grows in Kaaimansgat Vineyard at 700 metres, enclosed by tall mountains. Its shale-derived ground contains granite in the topsoil and clay through the profile; the resulting 2023 Pinot Noir combines fresh acidity with silky, medium-grained tannin rather than dense fruit weight.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Saurwein uses naturally occurring yeasts and gentle handling, choices that keep fermentation and oak from obscuring vineyard perfume. Chi makes the point most plainly: the 2025 Riesling fermented spontaneously in stainless steel for about five weeks, then rested for two months in tank. Without barrel flavour in the foreground, its citrus blossom, yellow flower, pear, ginger and flint notes remain direct, while its off-dry finish softens the wine’s acidity.
Nom 2023 spent ten months in 228-litre French oak barrels, 26% new. The wood supports cocoa and roasted-chestnut notes around the Pinot’s berry fruit and orange rind, but fresh acidity and silky tannin keep the palate moving. At Waterval, regenerative farming is directed toward health, resilience and diversity; the cellar work then follows fruit from the separate Pinot and Riesling sites.
Wines to know
The range in view
The current range has four wines: Nom, Chi, Om and Boom. Nom is the mountain Pinot Noir from Kaaimansgat, with red and darker berry fruit, rose hip, cocoa, orange rind and savoury umami over fresh acidity. Om is the lower, dry-farmed Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge Pinot Noir, with raspberry and red cherry framed by iron-like, savoury notes and firmer structural grip.
Chi is the off-dry Riesling, sourced mainly from Elgin with additional fruit from Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Its stainless-steel élevage keeps the body light to medium and the fruit floral, citrus-led and pear-toned, with ginger and flint on the finish. Boom is the fourth current label and is made from Nebbiolo; the available details establish its place in the range but do not support a fuller stylistic description.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Start with Nom Pinot Noir 2023. It connects the clearest set of Saurwein details in one bottle: Kaaimansgat’s 700-metre mountain vineyard, shale-derived soil with granite and clay, and ten months in French oak. Expect red and dark berries, rose hip, orange rind, cocoa and savoury umami, with fresh acidity, medium body and silky tannin. It shows how a cool South African Pinot Noir can carry oak, fruit and earth without becoming heavy. The producer gives this vintage a drinking window through 2033.