What’s in a name...
“Rainbow’s End” is the name of the Malan family’s wine estate near Stellenbosch. It is a name that conjures up associations, and among these are the divine promise of sunshine after rain, of commitment to the earth, of a destination and a pot of gold.
The promise of Rainbow’s End is in its fertility and climate. Situated on high-lying slopes, rising to 540m above sea level, the estate backs on to the Jonkershoek Mountain and overlooks the prized and productive Banghoek basin, which is encircled by mountains.
Experts have affirmed the potential of the land to produce wines that can compete internationally. Promise implies the commitment and care to make it all come true. Working with the soil, the rain and the sunshine, Jacques and his family planted and nurtured 22 hectares of vineyards. The order of the trellised rows of vines takes its cue from the lie of the land and the picture is of patterns of green in harmony with the slopes and curves of the landscape.
We specialise in top quality, boutique, family produced estate red wines
Our winemaker, Anton Malan, treasures Rainbow’s End’s unique terroir. He has no desire to place our wines into a specific category of conventional wine style (such as Old World or New World styles). We treat each vintage year separately and make what the season and the specific terroir of a specific vineyard block offers. Every year we adapt our winemaking techniques slightly in order to ensure the best possible result irrespective of a particular style. We create a unique product and wine style annually – the best that the season can offer.
On Rainbow’s End we achieve consistency in terms of quality and not wine style.
We leave it to the consumer to form his opinion annually about a guaranteed quality product and therefore do not give detailed descriptions of our wine on the back labels as the product may vary each year in order to maintain optimum quality.
Winemaking
Our winemaker, Anton Malan, treasures Rainbow’s End’s unique terroir. He has no desire to place our wines into a specific category of conventional wine style (such as Old World or New World styles). We treat each vintage year separately and make what the season and the specific terroir of a specific vineyard block offers. Every year we adapt our winemaking techniques slightly in order to ensure the best possible result irrespective of a particular style. We create a unique product and wine style annually – the best that the season can offer.
Philosophy
Jacques Malan and sons Anton and Francois form a dedicated family team striving to complement nature’s potential with traditional winemaking techniques and the latest advances in viticulture.
General Vinification
All grapes are harvested by hand at dawn and bunches are sorted individually. Grape bunches are softly destemmed to obtain a relatively high percentage of whole berries. Wine is mostly made from each clone separately. Cooling during fermentation takes place by utilising a natural mountain spring next to the barrel cellar. The must is cold macerated (soaked) for 3 days prior to fermentation to obtain optimal colour extraction. Open fermentation takes place between 24 & 28°C. The cap is plunged by hand 6-8 times per day during fermentation for maximum flavour extraction.
After fermentation the skins are thrown into a small basket press where it is lightly pressed. Malolactic fermentation takes place in the barrels. The wine gets racked after malolactic fermentation is complete and returned to French oak barrels where it is aged for at least 12 months. Sulphite additions are kept to a minimum. Thereafter bottling takes place without filtering or fining and natural deposits may therefore be found in the bottle. The result is a complex and balanced estate wine in a style unique to Rainbow’s End, with good ageing potential or can be enjoyed now.
Terroir
Terroir
The terroir is unique and favours the production of top quality red wines. Rainbow’s End is endowed with deep red, oakleaf soils varying in stone fraction and its height varies between 350m and 540m above sea level. The variation of topography all contribute to the distinctiveness of its product. Twenty-three hectares of mountain slopes are cultivated to vines. In places a high stone fraction occurs moderating soil temperature, restricting vigour and causing vines to naturally produce smaller berries with greater fruit concentration.
Plant densities vary according to the soil potential and rootstock-scoin combination allowing adequate space for optimal vine development.
Varieties
Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon is planted on the warmer lower lying north-western slopes (370m above sea level) where increased sun exposure ensures proper ripening for this late ripening cultivar. Cabernet Franc requiring slightly less heat is planted slightly higher (between 420m and 450m). Merlot is planted on the highest north-facing sites (540m above sea level) These cooler high-lying slopes slow down ripening keeping the fruity Merlot flavours intact. Shiraz is planted on cooler east- and south-facing slopes protecting the vines from the hot afternoon sun. Petit Verdot and Malbec are planted on the lowest eastern section of the estate in the soils with the highest stone fraction (350m above sea level).