Climbing the foothills of the Simonsberg Mountain, and as part of the greater Simonsberg Conservancy, Quoin Rock’s vineyards are a masterclass in precision viticulture. With views of False Bay, the vines are rooted on the weathered face of the mountain, which provides the ancient crumbling soils of decomposed granite, hutton and clay.

The climate is predominantly Mediterranean, characterised by wet winters and dry, warm summers. The estate benefits from the cool breezes that blow in from the nearby Atlantic Ocean, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. This combined with the predominantly westerly facing angle of the slopes, means the vines take advantage of the afternoon sun as well as extended sunshine hours in the summer providing optimal conditions for the ripening of Bordeaux varieties as well as Shiraz.

These conditions align for Simonsberg typicity; the cool of the unencumbered ocean breezes and marginal soils create a keen, balancing tension in young wines. Over time this evolves into a certain finesse characterised by a unique flavour profile that is neither too austere nor too robust; perfectly pitched in the red and black fruit spectrum offset by a granitic freshness.