Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
アッパー・ヘメル・エン・アールデ・ヴァレー
Granite terroir behind Walker Bay's finest Pinot Noir wines.
About Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
- Producers listed
- 7
Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is the middle of the three wards that make up the Hemel-en-Aarde area within Walker Bay, South Africa, lying roughly 7 to 13 kilometres inland from Hermanus along the R320 — further from the Atlantic than Hemel-en-Aarde Valley below it, but not as high or inland as Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge above it. Vineyards sit at elevations of about 200 to 350 metres on lighter, Table Mountain sandstone-derived soils interspersed with pockets of decomposed granite, a marked contrast to the heavier clay of the lower Valley. Gazetted as a Wine of Origin ward in August 2006 alongside Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, it is planted almost exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, producing wines prized for their floral aromatics and elegance. Newton Johnson Family Vineyards, founded here in 1995, remains its flagship estate, alongside Hasher Family Wines, Storm Wines, Restless River, Domaine des Dieux, and Spookfontein.
Best for
Fans of elegant, aromatic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay seeking one of South Africa's most refined cool-climate expressions.
Food Pairings
Roast duck breast, pan-seared salmon, wild mushroom risotto, seared scallops, and soft-ripened cheeses complement the wines' aromatic elegance.
Producers
ボスマン・ヘルマヌス
Bosman Hermanus
Bosman Hermanus is the cool-climate outpost of South Africa's historic Bosman Family Vineyards, perched in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley above Walker Bay near Hermanus. The Bosman family has farmed in Wellington's Bovlei Valley since the late 18th century and runs one of the Southern Hemisphere's leading vine nurseries; in 2000 they purchased this 270-hectare property to grow cool-climate grapes, planting the first vines in 2006. Set on decomposed granite soils at elevation, roughly 10km from the Atlantic, the site is dedicated to a focused trilogy of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that carries a signature coastal salinity. The estate's Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir has twice earned a 5-star rating in Platter's Wine Guide, and its 'Elevations' bottling blends fruit picked from three distinct heights on the same Pinot Noir vineyard. Visitors taste in the minimalist wood-and-iron Frame House amid restored fynbos, protea fields and hiking trails, reflecting the Bosmans' WWF Conservation Champion status and regenerative farming philosophy.
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bosmanhermanus.com/キャップ・マリタイム
Cap Maritime
Cap Maritime is a cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir project from Boekenhoutskloof, the acclaimed Franschhoek winery owned by Marc Kent. The estate sits on an eight-hectare site in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, on a ridge that divides the Upper Valley from the main Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, neighboring Newton Johnson and facing Sumaridge across the valley floor. Winemaking is led by Boekenhoutskloof's Gottfried Mocke, with viticultural guidance from Rosa Kruger and vineyard management by Petrus Bothma. Cooling ocean breezes off nearby Walker Bay, together with decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone soils, give the fruit slow, even ripening and pronounced natural acidity. The Chardonnay is whole-bunch pressed and fermented partly in old oak and partly in concrete egg, while the Pinot Noir uses partial whole-bunch clusters and wild-yeast fermentation, an approach that favors texture and perfume over overt fruit weight. Alongside its flagship Hemel-en-Aarde bottlings, Cap Maritime also releases a more accessible 'Coastal' range sourced from vineyards across the wider Cape South Coast. Development of the site has included clearing invasive vegetation and reintroducing indigenous fynbos.
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www.capmaritime.co.za/ハッシャー・ファミリー・エステート
Hasher Family Estate
Hasher Family Estate is a young, family-owned winery in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, South Africa, founded in 2021 when Belgian couple Frederik Herten and Céline Haspeslagh — together with Céline's uncle Xavier Haspeslagh and his wife Christine Bouckaert — acquired a 180-hectare property (previously part of the Sumaridge estate) with vineyards dating back to 1997. Frederik first fell in love with Hermanus as a boy visiting from Belgium, and shared that passion with Céline on their first trip together in 2008; after thirteen years of planning, the two families relocated permanently to South Africa to build a multi-generational wine estate. Guided by winemaker Natasha Williams, the estate practices regenerative, low-intervention farming: permanent cover crops, organic fertilizer and composting, endemic predator insects instead of chemical pest control, and a focus on quality over yield. The property borders the Onrus River and De Bos Dam, with clay soils over decomposed granite and quartzite, and is a WWF Conservation Champion protecting 14 species of conservation concern across its 180 hectares. Fruit is fermented and matured in French oak from Burgundy to let the cool-climate, maritime-influenced terroir speak for itself. The flagship range includes the Ernest Pinot Noir (named for the couple's firstborn son), the Fat Lady Sauvignon Blanc, and the Marimist Chardonnay, alongside smaller-production Cyriel Cabernet Franc and Batrachella Pinotage — wines that have quickly earned international recognition, including Double Gold and Wine of the Year honors for the Ernest Pinot Noir at the London Wine Competition.
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hasherfamilywines.co.za/ニュートン・ジョンソン・ファミリー・ヴィンヤーズ
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards is a family-owned estate in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, South Africa, founded in 1995 when Cape Wine Master Dave Newton-Johnson and his wife Felicity relocated to the valley, built a cellar and planted vines on the region's rare porphyritic granite soils. Today the second generation runs the estate: Gordon (with his wife Nadia) leads winemaking while his brother Bevan oversees the commercial side. Renowned as pioneers of the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde's cool, granite-driven terroir, the family crafts linear, perfumed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay alongside smaller lots of Albariño and Syrah, earning an unbroken run of Platter's five-star ratings and recognition as one of the Cape's 'First Growth' producers.
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newtonjohnson.com/レストレス・リヴァー
Restless River
Restless River is a small, family-run estate in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, on South Africa's Cape South Coast. In 2004, Craig and Anne Wessels — Craig a self-taught winemaker who previously ran an animation and design studio, Anne a former international model — bought a run-down farm just 5km from the Atlantic Ocean, intending only to raise their family away from Cape Town. The property happened to hold the region's oldest Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon vines, planted in the late 1990s on granite-and-shale slopes over clay. Craig began making wine from that fruit almost by accident, and the label was formally launched with its first commercial release in 2012; son Luke now manages the vineyards while Anne runs the business. Farming is sustainable and largely hands-off, and in the cellar Craig favours minimal intervention: wild-yeast fermentation, little to no new oak, and — for the Chardonnay — an unusually early harvest and a refusal to put the wine through full malolactic fermentation, in pursuit of freshness, natural acidity and long-term ageability rather than the riper, broader style common in the valley. The flagship 'Ava Marie' Chardonnay, sourced from the estate's oldest block, is widely regarded as one of South Africa's benchmark single-vineyard Chardonnays, while the 'Main Road & Dignity' Cabernet Sauvignon and 'Le Luc' Pinot Noir have earned similar acclaim; the range also includes the 'Klein Hemel' bottlings and an experimental 'Wanderlust' series. Restless River was rated a First Growth in the Tim Atkin MW South Africa Report in 2017 and is imported into Japan in very limited volumes.
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restlessriver.com/スプークフォンテイン
Spookfontein
Spookfontein is a family-owned boutique wine estate in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, South Africa. Entrepreneur Mike Davis purchased the 313-hectare farm in 1996, and together with his family released Spookfontein's first vintage in 2005. The property sits between the Kleinrivier and Babilonstoring mountains, cooled by Walker Bay's Atlantic sea air and the evening 'Cape Doctor' breeze. Vineyards planted on clay-rich shale and granite-derived soils yield elegant, minimal-intervention Pinot Noir and Chardonnay alongside Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, a Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wine, and the flagship Bordeaux-style red blend Phantom.
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www.spookfontein.co.za/スマリッジ・エステート・ワインズ
Sumaridge Estate Wines
Sumaridge Estate Wines is a boutique winery in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, on South Africa's Western Cape coast. The original farm was established in 1997, and in 2008 it was purchased by the Bellingham-Turner family — Simon Turner and his wife Holly Bellingham, who divide their time between Hermanus and Suffolk in the UK. Under their stewardship the vineyards grew from around 44 to over 100 acres, planted on mountain slopes that catch cool maritime breezes off the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Winemaker Gavin Patterson, who joined the estate in 2005, crafts a range built around Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Pinotage and Merlot, alongside flagship blends such as the white Maritimus and the red Epitome, plus the Bushell red blend, Tara rosé and Wayfarer sparkling wine. Sumaridge's cool-climate fruit and site-specific plantings have earned the estate numerous international awards, including a Gold Medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
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www.sumaridge.co.za/
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley different from Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge?
- It sits between the two along the R320, roughly 7 to 13 kilometres inland from Hermanus — further from the ocean and higher (200-350m) than the lower Valley, but not as elevated or inland as the Ridge, which reaches roughly 400m. Its lighter sandstone- and granite-derived soils also set it apart from the Valley's heavier clay and the Ridge's stony shale.
- When was Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley officially recognized as a wine ward?
- It was gazetted as a Wine of Origin ward in August 2006, at the same time as Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, following years of soil and climate research led by Anthony and Olive Hamilton Russell. Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge followed as a separate ward in June 2009.
- Which producers are based in Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley?
- Newton Johnson Family Vineyards, Hasher Family Wines, Storm Wines, Restless River, Domaine des Dieux, and Spookfontein all farm vineyards within the ward.
- What grape varieties thrive here?
- The ward is planted almost exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which develop pronounced floral and red-fruit aromatics on its granite and sandstone soils.
- Are Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley wines good for aging?
- Yes. Cooler ripening conditions than the Valley floor give the wines bright acidity and structure that reward several years in the cellar, particularly the Chardonnays.