Francois Rabelais was a sixteenth-century French writer. His first novel describes an abbey on the banks of the Loire named Thélème where only one rule was observed: “Do what thou wilt!” Thelema is family run and has been making wine since 1988. The finest red wine of the vintage, blended from Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, honors the man who gave us our name.
A powerful yet polished blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The 2022 vintage shows concentrated aromas of blackcurrant, ripe plum, and blueberries, complemented by notes of graphite, cedar, and subtle spice. The palate is bold and layered, with fine-grained tannins and integrated oak contributing to a firm structure. A long, elegant finish with lingering dark fruit and savory depth.
Food Pairing: Pair this captivating Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot blend with a succulent grilled ribeye steak.
A powerful yet polished blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The 2022 vintage shows concentrated aromas of blackcurrant, ripe plum, and blueberries, complemented by notes of graphite, cedar, and subtle spice. The palate is bold and layered, with fine-grained tannins and integrated oak contributing to a firm structure. A long, elegant finish with lingering dark fruit and savory depth.
Food Pairing: Pair this captivating Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot blend with a succulent grilled ribeye steak.
De-stalked, hand sorted, whole berries pumped into stainless steel fermentation tanks and pumped over twice a day until dry. After fermentation the wine is left on the skins for 12 hours before pressing, once pressed wine is racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation. Wood Maturation. 18 months in 76% new 225 L French oak barrels.
Winemaker: Gyles Webb (Cellar master) and Rudi Schultz
Winemaker: Gyles Webb (Cellar master) and Rudi Schultz
Thelema, situated on the spectacular Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch, is a family owned and managed wine estate and the home of Thelema and Sutherland Vineyards wines. Gyles Webb bought Thelema, a charming dilapidated fruit farm, in 1983 with the help of his wife’s family.
Fruit orchards were pulled out and vines were planted. The manor house was restored and the first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988. The ripe pure-fruited wines were a revelation to many and it wasn’t long before the romantic tale of a run-down old fruit farm became the success story of an avant-garde winery.
By the mid 90's Thelema’s wines sold out within a month after release, making it one of the most sought-after wine estates in South Africa. The high altitude and the deep red soils are ideal for premium quality wine grape production. They do not buy in any grapes and all wines are bottled on the estate to maintain absolute control over every aspect of the wine production. The terroir in combination with Gyles Webb’s winemaking style results in flavorful, flamboyant, complex and long-lasting wines with a distinctive South African character.
In 2000, Gyles moved into the role of cellar master and handed over the winemaking duties to the talented Rudi Schultz (one of the famous Schultz winemaking brothers). We hope you enjoy our wines and it would be a pleasure to welcome you at Thelema for a chat and a taste of our latest release.
Fruit orchards were pulled out and vines were planted. The manor house was restored and the first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988. The ripe pure-fruited wines were a revelation to many and it wasn’t long before the romantic tale of a run-down old fruit farm became the success story of an avant-garde winery.
By the mid 90's Thelema’s wines sold out within a month after release, making it one of the most sought-after wine estates in South Africa. The high altitude and the deep red soils are ideal for premium quality wine grape production. They do not buy in any grapes and all wines are bottled on the estate to maintain absolute control over every aspect of the wine production. The terroir in combination with Gyles Webb’s winemaking style results in flavorful, flamboyant, complex and long-lasting wines with a distinctive South African character.
In 2000, Gyles moved into the role of cellar master and handed over the winemaking duties to the talented Rudi Schultz (one of the famous Schultz winemaking brothers). We hope you enjoy our wines and it would be a pleasure to welcome you at Thelema for a chat and a taste of our latest release.
