The history of Le Bonheur dates back to the late 18th century when it was granted by Lord Charles Somerset to its first owner, Jacob Isak de Villiers.  The De Villiers family was among the first of the 200 French Huguenot families to arrive in the Cape in 1689. 

The De Villiers built the homestead, a classic example of the H-shaped Cape Dutch style architecture of the 1820s, complete with its original doors and floors. The farm was an important stopover for travellers in the Cape, offering fresh spring water and an outspan area at the major junction of Cape Town, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Malmesbury. 

By 1972, when Michael Woodhead acquired the estate, no wine had been made on Le Bonheur for 50 years.  The vineyards had been neglected and the cellar had become antiquated.  Since then, Le Bonheur has been completely redeveloped into a top-notch cellar.

LOCATION

This 163-hectare estate is situated along the slopes of the Klapmuts Hill in the highly regarded Simonsberg ward near Stellenbosch. (Klapmuts is the old Dutch word for the 18th century cocked hat that folded away into the saddle back pocket, and indeed, when observed from a distance, the hill resembles such a hat.)

The farm has an enviable terroir with most of the 65 hectares of vineyards, located between 200m and 350m above sea level, facing north.  There are four basic soil types on Le Bonheur: decomposed granite, red loam, sand, and oven pot clay. 

Four years of painstaking labour went into perfecting the structure and composition of the soil before establishing the vineyards under Woodhead.  Today, they contain the minerals and other nutrients needed for top-performing varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The Chardonnay vines are rooted in areas with well-drained soil and maximum exposure to the sun.  Most of the Sauvignon Blanc vines are planted on the lower slopes in cooler clay soils.  The higher-lying vineyards with their red loam and decomposed granite soils have proved to be ideal for the cultivation of the shy-bearing Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines.

Winter rainfall averages 800 - 900 mm a year.  In summer, southeasterly winds and crisp mountain air cool the vineyards.

Le Bonheur wines are brimming with fruit flavours, with a soft texture on the palate and well-balanced fruit and acids.

WINEMAKER PROFILE

“A good oenologist is a keen observer.  He must walk straight into the vineyard and talk to his vines.  They, in turn, will tell him when their grapes are fully ripe.  Even before you test for sugar, you know the time has come to take them to the cellar, because the feeling is right.  You just know when you look at them or hold them in your hand…,” says winemaker Sakkie Kotzé. 

Le Bonheur’s talented winemaker, who is often affectionately described as “quite a character”, was born in Cape Town in 1950 but grew up on the West Coast where his father farmed on the banks of the Olifants River.  It is the West Coast where Sakkie returns whenever the vineyards in Stellenbosch allow him to slip away for a few days.  “There are fine people living on the West Coast; the best you can find.”

Not unlike Sakkie himself, a man with solid convictions who has the confidence to express what he believes to be right, or wrong.  He is also crystal clear on what makes a great wine: “Good viticultural practices to refine the terroir nature has blessed us with; as well as the technology, equipment and expertise in the cellar to allow us to make excellent wine”. Sakkie is a traditionalist who produces four wines in a classic and elegant style: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, a Merlot/Cabernet blend known as Prima, and the well-known Cabernet Sauvignon that continually grabs the spotlight. 

Sakkie’s career as a winemaker started at the Bergkelder Vinotèque where he spent a number of years learning all aspects of winemaking.

At the beginning of 1985 he became the winemaker at Uitkyk Estate and moved across the road to Le Bonheur in 1993.  Prior to settling at Le Bonheur, Sakkie visited cellars in Australia and New Zealand, where he observed that the Australians were making Chardonnays in a lighter-wooded style.  He could immediately associate himself with this approach, as he has always been of the opinion that Chardonnay fruit should only be fleshed out by wood and not be overpowered by it. 

Once again - this time at Le Bonheur - he started a replanting programme, which included Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. He also installed required irrigation.  The historic manor house and gardens were also restored and now form the tasting and sales centre for Le Bonheur’s wines. 

Slowly but surely the improvements on Le Bonheur started to bear fruit.  Since 1998, Le Bonheur has been a regular winner of high-ranked awards domestically and internationally.  Some of the accolades have been from the SA National Wine Show, the Fairbairn Capital Trophy Wine Show.  When asked how his approach has changed towards winemaking over the last decade at Le Bonheur, his answer is simply: “I haven’t changed a thing.” And therein lies the secret of his success. Sakkie’s philosophy is to make elegant, soft and drinkable wines that age well. He’s a traditionalist, making wines with a solid structure that improve with careful ageing, rather than wines that peak today and fall flat tomorrow. He believes in allowing the wine to show its terroir with careful vineyard management and gentle handling in the cellar, using only the free-run juice and letting the wine lie on its skins for 20 days to gain maximum colour extraction and soft tannins.

In spite of his success, Sakkie remains a modest man who likes to spend time with his family.  He and his wife, Marietha, have four daughters.  He has always been a keen sportsman who played rugby and cricket.  Today, however, he prefers to fish and hunt.  He is a thinker who reads everything from poetry and political writing to agricultural magazines.