Tokara Wine Estate celebrates its 25th anniversary and honours a quarter-century of excellence in winemaking with an astounding debut.
Every day at Tokara is a day to celebrate – and there’s much to drink a toast to! The view of the valley seen from the slopes of the Simonsberg mountain. The vineyards. The olive groves. The cellar and wine lounge. The family restaurant. The indigenous fynbos garden. The curated art collection …
But this year everything is just so much more special, for Tokara is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a family-owned farm spanning three generations. From the first vine planted to the latest harvest, Tokara’s legacy is testimony to the family’s dedication and love for the land.
When GT and Anne-Marie Ferreira purchased the farm on the foothills of the Simonsberg Mountain in 1994, all they wanted to do was to build a family home among the beautiful old trees on the farm they named Tokara, after their children, Thomas and Kara. But the potential of the farm, situated between wine estates producing some of the best wines in the country, was obviously much greater.
In 1999 GT made the decision to venture into the wine industry and so the process started to create one of the most breathtaking wineries in the Cape Winelands. The single-minded vision from the outset was to establish Tokara as a producer of world-class wines. You only have to look at pictures of the estate’s humble beginnings, to realise the scope of the visionary thinking guiding its growth.
For GT the past quarter-of-a-century is more than just a timeline of Tokara’s growth. “It symbolises our dedication to crafting outstanding wines, nurturing our family legacy, and contributing to the Stellenbosch region. Our journey is enriched by the stories, traditions, and the people of Tokara since the beginning.”
Excellence and innovation
Tokara’s 25-year journey is marked by its unwavering commitment to producing world-class wines. The estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards, Director’s Red and White and the pinnacle Telos have garnered international acclaim over the past three decades.
This year, in celebration, Tokara proudly debuts the Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that embodies years of dedicated viticulture and a deep understanding of this variety, further consolidating Stellenbosch’s reputation as a premier wine region.
Beyond winemaking, Tokara has made significant contributions to the broader wine industry. The estate invests in sustainable practices, ensuring the preservation of the environment for future generations. To commemorate this special anniversary, Tokara celebrates not only its success but the people who are integral to its journey as well. The dedication and hard work of long-standing employees will also be honoured as part of the festivities.
Over the past decades, Tokara has been transformed into a world-renowned destination, attracting wine lovers, art enthusiasts, and foodies, for an experience that goes beyond wine tasting. And as Tokara marks its 25th anniversary, the estate looks forward to continuing its legacy of excellence and innovation.
An Inauguration: Tokara Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Tokara, renowned for its commitment to excellence, is proud to announce the release of the inaugural vintage of its Tokara Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2021. This extraordinary wine is the culmination of 25 years of dedication, where every detail, from vine to bottle, has been crafted to produce a Cabernet Sauvignon that epitomises the outstanding terroir of the Simonsberg mountain.
This Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from the estate’s premier vineyards, situated on the slopes of the Simonsberg mountain. Here, the combination of altitude, climate, and soil creates an environment perfectly suited for cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon of the highest calibre. This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from select pockets within these vineyards, where each vine has been carefully nurtured to yield the best possible fruit.
The grapes were harvested by hand, with each bunch picked at the peak of ripeness to ensure optimal flavour and structure. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation in barrels, followed by an extended maturation period of 22 months in 100% new French oak barriques. The careful process included four rackings, all executed barrel-to-barrel, ensuring the wine developed complexity and depth without the need for fining.
In the glass, the Tokara Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon is a brilliant ruby red hue, boasting a black core and a vibrant edge.
The nose is an elegant blend of classic graphite, ripe dark cherry, dried cranberry, and briary fruits, seamlessly intertwined with aromas of cassis and subtle five spice. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, with flavours that echo the nose, enriched by judicious oak integration and fine-grained tannins.
Stuart Botha, Tokara’s winemaker, reflects on this milestone: “This wine is a celebration of our dedication to expressing the characteristics of the Simonsberg terroir. The wine embodies the culmination of two decades of learning and perfecting our craft. We are proud to present a wine that is both powerful and elegant, with a complexity that will evolve beautifully with time.”