2024 · Cinsault

Strange Kompanjie is a small-scale, boutique producer in South Africa’s Western Cape, operating from a modest house in Franschhoek and using borrowed winemaking facilities. An independent “cultivar club” and experimental brand extension of Wildeberg, it focuses on wines made from underdog and old-vine varieties. Its vineyards include mature, unirrigated, dry-grown bush vines and sustainably and organically farmed blocks in Paarl, including around 30-year-old Cinsault. The producer is certified under South Africa’s Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) sustainability scheme, which audits farming, production and bottling practices. Winemaking involves JD Roussouw and Ryno Booysen, with a limited range reflecting an exploratory, independent approach.