Richard Kershaw Wines

Richard Kershaw is one of only around ten Masters of Wine in the world who actively make their own wines, and South Africa's only winemaking Master of Wine. His eponymous label, established in January 2012, is a singular pursuit: clonally selected, site-specific, cool-climate wines from the Elgin Valley, the country's coolest wine-growing region.

Kershaw's path to Elgin was anything but conventional. Born and raised in Sheffield, England, he trained as a chef before the wine world drew him in. He travelled extensively, making wine in California, Chile, Argentina, France, Germany and Hungary before arriving in South Africa in 1999. He fell in love with the Cape and its potential, ultimately settling in Elgin, where the combination of cool maritime climate, ancient soils and high elevation offered the conditions he believed could produce world-class Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir.

The Kershaw portfolio is structured around two tiers. The Clonal Selection range — Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir — draws from multiple Elgin vineyard sites, offering an accessible expression of the region's cool-climate character. Above this sits the Deconstructed range, which is where Kershaw's obsession with terroir reaches its fullest expression. Each Deconstructed wine is made from a single clone, from a single soil type, in a single vineyard — quite literally deconstructing the components that make up a great wine. The Deconstructed Chardonnay CY548 from Bokkeveld Shale, for instance, uses cuttings originally taken from Corton-Charlemagne in Burgundy, planted in ancient Ordovician shale soils in northern Elgin. The Deconstructed Syrah SH9c from the same Bokkeveld Shale site produces wines of extraordinary perfume and savoury elegance.

All grapes are handpicked into small lugs and vinified in Elgin using a gravity-fed system that avoids pumping, with minimal additives. Kershaw's approach is intellectual, precise and deeply respectful of place. He is a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild and his wines have earned consistent critical acclaim from Jancis Robinson, Tim Atkin and the Platter's Guide.

There is no grand estate or restaurant — Kershaw Wines operates from a working cellar in Elgin, with tastings available by appointment. For serious wine lovers who value site expression, clonal specificity and cool-climate precision, Richard Kershaw's wines represent some of the most compelling terroir-driven work being done in South Africa today.

The Deconstructed concept is genuinely unique in the South African landscape. By isolating individual clones on individual soil types, Kershaw allows drinkers to experience the building blocks of terroir in a way that no blended wine can achieve. The CY548 Chardonnay from Bokkeveld Shale, for example, oscillates between lemon blossom, white flowers and struck stone, while the SH9c Syrah from the same soil reveals white pepper, violet and Victoria plum with a savoury, iodine-laced finish. These are wines for contemplation, and they have earned Kershaw a devoted following among collectors and critics alike.