Steilpad Wines

Steilpad is a fourth-generation Paarl farm that has quietly become one of the most exciting new wine labels in the Western Cape — the passion project of Jorrie du Plessis, a man who came home to his family land after years of making wine for others.

The Du Plessis family has farmed Steilpad since 1960, growing grapes on the slopes above Paarl and delivering fruit to the local cooperative. Jorrie grew up on the farm, surrounded by vines, but his winemaking career took him elsewhere first. He served as cellarmaster at Lammershoek in the Swartland, one of the region's most respected estates, where he honed a minimalist, terroir-driven approach to winemaking. When he returned to Steilpad, he brought that philosophy with him — and the conviction that his family's old vineyards deserved their own label.

The maiden release was the Steilpad Chenin Blanc 2022, sourced not from Paarl but from two parcels on his former employer Lammershoek's historic Swartland vineyards. Barrel-fermented in larger five-hundred-litre barrels with nine months on lees, it was a subtle, medium-bodied wine with pear, oatmeal, citrus and tangerine flavours and a stony, granitic core. Tim Atkin MW awarded it 93 points in his South Africa Report — an extraordinary debut.

Since then, Jorrie has expanded the range to include wines from his own Paarl farm. The KlippeKou Syrah takes its name from 'chewing rocks,' a reference to the rocky vineyard site on the property that gives the wine its structure and concentration. The Philip Albert Cabernet Sauvignon is named after Philipus Albertus Myburgh, the founder of neighbouring Joostenberg six generations ago — a tribute to the shared agricultural heritage of the Paarl valley. The Myburgh Bros Old Vine Chenin Blanc, made in collaboration with the Myburgh brothers of Joostenberg, showcases the depth of Paarl's old-vine patrimony.

Jorrie's winemaking philosophy is uncompromising: the vineyard is the main priority, with a minimalistic approach in the cellar to celebrate the identity of the vineyards. No fancy tricks, no heavy-handed oak — just clean, honest winemaking that lets the fruit and the soil speak.

Steilpad is still a working farm, without a formal tasting room or restaurant. Visitors are welcome by arrangement, and the accommodation offering — a farmhouse stay with pool and views — lets guests experience the unhurried rhythm of a Paarl grape farm that is writing its next chapter, one careful vintage at a time.