Thelema Mountain Vineyards

High on the Helshoogte Pass, where the road between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek crosses the Simonsberg range at elevations between 370 and 640 metres above sea level, Thelema Mountain Vineyards has spent four decades proving that great South African wine begins with altitude. The estate is one of the highest and coolest wine farms in Stellenbosch, and its history is the story of a man who traded a calculator for a corkscrew and never looked back.

In 1983, Gyles Webb was an accountant in Durban. A single taste of Burgundy Puligny-Montrachet convinced him that his future lay elsewhere. With the help of his wife Barbara's family — the McLeans, who owned the Phoenix Garden Hotel in Kimberley — Webb purchased the neglected mountain property that would become Thelema. He restored the manor house, cleared the slopes, and planted vines on terrain that the winemaking establishment considered too high and too remote.

The first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988. Within a few years, they were selling out within a month of release, making Thelema one of the most sought-after wine estates in South Africa. The Cabernet Sauvignon, in particular, established itself as a benchmark for the variety in the Cape — structured, age-worthy, and unmistakably shaped by the mountain terroir. Then in 2004, Webb noticed a distinctly minty character in one vineyard block caused by eucalyptus oil blowing from a row of trees at the vineyard's edge. Rather than blending it away, he bottled it separately. The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon became an icon — one of South Africa's most recognisable and sought-after single wines.

As Thelema flourished, Webb began searching for a second property to explore cooler-climate varieties. In 2002, the family purchased a farm in the Elgin Valley, establishing Sutherland Vineyards as a sister label focused on varieties that thrive in Elgin's maritime climate.

The 157-hectare estate today operates as a family affair. Rudi Schultz, who has been with Thelema since 2001, serves as winemaker for both Thelema and Sutherland, while Webb remains as owner, director, and cellarmaster. His son Thomas Webb has taken on increasing responsibility, representing the next generation. The wine range spans from the accessible Mountain Red and Mountain White blends through single varietals — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Verdelho — to the flagship Mint Cabernet Sauvignon and the rare Gargantua Muscadel from the 2000 vintage. A Cap Classique Brut and the Vin de Hel Muscat Noble Late Harvest showcase the estate's versatility.

Thelema's tasting room, with its fireplaces and outside terrace, offers views across the Simonsberg valley, the maturation cellar, and the surrounding farmland. Cheese and charcuterie platters accompany tastings, and the estate is wheelchair accessible. There is no restaurant or accommodation — just wine, mountain air, and the quiet confidence of a family that proved the sceptics wrong four decades ago.