The King of Pinotage

Gerhard Swart, Head Winemaker of Flagstone, believes that one should never stagnate. “You always have to be thinking about how you can stand out from the crowd. Be it with more interesting labels, varieties, or, like we do at Flagstone, combining particular terroirs to create wines that are intriguing and unique.”

Swart’s beliefs and hard work seem to be paying off, heralding him as the King of Pinotage. His Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2015 recently won five stars in the Platter’s South African Wine Guide for 2018, Double Gold at the 2017 Veritas Wine Awards, one of the Top 10 at the ABSA Pinotage Association Awards, together with being one of the Top Pinotage’s at the South Africa Terroir Wine Awards.

Hailing from a family of Overberg farmers, Swart grew up in Strand obtaining his diploma in Winemaking and Agriculture from Elsenburg Agricultural College in 1999 and working with prominent mentors Bruce Jack and Chris Keet on his way to leading the wine production at Flagstone.

A philosophy that blends ambitious dedication and a fastidious attention to detail with an insatiable thirst for knowledge is key to Swart’s success as a winemaker. What makes him truly exceptional is understanding the language of grapes from vineyard to cellar to bring out the star quality of each vine, a tutelage he has developed by working with some of the greatest winemakers in South Africa.

For Flagstone this means monitoring multiple growing regions and working with farmers from the very southern tip of Africa to those high in the Breedekloof. Juggling the needs of many different vineyards is all part of his job. This labour of love is part of what makes the Flagstone catalogue extraordinary, listening to the grapes and allowing character to guide creative inspiration, and producing stellar wines that echo their journey through the seasons, from vine to glass.

As one of the youngest winemakers to be awarded the General Smuts Trophy in 2010 for his Semillon and winning three Top 10 Pinotage Awards in consecutive years with Flagstone Writer’s Block places Swart among the pick of the winemaking crop. Bruce Jack sites him as the best winemaker he has ever met.

Leading Flagstone’s winemaking team since 2008, Swart has taken the successful brand to new levels of excellence and is responsible for a handsome trophy cabinet and wine bottles that glitter with awards. Not one to rest on his laurels, Swart wants to see Flagstone recognised as a leading premium brand on local and international stages. Central to this vision is his passion for South Africa’s signature variety, Pinotage. This precarious grape has been known to strike fear into the hearts of many winemakers, but it is through his intimate understanding of the variety that Swart believes that he can exhibit phenomenal wines of unmitigated craftsmanship, reflecting the magic and creativity that is inherent in the Flagstone brand.

For more information, please visit www.flagstonewines.com.