Not only is Hermanuspeitersfontein (say it slowly it helps) a mouthful, it also one helluva place to find. The Winery and the farm are two very different places, they are about 50km apart in fact. We stopped at the winery first and certainly left very impressed. Okay, so the tasting room lacks the charm and character of older estates like Kanonkop or a Muratie, but what it lacks in character it makes up for in other ways. Firstly the staff were well trained and answered most questions fairly well. The range of wine available for tasting is pretty extensive, and for Sauvignon Blanc junkies the choices are endless. Fruity, green, blended, a real mixed grill. But rather than doing so many Sauvies badly, they actually produce all these styles extremely well and with great success. The stand out wines for me were: The Bartho 2008 a Sauvignon Blend with Semillion and Nouvelle. My pick for best white wine at WineX 2009 some months back, having tasted it for a second time I am even more convinced that this is a stunning wine. Very individualistic. Die Swartskaap , 100% Cabernet Franc, elegant, restrained sort of wine, almost shy but yet seductive. Die Bloos, a Rose Bordeux Blend, stunning summer sipper. What I like most about HPF is the branding. Everything fits, ties in, looks good, is consistent and most of all it just works. Whoever is in charge of this side of the business deserves a round of applause.
Having tasted the wines we headed off to find the farm. Rather than bore you with how hopelessly lost we got, lets just say we found the farm courtesy of Jean Daniel and he is in Napier...I blame the stunning wines for the loss of focus. The farm itself is remote and very private. The cottages are beautifully decorated, and even boasts a mini bar filled with HPF wines. As far as farm/self catering accommodation goes this is top notch. Set amongst vineyards, fynbos, grazing sheep and with the most amazing mountain backdrop the only thing you have to do is: Light the fire, put your feet up and enjoy the wine.
