The Rothschild family’s winemaking history is rooted in France, where James de Rothschild purchased the premier Bordeaux estate Château Lafite in 1868.

The Ruperts driven by determination and an unwavering optimism, the late Dr Anton Rupert always had entrepreneurship in his blood. Aside from a flair for building businesses from nothing, he and his wife, Huberte, held a reverence for art, for people, for the natural world, and for the promise of South African wine.

In May 1997, the founders formalised their partnership. They found the perfect site: a quiet Franschhoek farm at the foot of the Simonsberg mountain. And they committed to a simple and elegant approach. A decidedly French approach. To create three carefully crafted wines – two Bordeaux blends and one Chardonnay – that would express the full potential of the local vines.