KYSELA PERE ET FILS, LTD.

Huis Van Chevallerie is known for producing some of the Best Sparkling Wines from the Swartland. Their Sparkling Chenin Blanc Brut Nature is called Filia.
Filia – Latin for daughter – is the embodiment of their familiy passion for the Paardeberg, old vines and farming heritage.
The Paardeberg- or horse mountain, so named by the first European settlers to the Swartland, due to the abundance of Quaggas (Cape Mountain Zebra) that roamed its fynbos thicket covered granite slopes-lies in the Swartland, with its verdant rolling wheat fields, its ancient soils and the treasure trove of old bush vines.

Origin of the winery's name:
It’s the surname we were allocated with and due to the fact that Domains is referred to as Estate and needs special registration, we decided on Huis (afrikaans word for Domaine) van (afrikaans for the German aristocratic titel von )van Chevallerie.

First generation German born here on the Farm where we farm the grapes, my father Juergen bought the little 110ha/271 acre farm in 1956. My grandmother even farmed here with him for 10 years before my father got married to my mom in 1970, my sister and I were born here and grew up on the farm.

VINEYARDS:
Nuwedam Farm, is situated in the Paardeberg, just off the R45 outside Malmesbury, and is the Chevallerie owned corner of some unique Swartland terroir – purchased by our father, Juergen von La Chevallerie in 1956.
Old Chenin Blanc bush vines, yielding the clusters of fruit for my Kap Klassiek were planted by him in 1976. At an altitude of 330 m the vines are planted on a north-northeastern facing slope, which means that they have no respite from the merciless summer sun which bakes the Swartland during the summer. These old vines rely here solely on the winter rains and the minimal stores of subterranean water that lies deep beneath the surface.
However, the elevation, the clay content of the soils, the frequent summer showers and an almost clockwork breeze which tumbles down the Paardeberg during the summer months significantly cools the vines creating the ideal micro-climate for the fruit to ripen optimally. Vineyards are all dry-land farmed and we apply environmentally friendly farming to ensure continued health of these old bush vines and the surrounding environment – as healthy soils, provide healthy vines.
Production from these old vines is extremely low; they only produce as much fruit as they are “comfortable with” and for the past few years, that has meant a meager yield of 1.2 tons/hectare (9hℓ/ha). However, the fruit these vines produce possess an exceptional richness, complexity and depth of flavour – even though the fruit is harvested at relatively low sugar levels, the inherent Chenin richness comes to the fore.