Philippus Petrus Deetlefs Muscat d’ Alexandrie 1974

Deetlefs Wine Estate (Est 1822), situated an hour drive from Cape Town in the picturesque Breedekloof valley, is the 2nd oldest wine estate in South Africa under the ownership of the same family and will celebrate its 200 year anniversary in 2022.

Back in 1974, two winemakers from Breedekloof entered into a friendly wager. One claimed it was impossible to mature a Muscat d'Alexandrie for any length of time. The other winemaker believed otherwise. His name was Philippus Petrus Deetlefs. To prove his theory, he filled a third of a tank with Hanepoot lees and the remaining two-thirds with fortified Hanepoot wine which was the start of a new chapter in the Deetlefs story. Fifteen years later, in 1989, when the tank was opened for the first time they were met by a sublimely flavoured wine.

Today, this Muscat d'Alexandrie in true Madeira style is deemed one of the world's rarest wines, as the small volume of this very special batch, linked to a unique story and carrying a message of sustainability, is decreasing.

In honour of Philip Deetlefs' legacy, only one small batch of Muscat d'Alexandrie is made every twenty-five years.