Rall Wines

Rall Wines’ Ascension

Donovan is one of the key figures in South Africa’s dynamic New Wave movement. As one of the original “garagista” producers in Swartland, Donovan can proudly claim to produce some of the country’s most highly sought-after wines. Well-travelled, affable, and ambitious, he studied viticulture and enology at the University of Stellenbosch with David Sadie, among others. After graduating in 2005, Donovan spent the next two years gaining experience and getting stuck into harvests around the world. On his return to South Africa in 2007, he spent a season in Swartland, assisting none other than Eben Sadie (Sadie Family Wines). It was here that he found inspiration from Mediterranean varieties to create wines under his own label. Within a year, he had six barrels to his name, and the inaugural Rall White was born. It was an immediate critical success, and Donovan soon set out on his own. Since then, he has continued to acquire small parcels of top-quality fruit, contract vineyards, and solidify his reputation as a master blender. Over time, he has refined his winemaking style towards fresher, more vivid wines, and his creations have never been better. Today, Rall White is widely regarded as one of the finest blends coming out of the Cape. Fermentations are natural and spontaneous with no interventions, and aging takes place in various vessels, including foudre, concrete, barrels, and amphora, depending on the variety. Primarily Swartland-based, Donovan also sources premium fruit from Piekenierskloof, Darling, and Stellenbosch, and consults on various projects across the country. Donovan Rall has established himself as one of South Africa’s finest winemakers.

First growth of South Africa - Tim Atkin MW

In 2019, UK Master of Wine, Tim Atkin highlighted the profound influence of figures like Donovan, who, along with others, have significantly reshaped the wine industry.

Tim Atkin MW’s 2024 South Africa Special Report is based on the tasting of 2,259 South African wines from 427 different producers. Each year, the report includes a classification of the Cape’s producers, loosely modeled on the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. It features six bands of wineries: First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Growths (20 wineries each), along with a larger group of Crus Bourgeois (100 wineries). Unlike its French predecessor, Atkin’s classification is revised annually and is based solely on quality, not price.

Rall Wines secured a spot as a First Growth in the 2024 report, marking the fifth consecutive year of this recognition.

Rall Wines

Swartland, South Africa

Swartland, with its arid, sun-baked landscape and mountainous backdrop with soil types from granite to shale, has become one of the most dynamic regions in the Southern Hemisphere. Once known for its high-octane reds and base wines for brandy, the region has redefined itself thanks to a new wave of winemakers who have capitalized on Swartland’s hot, dry conditions by focusing on Mediterranean and Rhône Valley varieties.

All of these winemakers are part of something called the Swartland Independent Producers. To qualify, wines must be produced naturally, without added yeast, acidity, tannin, or reverse osmosis, and aged in no more than 25% new French oak. The certification excludes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, concentrating instead on varieties like Carignan, Syrah, and Chenin Blanc that are well-suited to the region's Mediterranean climate.

Rall Wines

Wines from Rall Wines

2022 Noa Chenin Blanc

From vines planted in 1969 on the Paardeberg; aged in a concrete egg and foudre

#313893
10 cases
$63.00SRP

2022 Grenache Blanc

From ungrafted vines in the high altitude region of Piekenierskloof; fermented in two concrete eggs

#313896
10 cases
$46.50SRP

2022 White

68% Chenin Blanc, 28% Verdelho, 4% Viognier; matured in foudres, concrete eggs, and 500L puncheons

#313880
20 cases
$51.00SRP

2021 Red

70% Syrah, 12% Grenache, 10% Carignan, 8% Cinsault; 100% whole cluster and aged in larger oak vessels

#313885
20 cases
$57.00SRP

2022 Syrah

From a schist-based vineyard in Swartland; 100% whole cluster and aged in concrete

#313888
Available
$52.50SRP