Celebrating 21 Years of "Life from Stone" by Springfield

Jeanette Bruwer, owner of Springfield Estate in Robertson, reflects on her most successful label “Life from Stone”. A mineral-driven Sauvignon Blanc that has become a South African icon throughout the years.

“When we first decided over two decades ago to highlight a piece of vineyard with Sauvignon Blanc, we could not have imagined this wine would become such an icon. 23 years ago, Abrie heard the latest hit of Des’ree on the radio while driving home from a trade event in Cape Town. In searching for a name for this concentrated and pure wine, everything suddenly fell into place,” Jeanette cheerfully recounts.

The vineyard thrived on an incredibly rocky soil – so inhospitable that the family could only just plant vines there years earlier. The wine produced was unique – intoxicating, aromatic, and incredibly concentrated. The name “Life from Stone” was born as Des’ree sang, “Life, oh Life…”, and that summer saw the debut of the inaugural vintage.

“When we launched “Life from Stone”, it was like an explosion - a Sauvignon unlike any other before. Many well-known journalists and critics told us that it was “impossible” to produce such a wine in our warm region. But we knew what our soils and our hands were capable of,” professes the winemaker.

“Since the first vintage 21 years ago, we've sought to create the perfect glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Hypothetically extreme reductive techniques without oxygen exposure allow us to express the grape variety best; just last year, 2020, we started working with dry ice during harvest to limit oxygen exposure along the journey from grape to glass further. We are frequently asked: “What is the trick?” However, the answer is there is no trick; rocks have no magical properties – they only impoverish the soil, acting as a concentration factor. This benefit is complemented by the planting density of 6060 vines per hectare, thereby enforcing a natural competition.

One other concentration factor lies in the age of the vines – older vines produce fewer but more concentrated grapes. It's rare to find a wine that exhibits all these three factors, which is why “Life from Stone” tastes like it does.

Now, someone astute may note that the 2021 vintage is actually our 22nd vintage. We all know that the year 2020 was a lost year – not only in terms of celebrations or milestones but also concerning life, plans, and dreams. We opted to push our favorite's maturity back by a year – as we all know, birthdays in 2020 don't count!

“We believe this vintage to be the best yet, and we are excited to share “Life from Stone 2021” with you.”

It’s been two challenging years for everyone across the world; looking forward to a bottle of wine seems almost frivolous – if this pandemic has taught us anything, it is to appreciate what is nearest to us.

“We are grateful to have 21 vintages of this wine and to continue our pursuit of perfection,” concludes Jeanette gratefully.