Morgenhof wine estate auctioned for R52.25m to overseas phone bidder
The oldest property to be auctioned in SA, the 329-year-old Morgenhof wine estate in Stellenbosch, sold for R52.25m on Wednesday.
The identity of the overseas phone bidder was not immediately known.
Auctioneer Joff van Reenen said there had been huge foreign interest in the sale, including from America’s Napa Valley.
Buyers from 13 countries registered for the auction, including four bidders from the UK, 16 from elsewhere in Europe and others from China and India. Five bids were received for the property, starting at R40m.
Morgenhof covers 205ha on the Simonsberg Mountain’s lower slopes and includes two manor houses, a wedding chapel, a conference centre and 69ha of vineyards.
The seller was Anne Cointreau, whose great-grandfather, confectioner Adolphe Cointreau, created the orange liqueur that bears the family name.
Cointreau, who bought the farm in 1993, is in her 70s and retiring to France.
“When I arrived I wanted to create something at Morgenhof that would represent great South African wines and show the world the quality this country represents,” she told TimesLIVE.
During Cointreau’s ownership, Morgenhof’s wines became world renowned. She said her greatest source of joy had been the weddings the estate hosted.
“Thousands of people have been married on the estate, starting their lives and their families in this beautiful place,” she said.
“To be able to make a difference to peoples’ lives in that way, to make memories for others in the way that this estate has made decades of beautiful wines and beautiful memories for me, is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
Van Reenen, a director of High Street Auctions, said in addition to international interest in Morgenhof, several South African bidders registered for the sale.
The estate dates back to 1692 and its vineyards are farmed as “dry land”, which results in smaller yields and superior concentrations in the berries.
“The estate comprises a variety of soil types, with the terroir further complemented by altitudes ranging from 60m to 410m above sea level,” said Van Reenen.
Morgenhof was sold as a going concern, including all furniture, fixtures and fittings and the contents of the circular wine cellar.
TimesLIVE