In 1993, Marc Kent, along with 6 other partners, purchased a small farm at the southern end of the Franschhoek Valley. The farm was originally founded in 1776, beneath a ravine (kloof) full of Cape Beech (boekenhout) trees, which, during the 18th and 19th centuries, were used extensively for furniture-making – hence the 7 chairs on the labels of their wines, one for each partner. Over the subsequent thirty years, this small beginning has transformed into one of the largest and most influential wine producers in South Africa.
A contemporary of Eben Sadie at Elsenburg Agricultural college, Marc brought a relentless energy to his task as Managing Partner of Boekenhoutskloof. He augmented the young vines on the farm with purchased fruit from vineyards both within Franschhoek and throughout the Western Cape to fuel the many brands he created - including Wolftrap and the Chocolate Block - but always retaining the best for wines bearing the 7 chairs. From 2015 Boekenhoutskloof has been further enhanced by the arrival of Gottfried Mocke (from Cape Chamonix) as Chief Winemaker, bringing extra precision to the wines and to the winery, with less extraction, less new oak and a renewed emphasis on the vineyards. His arrival, and the extensive renovation of the cellar from 2016-2018, has seen the estate reach a new level of consistency and quality. (JH 26/06/2024)