Of all the major countries in the wine-producing world, nowhere has come forward in such leaps and bounds over the last 25 years as South Africa; and in the vanguard of this quality revolution, you’ll find Newton Johnson. They are garlanded with five star awards from Platter’s, the South African wine guide, and invariably make it onto Tim Atkin’s annual list of South African First Growths. So who are these guys?

Back in the 1980s, Dave Johnson became one of the Cape’s first Masters of Wine. His love of Pinot Noir drew him to the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, which was already becoming recognized as the best place in South Africa to cultivate Pinot Noir. Dave’s first plan was to buy in grapes, but it was tough going – almost nobody in the valley wanted to sell. So he decided to plant his own. His sons Bevan and Gordon got on board, and in 1999 the family bought a neglected farm in the Upper Valley. They began testing soils and laying out vineyards of their own. Their first vintage from these vineyards was 2008, and that vintage also marked their first Platter’s five star – clearly, they were on to something. Later they built a gravity-fed winery. This is very much a family venture; these days, Bevan handles the business side and Gordon and his wife Nadia do the winemaking. (NT 02/03/21)