L’Ormarins was founded in 1694 by Jean Roi, who named it after his hometown Lourmarin in French Provence. They are dedicated to giving Cape expression to Old World wine techniques and bring a distinctly South African take on iconically French and Portuguese wine styles.
History
Between 1688 and 1689 some 150 exiled Huguenots emigrated to the Cape via Holland, among them a young man named Jean Roi. Most of them were given grants along the Berg River.
In 1694 the land known as L’Ormarins was occupied by Jean Roi. Stretching approximately 51 hectares, he named it after his hometown Lourmarin in French Provence. Jean Roi immediately planted orchards in addition to 4,000 vines on a farm earmarked exclusively for wine- and grain production. His intention was to explore opportunities –an attitude that prevails in L'Ormarins today. In 1714, Simon van der Stel officially grants L’Ormarins to Jean Roi.
In 1833 L’Ormarins makes the first Champion South African Brandy and White Wine. Dr. Anton Rupert acquired L’Ormarins in 1968 from Pieter Gabriel Maras & Willem Pieter Morkel, restoring the Manor House (Built in 1811) and Historic Cellar (Built in 1799) in 1984, both declared national monuments. And in 1989 L’Ormarins wins every major local wine competition under the direction of Dr. Anton’s son, Anthonij Rupert.
Anthonij Rupert tragically passed away in 2001, leaving his brother Johann Rupert to take over L’Ormarins. In 2004, Johann Rupert builds a state of the art, gravity fed cellar with revolving ceiling and underground barrel cellar and calls it the Anthonij Rupert cellar in memory of his brother. In that same year internationally acclaimed oenologist, Michel Rolland joins the Anthonij Rupert team as consultant and the first vintage of Anthonij Rupert Wines is released in 2009.
The Cellar
The original cellar still exists today and has been restored to its original condition. In the 19th century, this cellar was used by a large number of the Franschhoek community. Families would bring their grapes from their respective vineyards to the cellar on L’Ormarins where each family would have its own large vat with their family crest carved on the front. The grapes would be vinified and the wine stored here throughout the year to be drawn from as and when the families needed their wines from the cellar. The vats, with the family crests still exist today.
