Origins
Cirrus began not with a grand plan, but with a quiet curiosity.
Cirrus Wines
After opening the restaurant at Rust en Vrede, Jean Engelbrecht found himself drawn to a different kind of wine: lighter, more nuanced wines that could move effortlessly through a fine dining menu. The family’s own wines, rooted in power and structure, left little room for that expression.
So he started looking beyond Stellenbosch, travelling, tasting, and slowly piecing together a new idea of what South African wine could be. That search led him first to Piekenierskloof, and then further afield to the Ceres Plateau, a place better known for stone fruit than vineyards.
High in the Witzenberg mountains, he saw potential in the altitude, the light, and the quiet remoteness of the land. Early Pinot Noir from the area confirmed it, but inconsistency in supply made one thing clear: if this idea was worth pursuing, it had to be done properly.
In 2015, Jean planted his own vineyard on the remote farm of Rietfontein, at over 1,000 metres above sea level.
Milestones
From curiosity to a site with its own name.
Early search
A lighter expression
A search began for wines with lift, detail, and an easier place beside food.
Ceres Plateau
The landscape answers
The Witzenberg mountains offered altitude, remoteness, and a slower rhythm of ripening.
2015
Pinot Noir planted
The first dedicated Cirrus vineyard was established on Rietfontein farm.
2022
Chardonnay follows
A classic pairing began taking shape, expanding the long-term vision for the site.
When the vines came into bearing, the fruit spoke with a clarity and character that set it apart, a natural expression of site that did not fit within any existing label. It asked for something of its own.
And so, Cirrus was born.
Named after the high, wispy clouds that drift at altitude, and with a subtle nod to Jean’s earlier life as a pilot, the name captures both the place and the feeling of the wine: something lifted, precise, and quietly expressive.
Recognising the potential of the site, Chardonnay was planted in 2022, completing the vision of a new-world interpretation of a classic pairing. The first wines are still to come, but the intention is clear: to continue exploring this remarkable landscape, and to let it speak with ever greater clarity.
Cirrus