The Zondernaam label was quietly retired from the 2011 vintage. The two premium white and red blends, now labelled Director's Reserve, and top wines labelled to denote their specific vineyard origin, fall under the Reserve Collection banner.
The winemaker has been handling ever-higher tonnages each vintage, now close to capacity at 800 tons. On top of that, he learnt the art of brandy distilling. Miles Mossop uses chenin blanc, especially harvested for the Tokara Five Year Old pure pot-still brandy, which now includes barrel-aged product exceeding 12 years.
In 2002 Thelema's viticulturist Aidan Morton came into the fold as consultant, and eventually joined permanently as additional vineyard land was bought in other cool-climate sites. This happens with the aid of a new computer software program for mapping, designed by the founder of Elsenburg’s Geographic Information Systems laboratory, Francois Knight.
'You feed in detail on a variety's ideal soil, moisture and microclimate requirements and it gives you suitable sites. It's incredible; the only problem is that I haven't scored a helicopter flip yet to check new sites; that’s Aidan's prerogative, the lucky devil. But I spend as much time in the vineyards as in the cellar.'
At the same time as kick-starting Tokara, Miles helped Iona owner Andrew Gunn make the first few vintages at his fledgling vineyard on a high plateau in Elgin. Tokara bought eventually bought 50 hectares, called Highlands, and planted sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and sémillon.
A high-lying slope on Babylonstoren peak in Walker Bay's Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 'so cold we called it Siberia', is being planted to classic whites (including chenin blanc), shiraz and grenache. 'We're experimenting with cool-climate reds,' says Miles excitedly.
'Tokara is now all about blending.'
His wine and surfing travels - 'I easily drive for three hours plus, there and back, for a quick surf; it clears the head.' - inspired the young vintner to want to start making his own wines. As had trips to Condrieu in the Rhône in 2000 and Sicily in 2001.
Here he visited Planeta Winery, a new commercial venture by a centuries-old family wine estate. 'They're big on matching varieties to site and doing really innovative things with picking times, phenolic ripeness assessment and pressing and extraction time in the cellar.'
Smoked or Norwegian salmon in a creamy dill sauce on tagliatelle recipe by Miles Mossop paired with Tokara Director's Reserve White wine....
Upside-down plum pudding recipe by Miles Mossop and served with fresh cream and paired with Kika Miles Mossop Wine....