Scions of Sinai

Bernhard Bredell grew up in a winegrowing family. They had vines in the lower Heldeberg, in Stellenbosch around a granitic hill known locally as the Sinai Hill. During and after university he worked as apprentice winemaker, assistant and sales hand with my brother and father at JP Bredell Wines in Lower Helderberg on our farm Helderzicht (from 2009-2012). The family then lost the farm and he got a full time job as the junior winemaker and viticulturist at Radford Dale (2012-2016). During this time Bernhard did two vintages in France, in Beaujolais and the Rhône. But rather than carry on this promising career, he left in 2016 ‘to follow an ongoing itch back to my original roots,’...He began Scions of Sinai in 2017, after a stint in Priorat, and to top up his income he worked as a vineyard consultant for two farms and a blending consultant for another winery...Scions of Sinai is a relatively small project, and at its heart are these old dry-grown vines, many of which were planted by his grandfather, on granitic soils. These are deeply impressive wines. Bernard has attention to detail, and it shows. JAMIE GOODE