About us

This 163-hectare estate with the optimistic name of Le Bonheur ("Happiness") is situated along the slopes of the Klapmuts Hill in the northern reaches of the Simonsberg Mountain, in the Stellenbosch Wine of Origin district. Klapmuts is the old Dutch word for the 18th century cocked hat that folded away into the saddle back pocket and, indeed, when observed from a distance, the hill resembles such a hat.

History of the Estate

Le Bonheur - formerly known as Oude Weltevreden ("Well Satisfied") - was an important venue for travellers in the Cape, offering fresh spring water and an outspan area at the major junction of Cape Town, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Malmesbury.

The history of the estate dates back to the late 18th century when it was granted by Lord Charles Somerset to its first owner, Jacob Isak De Villiers. The De Villiers family was among the first 200 French Huguenots to arrive at the Cape in 1689 after a five-month journey on the ship, the Zion.

Their homestead, built in the H-shaped Cape Dutch style, is a classic example of the architecture of the time. Today, the stately manor house, complete with its original doors and floors, has again been painted in subtle ice-cream hues typical of the day.

Le Bonheur has been completely redeveloped to become one of the leading estates in the winelands of the Cape and draws wine lovers who are content to sip fine quality wines, and enjoy the seemingly timeless atmosphere of the Estate.

Le Bonheur has an enviable terroir. Most of the 65 hectares of vineyards face north, while a few face east and south-east. The vineyards are situated at different altitudes from 200 to 350 metres above sea-level, and each has its own, unique soil characteristics. There are four basic soil types at Le Bonheur: decomposed granite, red loam, sand, and sand over pot clay. Winemaker Sakkie Kotzé harvests wines of excellence from these soils of Klapmuts Hill.

Four years of painstaking labour went into perfecting the structure and composition of the soil before entrusting the vines to it. The improvement and restructuring of Le Bonheur's soils have been modelled on those of the famed vineyards of France. Today, they contain all the minerals and other nutrients needed for growing the top-performing varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Of these varieties, the best clones were selected to suit the Estate's climate and soils. The Chardonnay vines are rooted in areas with well-drained soil and maximum exposure to the sun. Most of the Sauvignon Blanc vines are planted on the lower slopes in cooler clay soils. The higher-lying vineyards with their red loam and decomposed granite soils have proved to be ideal for the cultivation of the shy-bearing Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines.

Rainfall occurs in winter, with an annual average of 800 - 900 mm. In summer, the vineyards are cooled by southeasterly winds and the crisp mountain air.

Winemaker Sakkie Kotzé's dedication and attention to detail really come to the fore once the grapes are ripe and ready to be harvested. The bunches are carefully picked by hand and placed in small baskets to prevent the fruit from bruising. The grapes are then hand-sorted, and only bunches passing exacting scrutiny are selected for fermentation. The reason is simple : "If the best French chateaux take the trouble to sort their grapes, so can we."