Montestell

Following his retirement from a major South African wine producer, the legendary dr Julius Lazlo conceived a range of wines in the early 1990’s that would be the final chapter in his illustrious career. The fine wines of Montestell, a range that would carry his personal endorsement from vineyard selection all the way through to bottling, was thus born. In classic mythology, the swan was sacred to Apollo and Venus. A bird of grace, faultlessness and excellence, it epitomised his commitment to the inherent quality of the wine and is therefore found on the label.

Dr Lazlo was born in Hungary but educated in Romania and emigrated to South Africa after serving as the Director of the Rumanian Wine Institute. His distinguished career in South Africa, spanning many decades, included the establishment of many innovative oenological and viticultural practices. He is perceived to be an industry icon, and his legacy is recognized and respected. Having conceived the idea for the range of Montestell wines, he used his considerable experience to identify the best vineyards and decided on the most appropriate vinification regime. A traditionalist by nature, he decided that the time honored tradition of natural fermentation (for reds) and other more traditional old world vinification techniques, such as extended less contact etc, was his preferred way.

At the time (and still today), this is not the norm in South Africa and he struggled to find an appropriate production partner. In Boland Vineyards International, lead at the time by International Wine Maker of the year 2001 (IWCC) Altus le Roux, he found a partner that was willing contract his preferred vineyards, also assigning a viticulturist to work with the growers and in addition offered a vinification service that met his very specific non-standard requirements.

When eventually the time came for Dr Lazlo to finally retire from active involvement in the industry, the tradition and ethos of the brand was well established and it seemed a natural progression for Boland Vineyards to acquire the brand from him.

Today, the pioneering spirit of the founder is still part and parcel of the brand. Vineyards identified by Dr Lazlo still form the core of the supply and are to be found in the world renowned coastal vineyards of the Paarl region. The wines are defined by elegance and finesse that follows from the traditional old world vinification regime, the regionality is still defined by vineyards from the Paarl region and masterful blending still brings it all together.