Rall Wines
Donovan Rall studied viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch University, graduating in 2005, then spent two years travelling and working harvests abroad before returning to South Africa in 2007. He spent that season in the Swartland assisting Eben Sadie, and it was there that he found his inspiration in Mediterranean and Rhone style varieties. Within a year he had six barrels to his name, and the inaugural Rall White, from the 2008 vintage, was born. It earned a five star rating from Platter's Wine Guide, South Africa's review of record, placing Donovan among the country's leading winemakers at the very start of his career. He has since built a reputation as one of the Cape's most accomplished blenders, sourcing fruit from roughly thirty vineyards across the Western Cape and managing close to sixty separate fermentation and ageing lots each harvest. In 2025 he was named Winemaker of the Year by Tim Atkin MW, and he is a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild.
Philosophy and Winemaking
“I’ve always shied away from oak, especially anything new.”
Donovan does not own vineyards. Instead he partners with growers across the Swartland, Piekenierskloof, Wellington, Stellenbosch, Darling and the Ceres Plateau, in many cases taking over the farming himself, and works closely with viticulturist Rosa Kruger to uncover old, dry-farmed bush vine sites others have overlooked. Schist, decomposed granite and iron-rich clay soils are recurring threads through the range, prized for the precision and purity they bring to the wines.
In the cellar the approach is hands-off: grapes are picked by hand, fermentation is spontaneous with native yeast, and Donovan keeps his distance from new oak, preferring vessels that leave little imprint on the fruit. Each site is fermented and matured as a separate parcel, in a mix of neutral French oak, concrete eggs and squares, foudre and amphora, before the final blends are assembled. That diversity of vessel and parcel is what gives Donovan his blending range, and precision blending across dozens of components each vintage is the skill his reputation is built on. The focus throughout is on Mediterranean and Rhone varieties, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, Viognier, Syrah, Grenache Noir and Blanc, Cinsault and Cinsault Blanc, and Carignan, made in small volumes that sell out quickly.
The Range: Precision Blending, Site by Site.
The range splits into a pair of flagship blends, the White and the Red, built from parcels across several sites, alongside a set of varietal and single-vineyard bottlings that trace individual vineyards in more detail. The White has been Donovan's cornerstone since the very first 2008 vintage and remains one of the benchmark blends of the Cape, while the single-vineyard Ava wines, named after his daughter, represent the most detailed and sought after expressions in the range.
WHITES:
Rall White Chenin Blanc, Verdelho and Viognier blend, Paardeberg and Swartland The wine that started it all in 2008 and remains the cornerstone of the range. Built mainly around old Chenin Blanc from the granite soils of Paardeberg, with Verdelho and a small portion of Viognier, the components are fermented and matured separately across foudre, seasoned French oak, concrete egg and amphora before blending. The style has moved toward a more linear, saline freshness over the years, with pear, peach, citrus and floral notes carried by bright acidity and a long, pithy finish. Widely regarded as one of the finest white blends coming out of the Cape, the 2019 vintage was rated 98/100 by Christian Eedes.
Rall Grenache Blanc Piekenierskloof bush vines, with a Swartland schist component Sourced mainly from high-altitude, 600 to 650 metre old bush vines in Piekenierskloof, with a barrel of Swartland schist fruit added in some vintages for extra structure. Shy and understated to start, it opens into pear, peach, citrus and herbs, light-bodied with fresh acidity and a chalky, bone-dry finish. Consistently one of the more accessible wines in the range without losing any of its precision, typically scoring in the low to mid nineties from local critics.
Rall Noa Chenin Blanc Single vineyard, granite, Paardeberg A single-vineyard Chenin from a Paardeberg site on granite soils, planted in the 1960s and raised entirely in concrete egg. Intriguing aromatics of citrus, stone fruit and a touch of melon lead into a dense, silky, saline palate with a savoury finish. Powerful yet composed, it has scored as high as 96/100 from Christian Eedes. Tim Atkin 97
Rall Ava Chenin Blanc Single vineyard, schist Named after Donovan's daughter, this single-vineyard Chenin comes from vines grown on schist and is matured for around eleven months in foudre. Hay and herbal top notes give way to pear, peach and citrus, with vivid fruit purity, bright acidity and a remarkably long, pithy finish. Made in minuscule volumes and released on allocation only, it is usually the first white in the range to sell out. Tim Atkin 95
REDS:
Rall Red Syrah led blend with Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault Donovan's flagship red, a Southern Rhone style blend led by Syrah with Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault. Matured across foudre, concrete and older French oak before an extended bottle maturation ahead of release, it is brooding and powerful with dark fruit, crushed stone, dried flowers and firm, granitic tannins. Built to reward a decade or more in the cellar, and one for Chateauneuf-du-Pape lovers.
Rall Syrah Single Swartland schist vineyard Sourced from a Swartland schist vineyard, fermented 100% whole-bunch and matured in concrete. Irresistibly aromatic with dark berries, olive, roast meat, blood orange, earth and fynbos, the palate carries dense fruit, taut acidity and firmly gripping tannins without sacrificing freshness. Among the most highly rated wines in the range, with recent vintages scoring as high as 97/100 from Christian Eedes. Tim Atkin 95
Rall Cinsault Old bush vine Cinsault, Darling and Paardeberg Fruit comes from Darling bush vines planted in 1982 on iron-rich clay, fermented in concrete using submerged cap, with a Paardeberg component fermented semi-carbonically and aged in foudre and older French oak. Vibrant and aromatic with wild strawberry, red raspberry, rose petal and a saline, sea-breeze edge, it carries fine, stem-derived tannins and fresh acidity. Rated 93/100 by Tim Atkin, who names Donovan his 2025 Winemaker of the Year.
Rall Ava Syrah Single vineyard, schist The other single-site Ava wine, from the same schist vineyard used for the varietal Syrah, matured in foudre or older barrels. Hugely complex aromatics of red and black berries, rose, lavender, fynbos and white pepper lead into a palate of astonishing clarity, freshness and length. Widely regarded as the high point of the range, it has scored as high as 98/100 ( 98 Tim Atkin) and is released on allocation only.
