Rock of Eye Wines

Rock of Eye Wines Rock of Eye Wines — handcrafted in Stellenbosch by Cape Winemakers Guild member Coenie Snyman.

Guided by intuition and experience, Rock of Eye captures a moment in the vineyard’s life — wines shaped by instinct, craft, and place.

29/07/2026

“This is probably one of the only Guyot-trained Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards I know of.” — Nico Walters

Most Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards are trained using a cordon system. This young Simonsberg vineyard was established differently.

In this video, grower Nico Walters explains why he chose the Guyot system. By renewing each vine annually from a single fruiting cane, the vineyard benefits from higher bud fertility, a narrower canopy that is easier to manage, improved sunlight pe*******on, and fewer permanent pruning wounds over time. Together, these contribute to healthier vines and greater fruiting potential.

Guyot is a more labour-intensive system that demands precision and experience, but as Nico explains, the work done during winter pruning lays the foundation for the season ahead.

One vineyard. One grower. A different way of growing Cabernet Sauvignon.

22/07/2026

An exciting time in the cellar as we begin blending the 2025 Rock of Eye Cabernet Sauvignon — only our second vintage.

The blend starts with Cabernet Sauvignon from three Stellenbosch vineyards: Helderberg, Simonsberg and Polkadraai Hills. Each site was vinified and matured separately, allowing us to understand what each component brings to the final wine.

But the blend goes beyond three vineyards. Within each component are wines matured in a combination of new and older French oak barrels, with different barrel styles and ages contributing fruit expression, fine-grained tannin, structure and complexity.

Each barrel is tasted and assessed before the wines from each vineyard are brought together. The three complete components then become the building blocks for the final blend, with the aim of bringing vineyard, fruit, structure and oak together seamlessly.

At this stage, the three vineyards are working in equal parts. Whether they remain that way will ultimately be decided by taste.

The final blend will return to barrel for another four to five months, allowing the wine to integrate before bottling.

Measurement provides the information. Experience provides the context.

There is something revealing about an old vineyard in winter.With the leaves gone, nothing is hidden. Every bend in the ...
14/07/2026

There is something revealing about an old vineyard in winter.

With the leaves gone, nothing is hidden. Every bend in the trunk, every scar and every extension tells the story of decades spent adapting to changing seasons. At this time of year, the vineyard becomes a collection of living sculptures.

For viticulturist Nico Walters, this 46-year-old Chenin Blanc vineyard is his art gallery.

Unlike a young vineyard, it cannot be farmed into perfect uniformity. Every vine has developed its own character, shaped by time and experience. Rather than forcing consistency, Nico has learnt to work with what each vine offers. What appears chaotic at first glance has its own rhythm and logic.

His long-standing relationship with Coenie Snyman has become an important part of that journey. By supplying fruit for Rock of Eye, Nico gains something equally valuable in return: another experienced perspective on the vineyard. Discussions around picking dates, fruit development and the resulting wines continually deepen his understanding of the site, allowing him to refine the way he farms each season.

Despite its age, the vineyard remains remarkably productive. With careful pruning, healthy soils and thoughtful management, Nico believes it can continue producing exceptional fruit for many years to come.

Old vines are often celebrated for their age. What matters just as much is what they continue to teach.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that excellence comes from precision. Paying attention to the small details is what u...
14/07/2026

“The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that excellence comes from precision. Paying attention to the small details is what ultimately contributes to the quality of the final wine.”

It is a philosophy that reflects everything Rock of Eye stands for. Every vineyard visit, every picking decision and every step in the cellar is guided by experience, patience and instinct.

03/07/2026

The Soil Behind the Wine – Koffieklip

Few wine lovers have heard of koffieklip, yet this distinctive iron-rich soil plays an important role in some of Stellenbosch’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards.

One of the key components of Rock of Eye Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Polkadraai Hills, where decomposed granite is interspersed with bands of koffieklip. According to grower Deon Joubert, it is this combination of soils that gives the vineyard its natural balance and is one of the main reasons it consistently produces fruit with depth, structure and complexity.

Unlike more vigorous soils, koffieklip naturally moderates vine growth. Rather than producing excessive foliage, the vines reach equilibrium more easily, allowing the grapes to ripen evenly while developing concentration and structure. For Coenie Snyman, this vineyard provides one of the essential building blocks in the final expression of Rock of Eye Cabernet Sauvignon.

Healthy soils, however, are shaped by more than geology alone. They are the result of years of thoughtful farming. After successive seasons of planting regenerative cover crops, enough natural vegetation now returns on its own that no new cover crop was planted this winter. Clover, lupins and radishes continue to grow naturally between the rows, while cattle graze the vineyard, returning organic matter to the soil and completing the cycle. Rather than constantly intervening, the focus is on nurturing a healthy, living soil.

Recently, Coenie Snyman travelled to Tanzania with Wines of South Africa, with support from Sip & Savour, to present Roc...
19/05/2026

Recently, Coenie Snyman travelled to Tanzania with Wines of South Africa, with support from Sip & Savour, to present Rock of Eye to members of the local hospitality and wine community.

What stood out was the level of curiosity and engagement around Stellenbosch — not only the wines themselves, but the vineyards, farming, growers, and the thinking behind them.

As newer African fine wine markets continue to evolve, conversations are shifting beyond labels and scores. There is growing interest in provenance, viticulture, and wines with a clear point of view.

For Rock of Eye, visits like these are valuable because they create space for direct conversations around Stellenbosch, vineyard expression, and the realities behind the wines.

The trip was also a reminder that some of the most interesting conversations around South African wine are increasingly happening across the continent itself.

Thank you to Wines of South Africa, Sip & Savour, and everyone who hosted, poured and shared in the discussions.

Rock of Eye’ is a technical term tailors use to express the ability to immediately see and understand tasteful proportio...
28/04/2026

Rock of Eye’ is a technical term tailors use to express the ability to immediately see and understand tasteful proportions using instinct born from experience.

South Africa marks Freedom Day today.A moment shaped by history, but carried forward in how decisions are made.In this w...
27/04/2026

South Africa marks Freedom Day today.

A moment shaped by history, but carried forward in how decisions are made.

In this work, independence is less visible.
It sits in the day-to-day.

Choosing when to pick.
What to keep.
What to leave behind.

There’s no formula for that.

Only instinct, built over time—
and the willingness to stand by it.

16/04/2026

2026 was not a straightforward vintage.

Heat and drought early on, followed by unexpected rain and cooler conditions towards the end.
Picking decisions were not linear. They shifted between extremes — from managing high temperatures to waiting through cold spells and rain.

Chenin blanc was clear from the start. The first pick came in with the freshness we look for. After that, conditions slowed everything down. Ripening lost momentum.

Cinsault handled the season on its own terms. It coped with both heat and drought, and we brought it in before the rain. It’s showing precision and clarity.

Cabernet Sauvignon required the most judgement. Different sites, different timings. Some parcels came in under heat, others later, after the rain. It’s a vintage defined by variation.

There is diversity across the wines. That will bring complexity.
Less about power, more about detail.

In the cellar, the work has shifted. Pressing is done, wines are in barrel, and malolactic fermentation is underway. It’s also a moment to step back and assess — both 2026 and what came before it.

Sometimes the numbers don’t give you the answer.
You rely on what you see, and what you’ve learnt to trust.

15/04/2026

Every three months, Coenie Snyman and associate winemaker Jean van Niekerk taste through the barrels.

It’s a structured check-in. The same wines, revisited at different stages, to understand how they are developing in wood — how the fruit is holding, how the structure is settling, and how each component is positioning itself within a future blend.

The process builds continuity. Each tasting adds to an accumulated understanding of the vintage, allowing decisions to be made with context rather than in isolation. 

By the time blending approaches, there are few surprises. The direction has already been established through these regular evaluations. What remains is to refine and assemble, based on what the wines have consistently shown.

Address

Stellenbosch

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Rock of Eye Wines posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category