Kleinood

Something small and precious on Blaauwklippen

Kleinood—Afrikaans for something “small and precious”—is a family farm on Upper Blaauwklippen Road in the Stellenbosch Berg, specialising in Northern Rhône–style Syrah under the Tamboerskloof label. Owners Gerard and Libby de Villiers fell for a neglected fruit farm in 2000 and rebuilt it around twelve arable hectares: ten under vine, two under olives, the rest gardens, fynbos, forest and deliberately wild space. Winemaker Lawrie Moore works a gravity-friendly cellar designed by engineer-owner Gerard; labels are hand-printed on handmade paper with an antique press, torn to size and pasted by hand.

This is intimate Stellenbosch Berg hospitality—booking essential—not a high-volume bus-tour stop. If Keermont next door is mountain amphitheatre Bordeaux-and-Syrah energy, Kleinood is the small precious Syrah atelier with gardens, olive oil and a shop of handmade “goodly things.”

Name, family and philosophy

Tamboerskloof (“valley of the drums”) honours the Cape Town suburb where the family lived for 25 years before the Boland move; it is where the farm dream began. The farm crest’s sheep-with-flag echoes the de Villiers Agnus Dei / Paschal lamb. Sister names deepen the story visitors meet at the tasting room:

• die pierewaaiers (“the dandies”) — rare small-batch wines, wax-sealed and dressed in recycled paper bags tied with repurposed tyre tube
• de herder (“the shepherd”) — selected Stellenbosch mountain parcels for an expressive Rhône blend made on Kleinood
• de boerin (“lady farmer”) — gardens, olive oil, honey, soap, verjus, terroir parfums, garments and curated curiosities
• de krant — farm news and Cape folklore archive

Kleinood’s mantra is softly-gently with a maximum-hands-per-bottle ethos. Before planting, more than 150 soil inspection pits mapped clay types including Tukulu, Kroonstad, Klapmuts and Witfontein. Combined with sun, wind and weather monitoring, terroir pointed to Syrah, with about a hectare each of Viognier, Roussanne and Mourvèdre—first for blending, later sometimes for stand-alone bottles when quality insisted.

Vineyards and winery

Ten hectares are divided into about 23 half-hectare blocks, each managed, irrigated, harvested, crushed, fermented and matured separately. The team tracks pruning weights, bunch and berry metrics, and runs annual infrared surveys for vigour and ripeness so picking can happen in multiple precise passes into small boxes. Great wines, they insist, are made in the vineyard.

In the winery—heart of the farm—bunches are hand-sorted, then berries sorted again after destemming. Satellite tanks lift fruit to roof level and roll overhead to the chosen fermenter, protecting grapes from harsh pumping. Free-run wine gravitates to barrel; skins are scraped by hand into baskets for a modern press; stems and unused berries feed the komposjaart (compost yard) and compost teas that return to vines and gardens. A flexible array of fermenter sizes and styles lets each pocket speak. Only at blending does the team decide which components are good enough for Tamboerskloof Syrah.

Two hectares of Tuscan olives—Frantoio, Coratina, Delicata—are hand-picked and cold-pressed for unfiltered de Boerin Extra Virgin Olive Oil, each bottle handwritten with vintage, bottling date and number. Century-old garden olives still supply tasting-room pickles and drying fruit.

Wines to know

Kleinood classics

• Tamboerskloof Syrah — estate flagship (often ~99% Syrah with a splash of Mourvèdre), assembled from the best block components.
• ‘John Spicer’ Syrah — Block 7 single-vineyard icon; black handmade label; each vintage wrapped with a commissioned South African artwork (artists have included Beezy Bailey, Jill Trappler, Marlene Steyn and others). Named for the family’s son.
• ‘Katharien’ Syrah Rosé — a planned farm rosé, not a saignée afterthought; named for the family’s daughter, with a sculpture-inspired neck tag.
• Tamboerskloof Viognier — serious dry Viognier from vines first planted for blending that proved they could stand alone.

Die pierewaaiers (when grapes and vintage allow): (meevaller) Mourvèdre, (rantsoen) Roussanne–Viognier, (buurman) neighbour Chenin Blanc, (inkommer) Piekenierskloof Grenache Blanc, (overgesetsynde) whole-bunch Syrah. These are scarce by design.

Visiting Kleinood

Open: Monday–Saturday 10:00–16:00 (including public holidays). Closed every Sunday. Booking essential. Contact: +27 (0)21 880 2527 · office@kleinood.com (tasting room also listed as tastingroom@kleinood.com). Address: Upper Blaauwklippen Road, Stellenbosch. Website: kleinood.com.

Experiences include the homely tasting room with ever-changing seasonal platters; The Kleinood Way private farm walkabout and winery tour with full Tamboerskloof flight and platter; Secret Syrah Society / School of Syrah deep dives; and, when booked, gardens, glasshouse orchids, de Boerin’s stone-cottage shop and the private forest along the river. Sit under old oaks looking to vineyards and mountains, in the rose courtyard by the duck pond, or at the long winter table by the fireplace.

Stellenbosch Berg day plan

Kleinood pairs naturally with neighbouring Keermont for an Upper Blaauwklippen double bill—book both. Arrive hungry for the seasonal platter; leave room in the boot for Syrah, olive oil, honey or a terroir parfum. Photographers love the oak avenue and mountain backdrop; collectors should ask whether John Spicer or any pierewaaier is open to taste or allocate.

Visit tips

• Upper Blaauwklippen Road, Stellenbosch Berg
• Book: +27 21 880 2527 · kleinood.com
• Mon–Sat 10–4; closed Sunday; bookings essential
• Signature: Tamboerskloof Syrah, John Spicer, Katharien Rosé, Viognier
• Seasonal platter + Cupboard of Curiosities / de Boerin shop
• Ask about The Kleinood Way and School of Syrah
• Gardens and forest are private—visit via booked experiences
• Small scale; do not arrive unannounced with a large group

FAQ

What does Kleinood mean?

“Something small and precious”—the family’s name for this boutique Syrah farm in the Upper Blaauwklippen Valley.

Why does the wine say Tamboerskloof?

It commemorates the Cape Town suburb where the de Villiers family lived before founding Kleinood—the place where the dream began.

Do I need a reservation?

Yes. Booking is essential for tastings, platters and farm experiences; Sundays are closed.