Bruce Jack Wines
Western Cape
Bruce Jack launched his namesake brand in 2018 after already proving himself as one of the brightest stars in South African wine today. He has decades of global winemaking experience, including time in Australia, New Zealand and America. He incorporates a multi-faceted approach to his craft, drawing on the styles of notable regions without ever attempting to mimic. Rigorous site selection and sampling gives him plenty to work with and only the finest juice makes it into bottle. The wines detailed below are typical for South Africa: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Malbec. Atypical is the incredibly high attention to detail in each wine. Juicy, zesty, invigorating, powerful – all without ever feeling heavy handed or unfocused; this is the unique skill that Bruce brings to his wines.
Bruce has the tools to blend remarkable expressions from the Western Cape using the finest grapes available from his network of growers and sites. The wines immediately stand apart for their sheer level of joy. Most of them have a base of fruit from Breedekloof, in the center of the Western Cape, where he both grows and purchases fruit. No one has access to better fruit than Bruce and he hand-selects the best for these wines. Furthermore, Bruce only buys from farmers who have “dirt under their fingernails”, circumventing large scale growers who often underpay and neglect their workers. This ethic extends practically to non-profit organizations that benefit underprivileged communities in South Africa. A portion of all Bruce Jack sales are contributed to the Beach Co-Op, a beach cleanup endeavor that brings an underserved population to these beaches, and to the Headstart Trust, a coalition of teachers focused on bringing musical education to parts of rural South Africa. “Social Upliftment”, as Bruce calls it, is a core tenant of the winery. There are even bigger and better plans for the future.
Wines
Pinotage Malbec
Western Cape
Bruce believes that his Pinotage plots represent the best in South Africa – and, as South Africa grows the best Pinotage in the world…you get the idea. Blending with Malbec to highlight the juicy joy of Pinotage, Bruce Jack’s red is a fragrant, surprisingly refined wine, sourced from the best wine selections at his disposal. Lush, bristling strawberry and red currant mingle with savory notes of leather and smoke.
Sauvignon Blush
Western Cape
One of Bruce’s most technical and exacting wines, the Sauvignon Blush is a delightful wine composed predominately of Sauvignon Blanc with just a splash of Shiraz. Sourced from Bredekloof, Bruce waits patiently to find a tank of Sauvignon Blanc that presents as he wants for this wine: “It should feel like biting into the freshest, most juicy nectarine you’ve ever had!” From this, just a splash of Shiraz is added, to balance and highlight the immense pleasure this wine exudes. Joyfully fruity, with nectarine leading the way and a zip of red currant to compliment.
Sauvignon Blanc
Western Cape
Sauvignon Blanc is a serious subject for Bruce, who aims to create a style with the “length of Sancerre and the fruit of New Zealand”. To achieve this, selections from the coolest parts of the Western Cape are hand selected in the blending process, resulting in a wine that jumps with fruit without feeling the slightest bit unbalanced. 100% destemmed and only utilizing free-run juice, the wine is gently grassy on the nose, with fresh tropical fruit at the front of the palate and long, zesty finish.
Chenin Blanc
Western Cape
Nervy, yet balanced is an apt way to describe Bruce Jack’s vigorous Chenin Blanc. Sourced from the best fruit in Bredekloof, the Chenin is 100% destemmed with only free-run juice being used – a remarkable fact given the incredible value. Bountiful tropical fruits of pineapple, papaya and mango lead the way, with a fresh squeezed lime character finishing the immensely clean and refreshing palate.
People
Bruce Jack
South African native Bruce Jack has a long and storied career in the wine industry. With decades spent traveling the globe learning the art of winemaking, Bruce returned to South Africa to found his own winery, before eventually becoming Constellation Brand's Chief South African Winemaker. When Constellation sold, he became head winemaker for Accolade Wines, which eventually led to him branching off on his own in 2018 to establish his namesake wine. Bruce is an undisputed leader and champion of South African wine, working tirelessly to build the good name and recognition of his home country's wines.
