Episode 46 – The Last Leaf on the Tree
Technical Information:
| Producer: | Confidential |
| The Wine: | Riesling |
| Vintage: | 2021 |
| Wine of Origin: | Constantia |
| Alcohol: | 12.5% |
| Bottles: | 552 bottles |
| Released: | May 2025 |
I’m the last leaf on the tree
The autumn took the rest
But it won’t take me
I’m the last leaf on the tree
When the autumn wind blows, they’re already gone
They flutter to the ground, they just can’t hang on
There’s nothing in this world that I ain’t seen
I’m the last leaf on the tree…
Tom Waits
The symbolism in the title of this little-known Tom Waits song is plain to see, with the last leaf of Riesling to be planted in the Constantia Valley sadly falling with the conclusion of the 2024 harvest.
Whilst there appeared to be a minor Riesling Renaissance in the Cape during the late 2000s, the variety still only accounts for much less than one percent of the vineyard area.
The variety has also been so badly served by local bureaucrats who, for decades, turned a blind eye by allowing the minor Crouchen to be known by this misleading misnomer. Until 2010, ‘True’ Riesling was obliged to hyphenate itself with either Weisser or Rhine to correctly identify itself.
Records tell us that Riesling was re-introduced on this historic Constantia estate in the early 1980s, with the first release being the 1985 vintage.
Yet for years now, there has been little local appetite for the wine. As seen here, the ‘latest’ release might already be three or four years old before it sees the light of day. This, along with an unrealistically low price, is the reason for the vines being condemned.
Instead, it should have been considered a bonus for those, like Rick, who love the variety. It’s a travesty that the wider domestic audience remained ignorant of both its quality and potential. Not just in drinking the latest vintage in its youth, but also examples which have proved to remain delicious after 20 or so years in the bottle, and a wine that is the perfect partner in a Cape climate.
So, raise a glass and commemorate the last leaf on the tree…
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