Balance is everything - Intellego Elementis

An orange wine from Jurgen Jouws

If the new wave of Swartland winemakers needed a poster boy, it could be Jurgen Gouws. With one of the cheekiest smiles in wine, and a pile of used oak barrels chalked with romantic history rather than toast levels, Gouws is certainly a character.

He's also an exceptionally sensitive winemaker who represents the cutting edge of what's happening in the Cape right now. Gouws has a "no investment" operation, increasingly common for younger winemakers who are fuelled by passion but lack rich parents or corporate sponsors. Jurgen owns no vineyards, nor a winery - that said, he tends the rented vines with considerable care, insisting on organic dry farming in a nation where the norm used to be anything but.

Cutting his teeth at Lammershoek with Swartland star Craig Hawkins (Testalonga), Jurgen finally quit the day job in 2015 to concentrate 100% on his Intellego project.

I've waxed lyrical about his fine Chenin Blanc and rhone blends before. But it was "Elementis" that introduced me to Intelle…