Clos Malverne
A Devon Valley estate that planted its flag on Pinotage and Cape Blends decades before it was fashionable — and still makes some of the most reliable versions of both. Here's what to taste and how to visit.
Long before the Cape decided its own grape was worth taking seriously, one Devon Valley estate had already bet the farm on it. Clos Malverne, tucked into the sheltered Devon Valley just west of Stellenbosch town, built its whole identity around Pinotage and the Pinotage-led Cape Blend — and it has stayed the course long enough to become one of the most reliable addresses for both. If you want to understand what South Africa's own grape does in steady, unshowy hands, start here.
A quiet valley, a clear focus
Here's the setup. The Devon Valley is one of those close-but-hidden pockets — minutes from Stellenbosch town, yet quiet and self-contained, a small sheltered bowl known for concentrated reds. Clos Malverne sits in it and has never wavered from its plan: Pinotage first, Cape Blends second, everything in service of the same red-wine idea. That kind of focus, held for decades, is what turns a house into a reference point.
The Pinotage: the house grape
Start with the Pinotage. This is the grape the estate is named for, in spirit, and its versions run dark and savoury rather than sweet and jammy.
Clos Malverne backed Pinotage when it was unfashionable. Decades later, it's still one of the safest bottles to reach for.
Expect dark fruit, a smoky-savoury edge and real structure — a Pinotage built for the table and a few years' patience, not the coffee-mocha caricature that dogs the variety at the cheap end. It's a dependable benchmark for the grape.
Auret and the Cape Blends
The blends are where the estate stretches. The everyday Cabernet Sauvignon–Pinotage bottling is the accessible way in — Cabernet's backbone braced against Pinotage's dark heart, exactly the Cape Blend formula that gives the style its identity. At the top sits Auret, the flagship: a more serious, structured blend that gathers the estate's best barrels and asks for time in the cellar. Together they make the case that a Pinotage-led blend can be as ageworthy as any classic Stellenbosch red.
Visiting
The Devon Valley's charm is that it's close in but calm, and Clos Malverne makes the most of it. Book a tasting ahead, particularly over the busy summer, and give yourself the unhurried version. Better yet, stay: the estate offers guest accommodation, which turns it into a quiet base for working through the wider region without the drive back to town each night. Confirm current tasting days, times and accommodation on the estate's site before you go.
What to buy
One bottle home? The Pinotage — it's the house grape and one of the most reliable versions of it in the valley, dark and savoury and built to last. For the flagship, Auret is the estate at full stretch, the Cape Blend to lay down. And the everyday Cabernet Sauvignon–Pinotage is the easy, generous introduction — the bottle to open first and the one that best explains what a Cape Blend is trying to do.
Common questions
Pinotage and Cape Blends. Long before either was fashionable, Clos Malverne built its identity around South Africa's own grape and the Pinotage-led blend style — and it remains one of the most dependable addresses for both, from an everyday bottle to the serious flagship.
Clos Malverne's flagship Cape Blend — a red built around Pinotage with Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux grapes, the estate's most ambitious bottle and the one to lay down. It's named in the estate's own tradition and represents the house at full stretch.
Yes — the estate offers guest accommodation in the Devon Valley, a quiet pocket close to Stellenbosch town, which makes it an easy base for exploring the region. Confirm current availability directly with the estate.
Glossary
- Cape Blend
- A South African red blend built around a meaningful proportion of Pinotage, usually with Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties. Clos Malverne is one of the estates most associated with the style.
- Devon Valley
- A small, sheltered valley just west of Stellenbosch town, close in but quiet, known for concentrated reds — and home to a cluster of Pinotage-minded estates including Clos Malverne.