Waterford Estate Antigo - Dressed in the Estate uniform
The Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards that form the backbone of Antigo were planted in 2016 on the cooler slopes of Waterford Estate, rooted in deep red clay soils. The original intention was simple: increase the production capacity of Waterford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
When the vineyard delivered its first harvest in 2019, the winemaking team quickly realised they were working with something fundamentally different.
Waterford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon has always been defined by fruit grown in rockier, drier soils rich in decomposed granite. These harsher conditions place natural stress on the vines, resulting in smaller berries, greater concentration and a wine known for its graphite-like minerality, dark fruit profile and structured, age-worthy character.
The young Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard planted in the red clay soils expressed itself very differently.
The wines were more generous and immediately approachable, showing brighter red and black fruit, softer tannins and a more rounded palate. While unmistakably Waterford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine lacked the stern structure and mineral tension that defines Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
Rather than forcing the wine to fit an existing style, the team chose to celebrate its individuality.
The Meaning Behind the Name
Antigo takes its name from the ancient soils from which it originates.
Derived from the Portuguese word meaning "ancient" or "antique," Antigo pays tribute to the remarkable geological heritage in South African soils.
South Africa possesses some of the oldest viticultural soils on earth, with many dating back approximately 600 million years. These ancient formations have weathered millennia of climatic change, creating unique soil compositions that cannot be replicated elsewhere in the world.
At Waterford Estate, we believe that great wine is ultimately an expression of place.
The soils, climate, landscape and people all contribute to the final wine in the glass. Antigo is a celebration of this philosophy, a wine born from a distinct parcel of land and crafted to tell the story of its origin.
As custodians of this remarkable property, we work to preserve and express the character of Waterford Estate through every bottle we produce. Antigo stands as another example of allowing nature to guide the winemaking process, rather than forcing vineyards to conform to a preconceived outcome.
The Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon remains the heart and soul of Antigo.
As the leading varietal planted on Waterford Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon provides the wine's structure, identity and sense of place. Carefully selected Bordeaux varietals are then blended to complement the wine, adding aromatic complexity, texture and depth.
The result is a wine that remains unmistakably Cabernet-driven while offering a softer, more accessible expression of Waterford Estate's terroir.
The Change in Our Label
The 2022 vintage of Antigo marks the first vintage in which the wine proudly joins our Estate range. Crafted solely from Estate-grown fruit, processed and bottled in our own cellar, we felt it
only fitting that the wine's label should reflect this provenance.
For Antigo, this is an important distinction. While the wine was born from a vineyard that expresses itself differently from our traditional Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, it remains a wine of Waterford Estate, from the soil in which its vines are rooted, to the people who tend those vines and craft the wine in our cellar.
The change to the Estate label is therefore not a change to Antigo's identity or its story. Rather, it is a recognition of what the wine has become and where it belongs within the Waterford Estate portfolio.
At Waterford Estate, our goal is to showcase the uniquely South African character that our vineyards can produce, alongside the expertise of the people who have worked our land and our cellar for generations.
Calling Antigo an Estate wine was no mistake; it is the culmination of years of preparation, rooted in the ancient soils of South Africa.
