The "Lammershoek Farms & Winery" wine estate is located between Paarl and Malmesbury in the Aprilskloof Valley at the foot of the Paardeberg around 80 kilometres north of Cape Town in the Swartland district (South Africa). It was founded in 1718 by a Dutchman named van Jahrsfeld, but the first vineyards were not planted until around 1750. The name "Lämmerecke" is derived from the legend that the ewes and their young sought shelter from the Black Eagle, also known as the "Lammervanger", in the forest that once surrounded the farm.
In 1995, it was purchased by the Austrian couple Anna and Paul Kretzel. The German Stephan family acquired half of the shares in 1999. Finally, in 2013, the farm was taken over by a group of investors led by German football legend Franz Beckenbauer (1945-2024). The farmhouse and cellar underwent extensive renovations to bring them up to the latest technical standards and create their own storage capacity. This was accompanied by a reorganisation and Schalk Oppermann was appointed general manager and winemaker. The company is now owned by Andreas Abold and Fedor Radmann. Beckenbauer left the company in 2019, but the wine brand "Libero No 5" named after him remained.
The farm covers a total of 180 hectares. The vineyards cover 65 hectares of vines at 80 to 300 metres above sea level on sandy soils of decomposed granite. They are planted with the red wine varieties Pinotage, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz (Syrah), Carignan Noir (Mazuelo), Grenache Noir (Garnacha Tinta), Mourvèdre (Monastrell), Zinfandel and Tinta Barroca, as well as the white wine varieties Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Hárslevelű and Clairette Blanche. The vineyards are cultivated close to nature in accordance with sustainability principles. Diseases and pests are contained as naturally as possible. For birds of prey and owls, extra stakes have been placed in the vines as support points to keep rodents at bay in the vineyards. Artificial irrigation is only used in exceptional cases.
Following the takeover by Beckenbauer, the red wine cuvée "Libero No 5", produced in the Rhône style, was presented in 2015, in the blending of which he was involved and which is named after his former player position and shirt number. For the Syrah variety, which dominates with around 70%, carbonic maceration (carbonic acid blend) is used to soften the tannins and make the wines more accessible. The other varieties, Grenache Noir and Carignan Noir, are partially destemmed and a few per cent Chenin Blanc and Viognier are added during mash fermentation. The wines mature for eleven months in 2000-litre barrels and 500-litre French oak barrels and are then blended. The product range includes around 30 white, rosé and red wines. The winery is a member of the "Swartland Independent Producers".
