A special, limited-edition memorial magnum of South African favourite Chateau Libertas is being released as a tribute to Duimpie (Francis Carr) Bayly, the late wine industry icon who played a major role in shaping the country’s wine reputation. He sadly passed away last year.
The famous Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend stayed close to Duimpie’s heart for nearly a lifetime. Once likening Chateau Libertas to “an old friend who never lets you down”, he could trace his association with the wine to the 1960s.
Duimpie was also a good friend of Amorim, and we were privileged to host him at our office for a long lunch, literally a few days before his passing. It is therefore a great honour for us to not only be involved with the Chateau Libertas tribute wine through our corks which were selected to close these special magnum bottles, but also in the incredible project that Distell, owners of the Chateau Libertas brand, announced at with the release of this wine.
All proceeds from the sales of this wine will be going towards an initiative intended to honour the memory of Duimpie. Still in the planning stages, it will form part of a project of the University of Stellenbosch to restore the historic Welgevallen farm buildings in Stellenbosch. The Duimpie Memorial Centre, to be housed in a section of the Welgevallen homestead, will encompass the collection, transcription and preservation of knowledge, history, stories and academic inputs involving the country’s wine industry. The archived material will be housed in a centre to be accessed not only by members of the wine industry, but also the public.
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- From left: Joaquim Sa (MD Amorim SA), wine critics Michael Fridjhon, Christian Eedes and Richard Rushton (CEO of Distell) at the at the launch of a special limited-edition Chateau Libertas 2021 magnum, as a tribute to the late Duimpie Bayly
This memorial centre will also be funded from the proceeds of auctions where rare vintage wines recorked by Amorim are put under the hammer. For the past five years Amorim has been working closely with the Tabernacle, the home of Distell’s rare old wines, to recork hidden gems that are a part of the Cape’s wine history. Recorked, these rare wines will be put on auction to accrue fund for the building of the Duimpie Memorial Centre, which promises to be the first major centrum showcasing the history and legacy of the South Africa wine industry which is inextricably linked with the name of the man whose name it carries.
Amorim is indeed proud and honoured to be part of this decisive chapter in the history of South Africa’s rich wine legacy carrying the name of a special man and a true friend.
Notes:
Chateau Libertas was served to the British Royal Family on a visit in 1947.
A 1957 Chateau Libertas aced 100 points* at Cape Wine 2018 before an international audience when Master of Wine (MW) Greg Sherwood, co-convenor of the Whole Bunch Wine Tasting, judged it a perfect wine.
An Amorim recorked bottle of 1957 Chateau Libertas fetched R93 800 on a Strauss & Co auction in 2021.
