Bloemendal auction cancelled 28 February 2008

Durbanville winery sold privately at the last minute

After causing wide local and international attention, the public auction of the Coetzees’ Bloemendal wine estate in Durbanville was called off. The sale of the historic 240 ha farm, lock stock and barrel – not to mention a reputation built up over decades – was punted as one of the most important ever held in the Cape winelands.

According to the Cape Times, the auctioneers were only informed that the auction was cancelled the day before it was due to happen. They announced that a trustee of the Bloemendal Trust that owns the farm asked them 'not to proceed in any way and that an offer has been made directly to the trust and they had accepted the aforementioned offer'.

Earlier the value of the property had been estimated at R130 million. This would have made it one of the most important wine property sales ever in the country.

Winemaker and part-owner Jackie Coetzee had earlier indicated that he was selling because ‘he wanted to get on with his life’. The property has been in the Coetzee family for more than 100 years.