PANGAEA: The Result Of A Bordeaux Blend Going Truly International
Pangaea was a super continent that existed from about 300 million years ago until about 200 million years ago, in late Paleozoic Era until the very late Triassic Era. It was made up of the continent we now know as North America was contiguous with Africa, South America, and Europe. Was it truly bigger than the sum of its parts? That's what founder Travis Braithwaite has set out to explore with Pangaea Estates.
Pangaea is a blend of the five famous Bordeaux varieties from five renowned wine regions, each bringing its own strength and character to the blend:
Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, USA: 150 million years ago, the movement of the Earth’s plates uplifted and exposed more than 100 soil types in California’s Napa Valley. Now the region’s well-drained gravel and volcanic soils and warm, dry climate make it an unrivaled site for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Merlot from the Right Bank of Bordeaux, France: Dense clay and gravel soils, cool air coming off the Gironde estuary, and more than a millennium of winemaking tradition make Bordeaux’s Right Bank a peerless site for Merlot. The grapes we nurture for Pangaea are the same ones that comprise some of the world’s most revered wines.
Malbec from Valle de Uco, Argentina: In 1853, French agronomist Michel Pouget introduced Malbec—a grape of southwestern France traditionally blended into Bordeaux or used in rustic local wines—to Argentina. Now, the Malbec that thrives in the thin air and bright sunshine of Argentina’s Valle de Uco is known as the finest in the world.
Cabernet Franc from Helderberg, South Africa: The Cabernet Franc is grown at 125 meters of elevation on the north slope of Helderberg mountain, which rose up as part of the Cape Fold Belt nearly 300 million years ago. Sitting just kilometers from False Bay, the grapes enjoy a long and perfect growing season where the warm Mediterranean climate meets the influence of the Atlantic, which is cooled by the Benguela current coming from the South Pole.
Petit Verdot from Dehesa del Carrizal “Vino de Pago,” Spain: Petit Verdot was unknown to Spanish soils until 1991, when viticultural pioneer Carlos Falcó (the Marqués de Griñón) planted it at his family’s property near Tolédo. The grape reaches an unrivaled expression growing in the dry, sun-baked summers and thick clay and limestone soils of the Castilla-La Mancha region.
Pangaea Estates’ founder Travis Braithwaite was raised in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where he studied business in the heart of South Africa’s premier wine region. He built his career in management consulting, at first focusing on the domestic wine sector. In the mid-noughts he co-founded Winemakers’ Choice, a unique awards competition whose judging panel was strictly limited to winemakers. Over time his consultancy to the industry become comprehensive of winemaking, as well as business, as he developed expertise in viticulture and oenology, in terroir evaluation and in markets outside of South Africa, as well. Today he lives in Cape Town with his dog Alfie, and does consulting with additional wineries and with industry entrepreneurs, even venturing as far-as China at the dawn of commercial winemaking there.
Even in a world with vanishing borders, wine production remains largely provincial. But the world is in constant motion, ever changing, always evolving. The Earth’s plates move apart. Other things, some through sheer will, come together for the first time.
In 2012, Travis had the idea to create Pangaea Estates, a wine that could “bring the world together.” He approached Michel Rolland, arguably the world’s most renowned consulting winemaker and master of the art of blending. After a year of analyzing terroirs around the globe and various other considerations, Michel and Travis agreed to join forces in Pangaea Estates. The first vintage was declared in 2015.
Travis discusses what motivates his quest to launch and continue to create a multi-country wine company in 2013 with renowned winemaker Michel Rolland, steering it through eight vintages (and counting), navigating a pandemic and supply-chain uncertainty, and finally launching the brand globally in 2022: “I want to truly highlight the terroirs of the world and the interconnectedness of them all. Even though each area has been shaped by its own story and centuries of history and lessons, I want to show the harmony of bringing them all together. I want to show the world as one.”
The Three Pack of 2016 Pangaea Estates will be available in Nov 2023.
2,250 bottles of the inaugural 2015 vintage were released globally in 2022. 2,500 bottles of the 2016 vintage will be released in November 2023 for sale to consumers and select restaurants & retailers globally. Volumes are set to increase with the 2017 vintage, but no 2020 vintage was made. Pangaea Estates is priced at $1500 (1500€) per case of three bottles and sold primarily to members of its allocation list. To inquire about purchasing, please visit pangaeaestates.com.
