Thirty-something Natasha Boks, who makes the white wines at Nederburg under the direction of cellar-master Andrea Freeborough, is an unashamed perfectionist. She justifies her obsessive attention to detail by explaining that by being inflexible, she gives herself more room to manoeuvre when she needs it.
"So, you could say that I'm inflexible to be more flexible. You have to be able to think ahead. I cannot over-emphasise just how essential this becomes, especially at harvest time, when you are under massive pressure. If you've got all your ducks in a row, you can focus on the job and not waste time and energy panicking about where to quickly access important information.
"Timing is absolutely crucial when it comes to making whites. If you are not careful, you can ruin top-quality fruit in a heartbeat. I'm lucky I have the personality for this type of discipline."
Nederburg is where she has always wanted to be. "Initially I was going to be a viticulturist but when I came to Nederburg in 2008 for a harvest, I was totally captivated by the attitude to wine in the cellar. I could see this wasn't a job or a career, it's a life. That kind of intensity is catching. Suddenly, I really, really wanted to be a winemaker too."
She still works with viticulturists and visits the vineyards regularly. "We plan the wines in the vineyard, so it's an important part of the job to understand the source of the fruit and what each block can deliver. I love the physicality of it: the breeze on your face, the smell of the soil, the weight of the grapes in your hand, the bite into the berry and its clarity of fruit flavours you strive to capture in the wine back in the cellar."
Her favourite varietal is Sauvignon blanc. "I suppose because it's so much like a woman and must be handled with such care. It's a very fragile variety and super-sensitive to its environment in the vineyard but also the cellar. It's very hands-on. Actually, make that high-maintenance."
Stellenbosch born and bred, she won a scholarship to study viticulture and winemaking at the University of Stellenbosch and graduated in 2007.