Gabriëlskloof, 2017 Landscape Series Cabernet Franc, Bot River, Walker Bay, South Africa
Cab Franc du Jour #45
Gabriëlskloof was established in 2001 by Bernhard Heyns, a businessman who spent many years searching for an ideal terroir on which to establish a vineyard. Winemaker Peter-Allan Finlayson joined the estate with his first vintage in 2015.
Bot River Ward
The estate is located in the Bot River valley, flanked on either side by the Groenlandberg and Babylonstoren mountain ranges, approximately 20km from the Atlantic Ocean. That proximity to such a large body of water exerts a considerable moderating influence on the local climate, which is broadly characterized as cool maritime. The vineyards are cooled by winds arriving off Walker’s Bay to the southwest, and annual rainfall is relatively low at around 653mm, which helps to minimize disease pressure. Two main soil groups define the Bot River ward: Table Mountain Sandstone and Bokkeveld Shale.
The Vineyard
The estate grows a number of varieties, but in a short period of time the Cabernet Franc has shown real promise. The 4.3 hectares of Cabernet Franc were planted in 2002 with a thoughtful mix of clones: Bordeaux clone 623, Loire clone 213, and Pyrenees clone 312. The vineyard sits at around 150m above sea level on a north to northwest-facing exposure, giving it warmer aspect and stronger sunlight than many sites in the valley.
The estate’s Cabernet Franc is planted on the Table Mountain Sandstone, which the winery’s viticulturalist and assistant winemaker Chris Keet describes simply as “bloody ancient,” and he is not wrong: it was formed between 510 and 400 million years ago. The rock is predominantly quartzitic sandstone, with a very rocky topsoil and subsoil high in sand content with shale fragments, quartz, and iron oxide clay minerals throughout. The soils drain freely and are extremely low in fertility, which helps rein in Cabernet Franc’s naturally vigorous tendencies and maintain vine balance.
In the Cellar
The grapes are hand-picked and fermented with indigenous yeast, with 20% whole cluster included. Extraction during active fermentation is deliberately minimal, with only a few pump-overs, followed by a longer post-fermentation maceration for a total of approximately 23 days on skins. Aging takes place in 500L French oak barrels with 30% new oak.
Wine Details
Producer: Gabriëlskloof
Region: Cape South Coast
District: Walker Bay
Ward/Appellation: Bot River W.O.
Soil: Table Mountain Sandstone, rocky-stony topsoil with quarts and shale and a high percentage of sand, iron oxide clay minerals in the subsoil
Alcohol: 14%