Raats Family Wines, 2016 Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Cab Franc du Jour #23
Raats Family Wines was established in 2000 with a singular focus on two grape varieties: Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. From the beginning, Bruwer Raats saw the potential for Cabernet Franc to express the terroir of Stellenbosch at a world-class level, and that conviction has driven every decision at the estate since.
Bruwer has spent years seeking out the right terroirs across Stellenbosch while also developing his own vineyard plantings, and today the estate works with approximately 35 hectares of vines in total. Cabernet Franc generally thrives in cooler microclimates, and Bruwer’s search for the right sites has led him predominantly to the Polkadraai Hills ward in the westernmost part of Stellenbosch. Because of its westerly position, Polkadraai Hills is the first ward to receive the cooling Cape Doctor winds off False Bay, making the breezes here at their strongest and most consistent, providing a meaningful moderating effect on the growing environment. The vineyards also face south, which in the southern hemisphere means facing away from the equator, making these slopes cooler than their north-facing counterparts. An elevation of around 300m adds a further cooling influence.
Soils across South Africa are extremely varied, but the common thread linking many of the country’s top wine-growing regions is the presence of granite, and that is the case here as well. Bruwer works predominantly with Clone 214 from the Loire across his vineyards, with the majority of vines between 8 and 20 years of age.
Wine Details
Producer: Raats Family Wines
Region: Coastal Region
District: Stellenbosch
Ward: Polkadraai Hills
Soils: Granite with dolomite
Alcohol: 14%