Raats Family Wines, Dolomite Cabernet Franc, Raats, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2020

Producer Profile

After making wine around the world and honing his craft in the Cape, Bruwer Raats established Raats Family Wines in 2000, based on a policy of ‘excellence through specialisation’, focusing on two unfashionable grapes varieties at the time, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.

Purchasing the only land he could afford, some relatively cheap and ‘undesirable’ plots in the Polkadraai Hills, it soon became apparent that the unique granite-based terroir was producing some incredible wines, and is now recognised as one of the finest wards in Stellenbosch. His Eden High Density Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, and the iconic MR de Compostella hold a place as some of South Africa’s finest wines and sit comfortably amongst the best expressions of the varieties on the planet.

Viticulture

The grapes come from Stellenbosch and are grown only on decomposed dolomite granite soils. This lends itself to great acidity, freshness and an extended mineral finish. Individual vineyard blocks were hand-picked at perfect ripeness during February.

Winemaking

Grapes were hand sorted three times, crushed and left to cold soak on the skins for five days. After fermentation at a temperature of 28°C, the grapes were basket pressed before malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks.

Oak Ageing

Time: 14 Months
Type: French 300 litre
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: None

Tasting Note

Dolomite wines express great purity of fruit and balanced elegance. The nose shows dark and red cherry. Dark berries, spiciness and herbs linger on the palate. The wine has great purity of fruit with a hint of wet-stone minerality and a velvet soft finish.

Food Matching

Great with Game Bird with Red Wine Sauce, Beef Fillet and Pork Loin

Awards

Tim Atkin South Africa Report 2022 92 Points
Dolomite is the cheapest of Bruwer Raats' impressive trio of Cabernet Francs, made with fruit from Bottelary and the Polkadraai Hills. Very lightly wooded to let the fruit express itself, it has violet and green pepper aromas and a racy, refreshing plum and black cherry palate. 2023-28. 92 Points, TA, September 2022.
Vinous 91 Points
The 2020 Cabernet Franc Dolomite is now partially aged in concrete tank to obtain more delineation. It has a nose that grabs you by the labels and yells "I AM CABERNET FRANC" with potent bell pepper notes infusing the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannins, a savoury Cabernet Franc with lashings of cracked black pepper, especially on the long finish. This is a lovely Cabernet Franc. 91 Points, NM, August 2022.