Raats Family Wines, Dolomite Cabernet Franc, Raats, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2021

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 Special Report 2023 91 Points
"Brightness" is the goal of this wine, according to Gavin Bruwer, who ages his Cabernet Franc in equal amounts of older barrels and concrete eggs. Herbal, tangy and quite firm, it’s the sort of thing that would look at home in a tasting of Loire Valley reds, with plum and cut grass notes and a refreshing, medium-bodied finish. 2024-30. 91 Points, TA, August 2023.