Tim will invariably have to answer for those 100 points. But what’s more interesting isn’t what got the perfect score, but rather what didn’t.
The first single varietal Cabernet Franc in South Africa (That I could verify) was bottled in 1988 by the pioneering matriarch of the Cape wine industry, Norma Ratcliffe of Warwick Wine Estate. I’ve since carefully caressed a bottle, but alas, Nic said I couldn’t drink it. My own entry into Cabernet Franc, however, came rather over the top by way of Chris Keets’ Cordoba Crescendo 1999. And wow, if ever a wine deserved its cult status... Enjoyed in 2015 it was still beautifully fresh, with a perfectly harmonious crescendo of slightly tart red fruit, graphite, mushrooms, roasted beetroot, forest floor and a subtle, refreshing mintiness to the finish. Outstanding.
Looking back now, twenty years on from that iconic first bottling and it seems the literature is littered with authorities from Cathy Marston to Tim Atkin and everybody in between weighing in and asking of Stellenbosch: Kingdom of Cab? What Cab?
It would seem that today, as back then, Cabernet Sauvignon is still king.
As a self-proclaimed cork dork and authority on the wine tribe, I think it’s safe to say that our kind, broadly speaking, have two archetypes. Those that take endless selfies with premium label wines, begging the question why they still can’t afford a decent means of transport. And those that start every sentence with, “have you tasted…?” followed by an obscure wine region, grape variety or vinification method. Both equally able to make the average human lose consciousness, with most of us existing somewhere in the middle of that spectrum.
I certainly lean more toward the “Have you tasted…?” side. Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t turn my nose up at Grand Cru Burgundy and certainly wouldn’t say no to anything Giacomo Conterno. But I prefer to worship in private, have been known to pass on Champagne as I prefer my wines fully ripe, occasionally drink Chardonnay from paper cups at the beach and also... I love Cab Franc!
And I’m not alone.
The invites were barely out for the monthly Somm Social and we had to turn away hopeful disciples. Put on a lecture exploring the importance of decantation and you can barely fill a Hyundai i10 with the audience but allow them to worship at the altar of Cab Franc and they come like politician’s sons to government tenders. And when turned away, leave like a teary-eyed 13-year-old girl denied entrance to a Justin Bieber concert.
It is thus with religious fervour that we congregate, late Sunday afternoon, before the monthly Somm Social, pious and opinionated, to taste the people's Cabernet. Thirty of SA’s best Cab Francs and blends thereof, neatly lined up in the back, ready to be served blind and for us to bestow our praises.
The first wine is from a highly acclaimed producer we are told, excited, nay enraptured, we serve the first offering. Up-front aromas of tart red fruit greet us on the nose, with violet and cardamom that give way to delicate notes of neoprene wetsuit forgotten behind the bakkie’s seat. “Sies man.” Slightly reductive? Give it some air. Opening up to a beautiful bouquet of herbal undergrowth reminiscent of running your lawnmower through your vegetable garden while kicking up a spray of nasturtiums, green beans and chunks of the overgrown lawn you were trying to tame. Ewh. Can’t be.
Try the second wine. Minty. No eucalyptus. Like Vicks. With a little bit of red fruit and a hell of a lot of oak. Why would they bottle this?
Wine after wine, one after the other, our faith is tested.
But then, finally, we strike gold.
The first thing you notice is the perfume. Delicate but persistent dried fynbos, a bit of dried lavender and thyme followed by deep brooding perfectly ripe blackberry, redcurrant, and graphite that lead to a dense, dusty palate and slightly chalky mineral finish. Outstanding. Later to be revealed as the iconic Raats Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2015. Who would have guessed?
As I sit here deciphering tasting notes it becomes glaringly obvious. Some producers get it, many unfortunately don’t.
Overripe black fruit loses all varietal character, might as well have planted Cab Sauv. Harvested too early and you end up with a vegan bowl of green peas and mint sprinkled with some wood chips and don’t even get me started on the wood, oh so very very much wood.
But great wines do exist. In the cooler regions like Elgin, voor Schaapenberg and Sondagskloof, producers like Hannay, Hermanuspietersfontein and Waterkloof manage to extract an almost Burgundian elegance and earthiness, like the Cotes de Nuits, just bigger and riper, with beetroot, white pepper, forest floor, and that dense concentrated bright red fruit. Not quite Chinon or Bourgueil but still that grippy, stalky tannin, lip-smacking acidity, and long chalky finish. My kind of wine.
Stellenbosch is blessed with great wines in abundance from stalwarts like Raats and Warwick, the former showing a more restrained, perfumed style of wine with dried fynbos and lavender, while the later certainly shows that savoury ploughed earth and black olive character. Neither to be mistaken for dainty wines, both with that classic Cabernet DNA of graphite, cassis, and cigar box.
Not to be outdone Stellenbosch Vineyards produces a wine strangely in contrast with itself, showing black fruit and mint, a bit disjointed in youth but will certainly integrate in time. Speaking of time, two wines that certainly demand ageing is the Edgebaston Camino Africana Cabernet Franc 2015 and Villiera The Clan 2015. Two very different styles, both incredibly hard work in their youth, with dense unrelenting tannin, yet neither lacking any varietal expression and both equally poised to reward those with patience and a good cellar.
Heading over the mountain, Rainbow’s End shows another unique style, almost indistinguishable from Cabernet Sauvignon, except for the undertones of curry leaf and that slightly chalky finish before ending with Holden Manz in Franschhoek where the people’s Cab shows its boldest expression yet with plum, blackcurrant, aniseed, clove, nutmeg, and a seemingly endless finish.
After running the gamut of Cape Cab Franc I think it’s safe to say that the Kingdom of Cab won’t be usurped any time soon, but perhaps there exists space for a coalition, a united front, classic Cabernet Sauvignon with its familiar bold fruit and the lighter side of Cabernet Franc with its endless incarnations of aromatic perfume and characteristic chalky finish.
See below for individual summarised tastings notes on our favourite wines of the evening. Tasted blind by Esmé Groenewald, Joakim Blackadder and myself, Barry Scholfield.
Raats Family Wines Cabernet Franc 2015
The first thing you notice is the perfume. Delicate but persistent dried fynbos, a bit of dried lavender and thyme followed by deep brooding perfectly ripe blackberry, redcurrant, and graphite that leads to a dense, dusty palate and slightly chalky finish. Outstanding.
Raats Family Wines Cabernet Franc 2013
Clearly showing the DNA of its younger sibling now a bit more expressive. Abundant upfront dried herbs, red currant, and blackberry, markedly smoother tannin, graphite turning to cedar and still that beautiful slightly chalky finish. Outstanding.
Raats Family Wines Cabernet Franc 2008
Now in the prime of its life, ten years old and still showing primary fruit. Dried fynbos lavender and thyme. Delicately subdued red currant, blackberry and a hint of prunes with cigar box, pencil shavings that characteristic slightly chalky almost saline finish, now accompanied by just a hint of mint. Outstanding.
Stellenbosch Vineyards Cabernet Franc Reserve 2015
Expressive and fragrant aromas of mint, lots of mint, chocolate, clove and wet biltong with contrasting aromas of tart cherry and concentrated ripe blackberries. A bit flirtatious in its youth but showing great promise. Very Good.
Waterkloof Circumstance Cabernet Franc 2013
Restrained, Burgundian Pinot Noir-esque nose, like the Cotes de Nuits, just bigger, riper, with beetroot, white pepper, forest floor, and that dense concentrated bright red fruit. Not quite Chinon or Bourgueil but still that grippy, stalky tannin, lip-smacking acidity, and long chalky finish. My kind of wine. Outstanding.
Warwick Estate Cabernet Franc 2015
Pronounced blackcurrant and ripe red cherries with violets, crushed undergrowth, and olives that lead to a beautifully savoury palate of freshly tilled earth, cured meat, dark chocolate, cigar box and a slightly saline finish almost reminiscent of salted dark chocolate and fresh blackberries. Outstanding.
Rainbow’s End Cabernet Franc 2016
Classic combinations of ripe concentrated and perfectly defined blackberry, cassis and graphite with tight grippy tannin, its heritage given away by a delicate aroma of curry leaf and lavender. Very good. Very Good.
Edgebaston Camino Africana Cabernet Franc 2015
Unmistakably Stellenbosch Cabernet Franc. Expressive, concentrated dark & red currant, cassis, blackcurrant, and liquorice. Dense and unyielding tannin with a hint of fried mushrooms and brewers yeast. This isn’t a wine for the faint of heart, hard work in its youth but it’ll age forever and reward those with unwavering patience. Outstanding.
Hannay Cabernet Franc 2016
Again that Pinot-esque nose with concentrated and seductive raspberry, red currant and a hint of root vegetables followed by delicate aromas of smoke, toast and fresh herbs. Very Good.
Hermanuspietersfontein Swartskaap 2015
Vibrant upfront red fruit with a bouquet of fennel, liquorice, thyme, rosemary, violet and bright red fruit followed by fine dusty tannin. Very Good.
Holden Manz Cabernet Franc Reserve 2015
A big bold bruiser of a wine with a dense concentrated black fruit of plum and blackberry, perfectly integrated smoke, toast, nutmeg and clove with an endless mouthful of concentrated ripe black fruit in this finish. Very Good.
Villiera The Clan 2015
Upfront aromas of aromatic fresh herbs and crushed undergrowth dominate over the deceptively restrained yet densely brooding nose of highly concentrated black fruit. This is not a wine to be drunk now but has the structure and the concentration to evolve beautifully and will reward those with patience and a good cellar. Outstanding.
Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2012
One of the most complex wines of the day showing the true art of blending with aromas of black and red fruit, dark and bright, red currant, cherry, blackberry, plum, and cassis, complemented by just a hint of savoury earthiness and characteristic liquorice and lavender. Barely showing it’s age, except for perfectly integrated velvety smooth tannin. I wish all wines were released at six years of age. Outstanding.
Warwick Trilogy 2015
Deep concentrated aromas of blackcurrant, bramble, blackberries, fennel aniseed, cinnamon, and cigar box. Dry and precise on the palate with beautiful acidity, dense tannin and concentrated flavours that end in a long grippy, pleasantly herbal finish of coffee, dried thyme, bramble, and fennel. Outstanding.
MR de Compostella 2015
Upfront aromas of concentrated red and black fruit, red currant, cassis, blueberry and bramble followed by a delicate perfume of dried fynbos, thyme a pleasant leafy vegetal note and a touch of mint. Restrained perfectly integrated smoke, toast and clove and curry leaf with an undertone of graphite and a dusty earthiness. Outstanding, world class.
