Cabernet Franc Reserve

Medium rare kudu fillet; vine roasted tomatoes; fried corn polenta. Tomato bredie.

Another drought vintage! Winter 2016 was cool with good early rains in June however this did not continue and August was warm and dry resulting in early bud burst. The re- occurrence of a strong south-easter at inopportune moments caused the berries to be smaller but with good colour, acidity and taste profile. A low disease index minimized spray intervention while maintaining a very healthy crop. The harvest season was noteworthy for its lack of heatwave; long cool nights and pleasant late summer days which contributed to exceptional ripeness. Our 2017 wines are concentrated with dense flavours and good colour.

Harvested on 28th March 2017 compared with 12th March for the 2016 vintage. 100% barrel fermented using wild yeast before 22 months of maturation in a selection of French oak barrels. Selected bunches from our cabernet franc vineyard were berry sorted before a 10 day cold soak. Berries were transferred to French oak barrels (100% new) and allowed to ferment slowly using wild yeast at low temperatures. This wine consists of mainly free run juice with some juice from the heart of the press.

Holden Manz is a family owned wine producer located in the heart of the beautiful Franschhoek Valley. Established by owners Gerard Holden & Migo Manz in 2010 the estate grows cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and syrah and sources a selection of white varietals from specialist growers.