Pondokrug Cabernet Franc

All grapes used in producing this wine are grown on two small terraces of Pondokrug. These small parcels of grapes were specifically selected, harvested by hand and vinified separately. Fermentation was carried out by yeast which occur naturally on the grape skins and in the winery. Our red wines spend three to four weeks fermenting and macerating on the skins in small open top tanks with one or two gentle ‘punch-downs’ performed per day.

The 2019 vintage was quite a challenging one at Keermont. The yields were very small, but the wines have turned out beautifully. Coming off the back of four very dry years in the Cape, the vines were taking a bit strain. Winter rainfall was just slightly below average. Winter temperatures were moderate and perhaps not cold enough for the vines to break dormancy properly as we experienced quite uneven budding in spring. Spring started off cool and wet so the vines grew well, although the disease pressure was quite high. From that point onwards, the vintage conditions were good with some summer rains and warm temperatures without any major heat spikes. Harvest started on 30 January, but was interrupted by 40mm of rain the following week. This pepped the vines up for the final ripening of the grapes. Grapes were harvested in a very healthy condition although sugar levels were generally lower and acidity varied.

This wine spent 20 months maturing in seasoned 225 litre French oak barrels before being bottled by hand without filtration.