Raats Family Wines
Dolomite Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc from Stellenbosch, South Africa
Bottle size:
750 ml
Shipping: R99 nationwide
Raats Family Wines
Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. That’s it. Since 2000 founder Bruwer Raats has kept his focus on these two varieties believing that specialising would lead to success. This belief was not unfounded as today Raats Family Wines is regarded as a leader of South Africa’s Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc receiving consistent local and international accolades. With Gavin Bruwer joining Raats’ side in 2010 the family affair has one shared mission: to consistently produce Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc of outstanding quality from South Africa and to establish these wines as international benchmarks. As the Raats philosophy continues to flourish new curated additions have been introduced along the way. This includes the well-received vineyard-driven B Vintners Vine Exploration Co. range and the single wine speciality bottling of MR De Compostella – an incredibly successful collaboration between Raats himself and fellow winemaker and long-time friend Mzokona Mvemve. Based in the winemaking capital of Stellenbosch Bruwer Mzokona and Gavin’s winemaking criteria is rigorous and includes the quality of grape soil climate topography and of course the impact of the human hand which together embodies the truest meaning of terroir.
Description
"Hats off to anyone who has managed to capture the real beauty of Cab Franc, even if only a few barrels. The real hero is the one who manages to create a proud representative of both variety and place in big enough volumes to be distributed and enjoyed around the world. Sold at a great price-value ratio. A Franc that offers its lively, charmingly attractive red fruit spectrum and floral fragrance while holding on to its seriousness, in both structure and its characteristic herbal spectrum, which is so much part of its DNA. Winningly balanced on a knife’s edge. If you lose that, on either side, you lose its soul. And this is where Bruwer has completely nailed The Dolomite 2019 to absolute perfection. Part of its success is that this is not made as a “second wine”. It is not a declassified Raats Family Wines, not a selection of the “lesser barrels” to match a lower price point. It is proudly grown and made to be The Dolomite. And it will succeed in bringing more Cab Franc lovers into this world. Just as in the Loire, the challenge is to bring it to you in its purest expression. As flirty, as serious, while still being very capable of playing with your mind as much as offering enormous drinking pleasure. Where the bright, red-fruited juiciness stays in front of the gritty, spicy herbal edge, ready to charm your socks off. The first vintage of Dolomite was 2010. More than ten years of finetuning, the Bruwer way. Constantly evolving, taking in the feedback. Constantly going back to the drawing board and now getting into the very finest detail. Persistence is also king." - Madeleine Stenwreth MW
Food Pairing
Pork Loin with plum and Armagnac sauce / Game bird with red wine sauce / Springbok, Ostrich or Kudu / Karoo lamb / Hard cheeses
