2019 Raats Family Wines - Original Chenin Blanc

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Chenin Blanc from vineyards in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The average vine age is 37 years old. The vines are planted on two different soil types sandstone or decomposed dolomite granite. Sandstone soil grapes are softer with riper aromatics. Granite soil grapes are more acidic with citrus and mineral aromatics. Each soil type is vinified and age separately. The juice is fermented in stainless steel and aged on lees for four months. The wine proudly states that it is "unwooded" on the label. The wines are of the two soil types are blended before bottling·

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of key lime, lime blossom, orange blossom, grapefruit pith, yellow apple, underripe pineapple, and steely·

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), and medium body. A medium- length finish of lime, floral notes, and steeliness·

🔔 Pure Chenin Blanc that is utterly untouched by oak. The wine has proper tension with a delicate flavor profile of citrus and florals. This wine provides a lot of drinking pleasure for a very respectable price point. South African Chenin Blanc is so underappreciated, and this would be a great summer wine to have by the pool·

 2019 Raats Family Wines - Original Chenin Blanc

2012 Radford Dale - Renaissance Chenin Blanc (90 pts)

_dale Deep lemon color. Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of lemon sorbet, lemon zest, steely, smoke, chamomile, and something salty almost like ocean breeze (I know that sounds lame). The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol (super balanced), and medium body. This wine has a great texture almost creamy (lees aging) and while the nose is good the palate is really well put together. The palate shows flavors of lemon curd, pie crust, mineral, steely, seashell, and light floral aromas. The steely notesresonate throughout, but there is subtle smokiness that is really intriguing on the medium+ length finish. Easily the most compelling South African Chenin Blanc that I have tasted in some time. 👏👏👏 Well done! 🇿🇦

 2012 Radford Dale - Renaissance Chenin Blanc (90 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is from the Stellenbosch wine region in South Africa. De Toren is Dutch for ”The Tower” and refers to the winery's structure, which allows for gravity-flow winemaking. Z is a blend of 53% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, and 6% Petit Verdot. The vineyards are six miles from False Bay, with south-facing slopes and a mixture of soil types. The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, then basket pressed. The wine was aged in oak barrels for 12 months, with 25% of new, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fill barrels. The Malbec was aged in American oak, while the other grapes aged in French oak.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe blackcurrant, red plum, raspberry, leather, oak, sandalwood, baking spices, bay leaf, and oregano.

👄 The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium round tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and medium+ body. The profile on the palate is more herbal than the nose. A medium length finish of ripe plums, berries, leather, and dried herbs.

🔔 De Toren Z is an impressive example of a right bank Bordeaux blend from Stellenbosch. The fruit is relatively restrained and entirely in balance. The oak is well integrated, and the palate has a good weight that shows as plush, but still fresh. If you are looking to try some South African wines from Stellenbosch, I recommend checking out De Toren. This wine would be fun to taste against some wines from St Emilion. 🤔💡

 2015 De Toren - Z (90 pts) @detorenprivatecellar ℹ️ This

ℹ️ This wine is a Cabernet Franc dominated blend from vineyards in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The blend is 48% Cabernet Franc, 36% Malbec, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. The vines are planted on decomposed dolomite granite. The grapes were hand-sorted, crushed, and left to cold soak on the skins for five days. After finishing fermentation in stainless steel, the wine was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels (varying from second fill to fourth fill). Bottled unfined and unfiltered·

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of stewed strawberry, raspberry, fruit leather, tobacco, thyme, anise, and violets·

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ ripe tannins, medium+ alcohol (14%), and medium+ body. A medium length finish of strawberry jam, tobacco, and thyme·

🔔 A Cabernet Franc blend from South Africa, not something I taste every day. The green notes are minimal and more dried herbs with tons of ripe and cooked down red fruits. Tobacco and violet notes add complexity. Again, delivering for the money. Super reliable wines and at a fair price point·

 2015 Raats Family Wines - Red Jasper @raatsfamilywines  · ℹ️

Interview with Bruwer Raats of Raats Family Wine. He is the owner and winemaker. We discussed his love of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. We talked about the Original Chenin Blanc made from grapes coming from two unique soils to reach a pure expression of the grape. We then discussed the Jasper Red Blend, which is an homage to his father. He talks about how Malbec is the true blending partner for the Cabernet Franc dominated blend.

 Interview with Bruwer Raats of Raats Family Wine. He is the

ℹ️ This wine is from the Stellenbosch wine region in South Africa. De Toren is Dutch for ”The Tower” and refers to the winery's structure, which allows for gravity-flow winemaking. Fusion V is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 14% Malbec, 11% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot. The vineyards are six miles from False Bay, with south-facing slopes and a mixture of soil types. The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, then basket pressed. The wine was aged in oak barrels for 12 months, with 50% of new and 50% 2nd fill barrels. Each grape variety is vinified and aged separately. All grape varieties are aged in French oak barrels, except Malbec, which is aged in American oak.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, oak, cedar, star anise, bitter dark chocolate, and bay leaf.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ ripe tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and medium+ body. A medium+ length finish of a mix of ripe black fruit, oak spices, and earthy.

🔔 De Toren Fusion V is a step up in overall quality than the De Toren Z. There is a lot of preference with that statement. Fusion V is more of a left bank Bordeaux blend from Stellenbosch. These wines are clean, perfectly ripe fruit, and well structured for aging. On the nose, this smells quite old world, but there are gobs of ripe black fruit on the palate that is married beautifully with the oak spices. A winery to pay attention to in Stellenbosch, these wines will surprise a lot of people. Given the fair prices, these represent outstanding QPR wines.

 2016 De Toren - Fusion V (92 pts) @detorenprivatecellar ℹ️

Raats Family Wines Instagram Live Interview and Tasting with Bruwer Raats

🎙 On Tuesday, May 19th, at noon PST, Bruwer Raats Proprietor and Winemaker

 will be joining me for an Instagram Live session. We will be discussing the pursuit to make world-class Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc in Stellenbosch, South Africa·

🍷 We will be tasting the 2019 Raats unwooded Original Chenin Blanc and the 2015 Raats Red Jasper the Cabernet Franc dominated red blend·

 Raats Family Wines Instagram Live Interview and Tasting

🇿🇦🍷De Toren Private Cellar Instagram Live Interview and Tasting with Winemaker Martin Fourie. Join us Friday, at 9 am PST as we discuss crafting Bordeaux blends in Stellenbosch, South Africa·

🍷 We will be tasting the De Toren Fusion V and Z·

📍Stellenbosch is the second oldest wine region in South Africa. First planted in 1679. The region is surrounded by mountains and hills, but has a Mediterranean climate due to the influence of the nearby False Bay·

 🇿🇦🍷De Toren Private Cellar Instagram Live Interview and

🍇70% Cabernet Sauvignon / 20% Merlot / 10% Cabernet Franc

Located in the Eerste River Valley (Stellenbosch) just next to the river, this world famous winery is surrounded by soils of decomposed granite and clay.

Its proximity to the sea allows its vineyards to benefit from the cooling effect of the prevailing south-east wind during the hot Cape summers, permitting a slow ripening of the grapes for a rich varietal aroma.

First of all, the color is amazing. Almost blood red with a purple depth and a light brown edge.

Leave it open for an hour at least, and the bouquet slowly opens with a black cherry and plummy  base, followed by tobacco, baked capsicum, pepper, cloves and forrest floor with a hint of pencil shavings. There’s a clear tone of toasted oak to it as well (makes sense: the wine is matured in 80% new Nevers barrique and 20% second fill).

The palate is medium bodied with an impressive freshness and tannic structure taken the age in consideration.

Together with flavors of blackcurrant, prunes, dark chocolate and an olive-like finish, this is all in all a very delicate and well balanced Stellenbosch wine.

 Meerlust Estate Rubicon, 2000 - Stellenbosch, South Africa🇿🇦

Another one from Meerlust. This time something totally different from what I’d call a traditional Chardonnay.

Actually, I’m in doubt if the wine is a little bit off... in some weird (maybe not bad) way. No matter what, it was an exciting experience.

In the beginning, I couldn’t really place the spices of the nose. I clearly got some pineapple, kumquat, yellow apple and acacia, but there was a very special minerality and petrol-like scent. Also a bit of parmesan...

After a while in the glass it smoothed out a bit, and more classic notes showed up: Marzipan, lemon, toasted bread, buttercup and cloves.

But still with a little, weird camphor in the background.

The palate is round, medium+ bodied and has a lovely sharp acidity.

A mix of muskmelon, pomelo and lemon fromage is the main fundament of the wine, followed closely by browned butter, oak, hazelnuts, heather and clay pot. It’s also a bit petrol-like on the tongue.

I have to try it again, to see if it was off or not.

 Meerlust Estate Chardonnay, 2007 - Stellenbosch, South

Mick and Jeanine Craven focus on crafting wines that express the unique Stellenbosch terroir; they work with organic growers of particular vineyard sites with “unique soils and micro-climates”.

Grapes are from a young vines in “sedimentary rock, cemented into a duricrust by iron oxides. Locally this red soil is called Koffieklip or Coffee Stone”.

Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in open top vats on the skins for 6 days with occasional light pumpovers and punch-downs. “The skins were quite thick and tannic in 2019 due to drought, so they decided to limit extraction.”

Aged for 8 months in old French oak tonneau, unfined, unfiltered, with a minimal amount of SO2.

Ruby-coral in colour, with alluring aromas of blood orange, wild cherry, strawberry, hibiscus flower, iron minerality and amber resin. Pomegranate, cherry, red apple and red currant are flanked by green tea tannins and fresh acidity.

Black cherry, along with a trace of elder flower liqueur linger on the smoky finish.