The top 6 wines is an essential part of the Cabernet Franc Carnival and is often the only place to taste these winning wines due to small volumes produced.The tutored tasting was presented by Christine Rudman who needs no introduction to the South African wine industry. A Cape Wine Master, Christine is a seasoned judge, writer and over-all influencer with over four decades experience in the industry.
The Top Six were:Ondine Cabernet Franc 2014
My Wyn Cabernet Franc 2015
Anthology Cabernet Franc 2015
Morgenster Cabernet Franc 2015
Warwick Cabernet Franc 2015
Rainbow’s End Cabernet Franc Ltd. Release 2016
Special tasting:Holden Manz Cabernet Franc 2013Ondine Cabernet Franc 2014
Ormonde Private Cellar is situated in the Darling area on the West Coast of South Africa.
This Cabernet Franc comes from their speciality range with vineyards of 18 years old. Their first bottling of Cabernet Franc was in 2007.
For only R95 a bottle, this wine is elegant with distinct perfumy aromas and a great mouthfeel. This wine requires less robust food and this is a charcuterie kind of wine. An every day drinking wine that is great value for money.
My Wyn Cabernet Franc 2015
My Wyn is Franschhoek’s smallest wine cellar. Jacoline Haasbroek manages the cellar and wine-tasting on her own.
My Wyn’s product range comes straight from the heart and she buys in all her grapes from renowned local suppliers. She also never makes more than three barrels of any cultivar.
All the wine of My Wyn is unfiltered, labeled by hand. The label has a feminine touch and symbolises the contents – authentic and modest.
The first bottling of Cabernet Franc was in 2006. A fuller body wine with slight herbaceousness. Definitely a food wine with great structure and this one was a favourite during the tutored tasting.
Anthology Cabernet Franc 2015
Brand new in the platter’s guide and this wine was quite impressive. The label is unique and you actually have to read it. The word Anthology ~ a collection of written works, usually poetry.
Anthology Wines belongs to a Johannesburg Banking Analyst who used to live in Cape Town. Although his real job is in Johannesburg, his passion is to make wine. He makes his wine at the Marklew cellar which is close to Warwick.
The Cabernet Franc has an elegant colour with a lovely perfumy smell on the nose with notes of blackcurrants and violets. On the palate it is quite complexed with a silky finish and lingering tannins.
Morgenster Cabernet Franc 2015
Morgenster is situated in Somerset West and overlooking the Helderberg mountains.
It is a thriving olive and wine farm and belongs to an Italian who spends half of the year here and the other half in Italy.
The first bottling of this Cabernet Franc was in 2014. Aromas of black and red cherries. Intriguing earthy and spicy nuances of liquorice, vanilla and sweet cinnamon. Silky smooth and sweet on the palate, with beautiful ripe fruit wound tightly into elegantly constructed tannins.
Warwick Cabernet Franc 2015
The very first Cabernet Franc appeared in the 1982 addition of the Platter’s guide and Landskroon was the first ones to bottle Cabernet Franc in South Africa.
The second bottling after Landskroon was Warwick. Planted in 1981 and was planted for the Trilogy bordeaux blend. The first vintage in the bottle was in 1988.
The wine displays an intense ruby red colour in the glass. The bouquet is reminiscent of cherries, blackcurrants and has tones of dark chocolate. The palate is full bodied with firm but silky tannins.
Rainbow’s End Cabernet Franc Limited Release 2016
It is situated in Banghoek area just as you go over the Helshoogte pass, encircled by beautiful mountains. One needs a 4 wheel drive to get there.
A pot of gold and a divine promise of sun after the rain are all concepts that come to mind when this name was chosen.
They only made 300 cases of this wine. The vineyard was planted in 2000 and was first bottled in 2005.
For those who enjoy the finer things in life this is definitely ready to drink now, however will develop beautifully within 2 to 5 years. Deep maroon in colour and a palate with savoury complexity, there is no truer representation of a more authentic Cabernet Franc.
Holden Manz Cabernet Franc 2013
Situated within an array of Franschhoek wine farms at the top of the Franschhoek Valley. We were fortunate to taste this 2013 Cabernet Franc as this was the star of the show.
Rich and elegant soft-textured wine with predominant cassis and dark berries. Well balanced savoury flavours with good volume. Wood is well integrated, pleasantly subtle tannins.
Unfortunately not for sale as they only made 3 barrels of this wine. However, the 2015 Cabernet Franc is just as delicious and cost R695 per bottle.
Definitely an informative tutored tasting and we learned a lot about this black-skinned berry called Cabernet franc. Elegant with great structure!
