Bruwer Raats’s focus on Chenin is as defining as his focus on Cabernet Franc. Chenin today represents history and quality in South Africa. Cabernet Franc, on the other hand, started from almost nothing. It had absolutely no solid history as a single variety anywhere in the world, apart from the Loire. Somehow Bruwer’s passion for the Loire Valley drove him here. Discovering a pigeon pair in Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, both driven by freshness and elegance and seldom by their impressively broad shoulders. 

In the Loire at the time, Chenin had already proven itself a standalone success, though not AS Chenin Blanc. It was all about the place, NOT variety. Slowly, however, Loire producers realised it might not be a bad idea to put the variety on the label, and it sold! The people out there finally got it. Admit it. Chenin Blanc has everything you want in a white variety. It has the possibility of impressing with its acidity, its capacity to communicate place when treated accordingly, while in the most chameleon-like way, offering a broad diversity of styles. And South Africa has mastered it to perfection and made it more famous than ever. A win-win for all.  

The little tweaker

Cabernet Franc is demanding. Less easy to tame. To understand. To like. Even harder to love. And maybe just because of that, almost always part of a blend. The little tweaker, the one who, with its irresistible charismatic herbal bite, linear core, and acidity elevates any “it´s all about the base” shaped bodies to the next level. It extends the beauty of what’s already there, airing out the layers of something made to impress by weight and power. Cab Franc can do its magic all over the world. But what a difficult one to tame without the support of its loyal Aquitaine partners. It is useless at hiding flaws. Just like Pinot Noir, you can’t get away that easily if you´ve made mistakes along the way. Which is one of the reasons I think Bruwer relishes the challenge. His scientific approach to detail. His precision in search of the Holy Grail.

The trick is to build enough flesh around the bonier structure without losing elegance. Building complexity and intensity with many fine, airy, vertical layers instead of aiming for more of the broad-shouldered, dense power that is so definitive of Cabernet Sauvignon. Enough cool-climate expression to maintain its beautiful green herbal characters and its captivating floral perfume while ripe enough not to risk that borderline weedy, cedary dryness and edgy, dry tannins. Fragrance is key. And the freshness of green herbs should not be confused with unripe green bell pepper or cut grass. Two very different shades of green. Concentrated enough without being heavy. Complex enough without risking over-extraction. Juicy without being light. A play between pretty, red raspberry fruit and dark, serious, crunchy blackcurrant. A charcoal mineral sensation of cold ash without an ashtray quality. And always with a focused line of freshness, cleaning up your palate to make way for the next sip. You need someone with undivided attention to attend to the needs of this challenging lady. The key is focus. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. 

A knife's edge

The global benchmark for Cabernet Franc in its pure, unblended state will always bring you back to its original home. But the famous Loire Cab Francs were not always as hyped or as easy to sell in the trendy sommelier circles of today. In the early 2000s, apart from the most solid quality producers in appellations such as Chinon, St Nicolas du Bourgeuil, and Saumur-Champigny, the region was fighting against perceptions of negative greenness, dilution, and hard, dry tannins. The emotionally-charged concept of greenness, a swear word in critical circles, about anything with familial ties to the Cabernet varieties. As beautiful as it can be in the right mix, it’s all about balancing that beautiful green character on a knife’s edge. 

The taming process 

To try and tame a variety planted in the 11th century, with all the tradition inherent to it. Passed on from father to son for generations, into becoming more attractive to the modern wine drinker, it’s remarkable that the Loire decided to launch a project to do just that in 2005. To get to grips with their most challenging variety through unifying producers and learning from a London-based MW and winemaking consultant from New Zealand, Sam Harrop. A brave move but a real catalyst for change. 

Has Cab Franc found a home in the Cape?

Yes, however, mostly as a de-botox-ifying blend component. There are a few excellent examples found in its unblended state. Mostly from the decomposed granite hills around Polkadraai and Bottelary Hills. Apart from Raats, there are a few others in the neighborhood, of which both Kaapzicht and Jordan have nailed it, though still in very small bottlings. So has Lukas van Loggerenberg with his Breton. Warwick Estate on the slopes of the Simonsberg, with plantings rightfully increasing year on year, a real classic since the early 1990s. Chris Keet (Jnr, his uncle is Chris Snr of Keet Wines) shows off his enormous talent and passion for Cab Franc in his first vintage of the hugely promising Weather Report. With grapes sourced from as far afield as Elgin, Botriver, Hemel en Aarde, Paarl, and the Klein Karoo. Still, a blend though the high altitude Helderberg site of what was once the Cab Franc driven benchmark of the Cape, Cordoba Crescendo (under Chris Keet Snr's hand), has turned into Taaibosch and is a lovely example of a more generous style. Though, not many dare get as close to that knife’s edge as Bruwer. 

Can you be the King of Two Kingdoms? 

The Chenin kingdom is getting crowded. But Cabernet Franc has very few vying for the throne. Her throne? Cabernet Franc may very well be a lady. 

Bruwer leads the way. The softest, biggest lionheart, with an unbeatable passion for these matters. Possessing the attitude and willpower to stand strong in the storm, against those challenging and questioning his resolve. Going your own way, bringing its own ups and downs, asking yourself why and if it wouldn’t have been easier to find a simpler route. But that’s definitely not the Bruwer way. Trial and error, persistence. Try and try again. If anyone has proven that Cab Franc can be decoded in the granite soils of the Bottelary and Polkadraai Hills of Stellenbosch, it is The Chenin King. His scientific approach combined with extraordinary attention to detail and his philosophy “Quality by Design”, allowing him not one, but TWO kingdoms.

The Dolomite 2019

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.

The Family Cabernet Franc 2019

This wine combines everything that makes the Dolomite shine so bright in this vintage, with more intensity and seriousness and less air between the tightly packed layers. A masterpiece, with everything in place to convince me that this is Bruwer’s most successful attempt YET. This wine effortlessly highlights the exceptional beauty of the variety when everything is done RIGHT. What excites me most about these two Cab Francs, in this vintage particularly, is that there is such a strong link between them. Sharing a strong identity of place rather than being driven by such obvious differences in style - the mark of successful decoding.

Bruwer might have to rethink his Twitter handle.