Warwick Estate Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch

Description

Warwick Estate Cabernet Franc is a single vineyard wine from this famous, family-owned and run wine estate located in Simonsberg, Stellenbosch. Warwick are probably most famous for their Cape blend, the Warwick Trilogy, but the their Cabernet Franc has got to be one of the best examples of Cabernet Franc from South Africa.

Warwick Wine Estate has a long history. The estate was known as De Goede Sukses Farm from 1771 until 1902 when it was bought by a Colonel William Alexander Gordon, Commanding Officer of the Warwickshire regiment. Colonel Gordon renamed the farm “Warwick” as a tribute to his regiment. Stan Ratcliffe bought the estate on April 1st 1964 after searching for the best vineyard sites in the the Cape. Together with his new bride Norma, they soon realized the potential of the extraordinary property and began planting Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines produced really high quality grapes, which were soon in demand from neighbouring wineries. Norma became more and more interested in the making of wine and began to study the subject. Soon a cellar was in place and in 1984 the first “legal” Warwick wine vintage was released (a Cabernet Sauvignon). Managing Director Michael Ratcliffe is the 3rd generation family member to oversee this high quality boutique operation.

Warwick Estate Cabernet Franc is made from 100% Cabernet Franc grapes. They use 2 separate clones, CF 214b produces small berries, with good tannin and an herbaceous tone and allows for long maturation. The CF1 clone is grassier with berry notes and produces balanced wines. The soils are primarily Oakleaf, but the vineyard for the Cabernet Franc has more granite than their other vineyards, on which the Cabernet excels. The grapes are hand harvested in the cool, early hours of the morning to ensure they arrive at the winery in good condition. At the winery the grapes are gently crushed, destemmed and sorted by hand on a sorting table. There is a 5 day cold soak prior to fermentation which included daily pump overs and two rack and returns. After alcoholic fermentation the grapes were lightly pressed and the wine undergoes malolactic in tank. Finally the wine is aged in 225L tight grain medium and light toast French oak barrels (100% new) for 24 months.

Winemaker is Nic van Aarde.