Camino Africana Cabernet Franc 2014

This wine signifies something truly special to me as a winemaker and is part of my journey in life and wine in South Africa, hence the name, Camino Africana, “The African Way”

A wine for maturation and enjoyment when the time is truly ripe for the reward.  

Soil Type: Deep white pebble, seabed alluvial soils in Somerset West

Harvest Date: March 2014

The 5 tons Cab Franc grapes were carefully sorted and crushed whole berry into a 5 ton fermenter.   After 3 days cold soak and allowing spontaneous fermentation to take place, pumpovers occurred 3 times per day for 14 days.  10 days post ferment maceration was followed by a soft press and further 18 months maturation in New 300 litre Allier Hogshead barrels.  Bottled with minimal filtration and no fining to maintain the wines fine structure.

This wine is made from Cabernet Franc planted on an old seabed in the Helderberg Basin.  The soils reminded me very much of the Graves region in Bordeaux, allowing me to spot the potential to make a great wine from these vineyards that are threatened by Urban encroachment.  In my search for special and undiscovered sites and wines, I am proud to have found theses grapes and have followed their path into this fantastic example of what potential there truly exists for Cabernet Franc in the Helderberg area of Stellenbosch when the right variety is fitted into the perfect site and terroir.