Regional Focus: Franschhoek, ZA

While working on some wine study this week (which has not been exactly easy with all of the distractions and works schedule getting tossed about due to the global pandemic), I landed on South Africa, and specifically Franschhoek. I got here due to the fact that I posted a Survey on Facebook and asked folks to vote on which wine I should open and discuss from my cellar. I gave several choices - all from the 2001 vintage.

Why 2001? Well, I had 19 stuck in my head for some reason, and so I went back 19 years to see what I had about. It turns out there are quite a few items in my cellar from that vintage - I was working as a sales rep at the time, and I had the opportunity to accumulate quite a bit of wine from suppliers, personal purchases and the odd sample that never got used. Of the selections offered up for opening were a Barolo from La Spinetta, a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from Ladera Winery, and the Cabernet Sauvignon from Boekenhoutskloof Winery from the Franschhoek region of the Western Cape in South Africa (ZA). The winner, with 2/3 of the votes, was the Boekenhoutskloof, and was it ever good.

The key points on this wine are: it is from the 2001 vintage, a vintage that was hot and very low yielding - in fact the lowest yields since the 1988 vintage for the most part. Additionally, Boekenhoutskloof had only been making wine for about 5 years, and they made one of the highest regarded wines of the vintage. This wine scored very well in the press and there were many comments from reviewers that indicated long aging was ahead for this wine. As I held this for 19 years or so I would agree upon opening it that there was indeed a lot to be hopeful in this wine. Those predicting agability were definitely correct in their predictions. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 27 months in French Oak barrels.

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 Guide to wineries in the the Franschhoek:

1 - Boekenhoutskloof
2 - Boschendal
3 - Anthonij Rupert / Cape of Good Hope
4 - Lynx
5 - Topiary
6 - Akkerdal
7 - La Chataigne
8 - Le Manoir de Brendel
9 - Elekehof
10 - Moreson
11 - La Motte
12 - Leopard's Leap
13 - Maison
14 - Four Paws
15 - Rickety Bridge
16 - Grande Provence
17 - Franschhoek Bellingham

18 - La Chaumiere
19 - Mullineux
20 - Mont Rochelle
21 - La Couronne
22 - La Bri
23 - Haut Espoir
24 - Stony Brook
25 - Holden Manz
26 - Colmant
27 - Black Elephant
28 - Haut Cabriere
29 - La Petite Ferm
30 - House of GM & Aherns
31 - La Petitie Vigne
32 - Cape Chamonix
33 - Dieu Donne
34 - My Wyn

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The basics on Franschhoek

• Part of the Western Cape Wine Region, Franschhoek is a stand-alone wine District.
• Even though it is technically part of the Coastal Region, it is generally considered one of the more inland parts of that region, mainly due to the fact that it is well protected by mountains on three sides and does not get direct influences from ocean breezes - Groot Drakenstein, Klein Drakenstein, and Simonsberg mountains. Cooler growing areas come from altitude rather than primarily weather.
• Was originally settled by French Huguenots in the late 1600s
• Water for irrigation comes down from the mountains and collects in the Berg River Dam and from the Berg River
• Lots of French heritage can be seen when visiting here - it is still a thing 400 years later!
• The region is fairly warm during the summer / harvest season, but rainfall is fairly high (around 1000mm annually)
• The Valley is home to some of South Africa’s noble cultivars. Top whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon and Chenin Blanc, to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Merlot.
• The region also produces extraordinary Méthode Cap Classiques sparkling wines, which can all be enjoyed during a trip along the Franschhoek MCC Route. Franschhoek now has an internal Prestige designation for top level MCC.
• A quality wine producing region with boutique wineries. Some producers like to stretch the limits of the Franschhoek wine region, as this is a cool address to be associated with. You will find producers in Paarl and even toward Stellenbosch that might be on the Franschhoek Wine Trail.
• As you might expect this is a region known for its cuisine and restaurants as well as its wine. You might find some French influences everywhere.