Cab Franc Chronicles - Your source for all things Cabernet Franc!

--------------------

Analysis and commentary of the Rainbow’s End, 2018 Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Sadly it is a little difficult to find examples of South African Cabernet Franc in Ontario, but from the examples I've tasted to date, this country is one of the most exciting in the Southern Hemisphere for the variety in my opinion. More and more wineries are making single varietal Cabernet Franc, from regions all across the country.

Rainbow's End began in 1978 when Jacques Mellan purchased a farm in the southern end of the Banghoek Valley. Today, Jacques is joined by his two sons Anton and François, and they are farming around 22 hectares of vines, of which 2.6 hectares are Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc has been an important variety for the winery since the beginning, producing their first single varietal Cabernet Franc in 2005. Today, they make 3 examples of the variety including two reds and a rosé.

Stellenbosch is the most historic region in South Africa, and it also is the #1 region in the country for hectares under vine at about 16.5% of all vines planted. The climate of the region is Mediterranean, with moderating influences from the breezes that come off of False Bay, altitude and vineyard aspect. The diversity of microclimates and soils across the region has led to the creation of 7 unique wine wards that make up the Stellenbosch district.

The wards that are the furthest west in the district, such as Polkadraai Hills, will be one of the coolest, because it receives the strongest influence off of False Bay. The wards in the centre of the region are generally the warmest. Banghoek is the newest ward in the Stellenbosch district, and it is the furthest east, and it also on the cooler side (though not as cool as Polkadraai Hills) because of some key influences.

Banghoek follows the Banghoek River Valley from north to south. The region is surrounded by three major mountain ranges: the Simonsberg Mountains to the north, the Jonkershoek Mountains to the southwest and the Groot Drankenstein Mountains to the southeast. These mountains are extremely important for defining the region's climate. They create vineyards at elevation, around 400-500m above sea level. They also cast shadows on the vineyards at key moments during the day to provide essential shading from the intense sunshine. The mountains also help to funnel in the cool breezes from the southeast, and the dry breezes from the north, which help to moderate conditions. The region receives a high amount of precipitation, about 1000mm annually, so these breezes help to provide essential ventilation in the vineyards and reduce disease pressure. The soils that dominate the region are generally derived from granite, with a good balance of moisture retention capacity and drainage.

The Rainbow's End vineyards are in the southern end of the Banghoek Valley in the foothills of the Jonkershoek Mountains. The two blocks for this wine are on north-facing slopes at elevations of around 450 to 550m above sea level. The soils are known as red oakleaf, which is a sandy clay-loam soil. The vines were planted in 2001, and its a 1.34ha block. This site is actually one of the latest sites for ripening Cabernet Franc in the Stellenbosch district.

For the winemaking, the fruit is hand-harvested and all destemmed. The berries undergo a cold soak for about 3 days, fermentation is in open top tanks, with selected yeast, with a temperatures of around 25-28C. They will do punch downs during the first third of fermentation to aid extraction. It is a combination of free run and press wine. Aging is in 225L oak barrels, 30% of which is new.

While still relatively early in the region's history, Banghoek is emerging as a special region for Cabernet Franc in South Africa. A number of wines from the region are receiving very positive accolades from local and international press, and several wineries are putting a strong emphasis on the variety in their vineyards. So this region is one to put on your radar for Cabernet Franc!

0:00 Intro/Overview
0:52 Stellenbosch district overview
2:33 Banghoek ward overview
3:29 Banghoek growing environment
5:52 Soils!
6:21 Cabernet Franc and the Banghoek W.O.
6:58 Rainbow's End vineyards
8:40 Winemaking
9:42 Banghoek name origin and history
11:07 Tasting notes

--------------------

Website in progress with a full write up and tons more content.
Originally posted to Instagram August 1, 2022.

--------------------

Key wine facts below:

Producer: Rainbow’s End
Region: Coastal Region
District: Stellenbosch
Ward: Banghoek
Soil: red oakleaf, a granite-derived sandy-clay loam
Alcohol: 14.5%

---------------------

FOLLOW ME: Instagram: [ Ссылка ]

#cabfranc​ #cabernetfranc​ #cabfrancchronicles​ #cabfrancdujour​ #rainbowsend #stellenbosch #southafricanwine

свернуть