Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc 2014
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Robert
Parker -
Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
Blend: 95% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Dolomite Cabernet Franc, which comes from decomposed dolomite granite soils, spent 12 months in used barrel and offers a defined red berry, rosemary and sage-scented bouquet with just a hint of pepper, expressing the grape variety with style. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, slightly austere tannin and just a touch of bell pepper, but it is very subtle, with a spicy finish that is more approachable that others that I have tasted. As always, this comes recommended.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2014 Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc drinks famously well. The wine offers loads of ripe, black fruit flavors and a smooth palate experience. Pair it with roast chicken. (Tasted: October 27, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
Raats Family Wines, founded in 2001 by brothers Bruwer and Jasper Raats, is focused solely on crafting world class Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, best known as the premier grapes of France's Loire Valley. The small, family-owned winery has quickly established itself as a New World leader in the production of these two varietals, garnering tremendous critical acclaim – including consistent 90+ ratings – and a dedicated fan base.
Raats is truly a family operation, and the clan firmly believes that South Africa's proliferation of older Chenin Blanc vineyards provides a unique opportunity to craft terroir-driven wines that serve as international benchmarks for the varietal. Raats owns several hectares of estate vineyards in the Polkadraai Hills. In addition, they source Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc from several extremely low-yielding old vines parcels where Bruwer maintains complete control of viticulture. These sites are characterized by complex soils of sandstone and decomposed granite.
For Bruwer, the greatest part of crafting wines under your own label is that "you don't have to worry about shareholders or catering to a market, or to keeping within a cellar's style. You can have freedom of expression in something that you believe in." The Raats family continues to win over hordes of thirsty consumers worldwide with their passionate belief in the classic, versatile and decidedly stylish varietals of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.