Great whites leap from the vines of the old Coastal Region, though reds of equal surprise are rarer. We’ve been tinkering with a possible Wildeberg Franschhoek red for 2 years now. In November 2019 the right wine spoke when we turned a proposed blend on its head which emitted from the team a few quiet sighs of delight. 90% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Franc, it’s by no means obvious on paper but makes so much sense in the glass.
Production
Wildeberg is our small farm in Franschhoek. Only 10ha can be planted to vines, the rest is wild. The fruit for the Wildeberg wines comes from the Franschhoek Valley only, hand-harvested, naturally-fermented and gently matured in our mountain barrel hall on the farm.
Wildeberg Red, Franschhoek 2022 (6 bottles case)
Vivino ratings
Tasting notes
It’s important this wine is enjoyed at cellar temperature. It’s a blend that ultimately surprised us in its components of 90% Syrah, 10% Cab Franc from two sites in Franschhoek. The nose of fresh crushed raspberries veiled with white and black pepper is hypnotic and sensual, especially for our climate. The palate has breadth and natural juiciness which is complimented by cranberry and peppercorn flavours.
Food match
Great with charuterie, juicy steak or traditional South African Bobotie.
Info
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ABV
14%
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CASE/BOTTLE SIZE
6 x 75cl
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REGION/COUNTRY
FRANSCHHOEK, SOUTH AFRICA
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GRAPE
SYRAH 90%, CABERNET FRANC 10%
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FEATURES
VEGETARIAN, VEGAN
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CLOSURE
CORK
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WINEMAKER
JD ROSSOUW
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APPELLATION
FRANSCHHOEK
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ALLERGEN INFO
CONTAINS SULPHITES AND NO OTHER ALLERGENS
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Meet the producer
The Earth’s mantle thrusts up above the gentle town of Franschhoek, a wild slice of untamed mountain on which sits a farm named Wildeberg. An established wine region for some 350 years, sensible generations never thought to plant a vine here until a happy band of idealists recently craned their necks up at this hillside and, dizzy with hope, decided to give it a go. Franschhoek is on the very edge of the south-eastern corner of the Cape’s venerable Coastal Region, indeed Wildeberg’s property border runs over the top of the mountain where the Coastal Region gives way to the baboon-strewn road to Grabouw and the wider Western Cape.
The Wildeberg wines express the most captivating Franschhoek Valley fruit. In our Wildeberg Terroirs bottlings we look beyond our home to a clutch of exceptional sites of other origin.
A mountain rich in metaphor with the visual heft to flatter any wine, releases of Wildeberg and Terroirs express our continued purpose – exceptional wines of place, however humble the origin. If the abiding memory of our wines remains a textural sense of place then we are portraying the Cape as hoped.