Award-winning winemaker Bruwer Raats has received international and local acclaim during his highly acclaimed career as cellar master and winemaker par excellence. After several successful stints at prestigious wine estates in the Banhoek Valley in the Cape, Bruwer established his own brand in 2000 - Raats Family Wines situated in the Ward of Polkadraai, Stellenbosch.
Raats Family Wines specializes in two varietals - Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Raats is passionate about these two single varietals and firmly believes that South African winemakers are sitting on an untapped goldmine when it comes to Chenin Blanc. Raats has received recognition from top international and local wine writers like Neal Martin from The Wine Advocate, Tim Atkin, Wine Spectator and Christian Eedes.
100% Chenin Blanc
Raats The Fountain Terroir Specific Chenin Blanc is the best barrel of Chenin Blanc that Raats Family Wines produces each year. It is reserved annually for the Cape Winemakers Guild Auction.
Tasting Notes: The wine has an exquisite nose of quince and yellow apple, whilst fragrant spices and honeysuckle give more dimension alongside the mineral intensity of the wine.
Ready for drinking between 2022 and 2027.
This wine is packed in a wooden box.
100% Cabernet Franc
The Raats Stella Nova Cabernet Franc reflects the lifelong passion Bruwer Raats has for the unique variety - a benchmark for Cabernet Franc.
This is the first Cabernet Franc on the CWG Auction for Raats, hence the name Stella Nova, a new star is born.
Soil type: 100% Decomposed Dolomite Granite.
Tasting Notes: The nose shows lively, dark berry fruit and morello cherries with hints of star anise, ground fennel seeds and cedar. The wine is exceptionally linear and precise, yet lithe and elegant
Ready for drinking in 2026.
This wine is packed in a wooden box.
100% Chenin Blanc
Wine of Origin Stellenbosch
The wine offers a complex nose showing quince, peach and apple, whilst fenugreek spices give more dimension alongside the mineral intensity of the wine. The stone fruit core follows through onto an exceptionally balanced, very delicate and fine-textured palate showing depth and intense character with an exquisite length and freshness. The wine lingers with hints of ripe nectarine and apricot, zesty lemon and wet chalk. Raats Fountain Terroir Specific Chenin Blanc is the best barrel of Chenin Blanc that Raats produce. It is reserved for the Cape Winemakers Guild Auction every year.
Tasting Notes: The wine offers a complex nose showing quince, peach and apple, with lemongrass and ginger spices; giving it more dimension alongside the mineral intensity of the finish.
Drink now until 2025.
The grapes were whole bunch pressed directly to barrel and allowed to naturally ferment. Thereafter the wine was matured in a seasoned 300 litre French oak barrel - 11 months on gross lees - allowing for perfect integration of flavours and texture.
Tasting Notes: The wine offers a complex nose showing quince, peach and apple, with lemongrass and ginger spices giving it more dimension alongside the mineral intensity of the finish.
50% of the wine was fermented and matured in 300 litre French oak barrels to accentuate the soft, luscious flavours; 50% was fermented in stainless steel to contribute a crisp acidity and bright citrus flavours. After nine months, the two components are blended together and left on the lees for a further two months before bottling. Fermentation temperature: 18-22°C
Spontaneous whole bunch fermentation - neutral barrel for 10 months. This is from a 64-year-old vineyard that was planted together with the fi rst commercially planted block of
Pinotage in SA. When they ran out of Pinotage vines, they completed the block by planting
about 300 Cinsaut vines. Hence the name “Inboet Storie”, meaning replacement vines.