The relatively new winery Raats has been producing wines since 2000, focusing entirely on the Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc grape varieties. The entire family is involved in the business. Bruwer and Jasper Raats Senior are the owners, with Bruwer making the wine and his father tending the vineyards. Bruwer considers both Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc to be undervalued grapes, with much to be gained from them. The family lives and breathes wine, and each vineyard block is meticulously cared for. Everything is done to achieve the highest quality. In England and the United States, Raats wines receive rave reviews. A staggering seventy percent of the wines are exported, and that success has come remarkably quickly for this young company.
The grapes are hand-sorted three times, crushed, and then cold-soaked on their skins for five days. The soil is rich in dolomite granite, which imparts excellent acidity and freshness. After fermentation, the grapes are basket-pressed and allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Finally, the wine is aged for eighteen months before bottling. This results in a beautifully complex red wine in which freshness and acidity are perfectly balanced. Flavors of cinnamon, mint, vanilla, and red fruit. The finish is long. The nose reveals aromas of blackberries, black cherries, dark chocolate, anise, and spicy tobacco.
