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South African wine producers, especially those in the Stellenbosch area, are inclined towards the classic Bordeaux varieties from France, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Although many of them plant Cabernet Franc in order to blend it with their Bordeaux-style blends, very few producers make a single variety Cabernet Franc. It is interesting, however, to learn how many people are very impressed with Cabernet Franc when they taste it for the first time.
I included the Whalehaven Cabernet Franc 2015 in one of my Decanter Wine Club sessions. I poured the final tasting for myself but my glass was filled with heavy sediments. Although I was aware that the winemaker, Reino Thiart, only uses a light filtering, sediment will be present. However, the amount of sediment that I got was half a tasting glass full - it could have been a bottom of the barrel bottle? Nevertheless, I contacted the marketing team at Whalehaven and I was extremely impressed by their excellent service: they immediately informed me that sediments will be present but not that much. That is when they sent me the 2015 vintage.
This wine has a dark garnet colour and fruit-forward on the nose. Dark fruit such as plums come forward first, followed by some peppery notes and sweet vanilla that indicates wood maturation. The taste follows through well from the nose, with dark fruit, red cherries, and plums on the mid-palate. Some slight sediment was visible due to the light filtering but it did not bother. The tannins were balanced - this can be ascribed to the 12 months that the wine spends in 60% French Oak and 40% American Oak. There are indications of earthiness, typical of the flavourful characteristics of this variety but the wine is smooth. It had some malolactic conversion. The wine is quite high in alcohol (14.5%) and this is noticeable at the back of your throat when you have the first few sips.
Whalehaven belongs, together with Idiom and Vinotria, to the Bottega Family since 2003. They are located in the cool climate area of Hermanus, in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. It is the third oldest wine farm in the area. The Whalehaven Cabernet Franc is an interesting wine and certainly worth a try - I hope to try many other Cabernet Franc single varieties from South Africa in the near future.
Producer: Whalehaven
Variety: Cabernet Franc 100%
Vintage: 2014
Area: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hermanus, South Africa
Winemaker: Reino Thiart
Closure: Natural cork
Alcohol: 14.5%
Average price: R250
Website: https://www.whalehaven.co.za/
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