Our 2024 White
Chenin Blanc - initially perceived as a cultivar for blending and brandy, it has grown in popularity to stand on its own two feet as a celebrated wine. This grape is tough, versatile, the underdog that could fight for its rightful place - just like a true South African
2024 Swartland Bush Vine
Wild fermented
Started in concrete, moved to barrel to finish fermentation
12 months in the barrel - combination of first, second and third fill oak
Corked
Waxed
Bottled with a song
The direct translation of the toast-poem on the bottle
May the sun set over our days in purple hues
May our dreams wrap around us like the soft glow of a candle
May the unexpected arrive through our years as a surprise
May we dance through difficult times and laugh again at sunrise
May we never forget that our good old days are now,
While we build monuments of our most beautiful memories
The Raafontuur white wine is a wooded chenin blanc from the Swartland region. It is produced for RAAF by Martin Lamprecht from MARRAS Wines - a good friend of Lourens and Esté. They chose this cultivar because of its origin; initially perceived as a cultivar for blending and brandy, it has grown in popularity to stand on its own two feet as a celebrated wine.
This grape is tough, versatile, the underdog that could fight for its rightful place. The above resonated with RAAF's personal journey in music. Martin and RAAF also share many business and life philosophies, which made this collaboration inevitable...
This wine is robust, yet subtle, vigorous yet elegant - something truly beautiful
More about the region where the grapes grow:
The Swartland wine region, located approximately 50 km north of Cape Town, is renowned for its bold, terroir-driven wines and a vibrant, innovative winemaking community. The name "Swartland," meaning "Black Land" in Afrikaans, originates from the endemic renosterbos (rhinoceros bush), which turns dark after rainfall, giving the landscape a black appearance. The region's climate is warm and dry, with Mediterranean characteristics, and its soils are diverse, ranging from granite and shale to sandy loam, offering excellent growing conditions for various grape varieties.
Swartland is celebrated for its Rhône-style blends and single-varietal wines. Key white varieties include Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne, while red varieties feature Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Tinta Barocca. The region is also known for producing natural wines with minimal intervention, emphasizing the expression of the land.