Coterie by Wildeberg, Cabernet Franc – Malbec

The nose on this wine is insane. Fragrant potpourri and lavender with deeper cedar-wood notes combine with black cherry, wild plum and blackberry, brown spice and star anise. The palate is generous and rich with concentrated damson/mulberry backed by juicy acidity and a lift of volatile phenolic oils – think lavender or fresh olive oil – and a subtle, gently spicy, slightly sappy, oak and silky tannin finish.

Wildeberg’s rationale is to source the finest vineyards available to us across Franschhoek and the Coastal Region. All fruit is hand-harvested in February from selected sites in Franschhoek and Paarl. Both cultivars are fermented whole bunch, with some whole berry fruit, there is no pressing so this slow, gentle extraction creates wines that are a truer expression of their terroir than of the manipulative skills of the winery. The components are matured French and Austrian oak barrels, new and old, for 20 months before blending and bottling.