We are very excited about the debut releases of Franco Lourens. Franco is the assistant winemaker for Chris Alheit – a leading light of South Africa’s New Wave and champion of old-vine Chenin, among others. From Chris’s cellar in Hemel-en-Aarde Franco has made some serious wines. I mean, these are impressive bottlings by any standard – powerful, concentrated, yet supremely elegant and finely detailed.

Two single-vineyard, old-vine Chenins from Citrusdal and Durbanville, respectively, are joined by a Swartland red blend made from Mediterranean varieties which is every bit as pellucidly profound as the best terroir reds you’ll find in this region. Franco also has a stunning white blend based on the oldest block of Verdelho planted in South Africa, including some skin-macerated Grenache Blanc, and Clairette and Roussanne aged in amphorae. This is a breathtakingly self-assured range and almost in the blink of an eye places Franco into the very top bracket of top-end New Wave SA producers.