The red wine
The Raafontuur red wine is a classic blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and a dash of Shiraz so small that it's almost not worth mentioning, but it has an important job - the merlot makes the wine velvety - like strings or a saxophone or a beautiful smooth voice in a song, the cab brings structure like percussion and the shiraz adds a spicy top end like a high synth pad or reverb that drones through a song - almost unnoticeable, but if you'll take it away something will feel missing...
The building blocks of this wine is aged separately before blending and spent a bit of time on wood
Music oozes through our winemaker friend, Etienne Louw, who helped us put this wine together. He lives and breathes music and his brand, Orpheus and the Raven, celebrates exactly what we believe wine is - a place where chemistry and art and music and the mystique meet. Working with Etienne is one great joy - there is always time - especially to reminisce about a great record or to play the guitar...
We wanted this wine to be as part of our daily lives like music - easily consumable and weaved into the sound scape of the every day, yet a complex gift that could be kept for a special day - like the song you listen to when you need that feeling or to watch a live concert - a moment in time that means much more to you than only music.
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This wine is a ballad and a rock song, smooth and structured - perfect for drinking now or to be kept for in a few years time at a special occasion...
More about the region where the grapes grow:
Stellenbosch doesn't need introduction, but it's extra special to us, because Stellenbosch in where our paths crossed which lead us to this moment.
Nestled just 25 miles east of the vibrant Cape Town, Stellenbosch unfolds like a masterful painting. To the north, the stoic Simonsberg Mountain draws a line to Paarl, while the Hottentot Holland range cradles it on the east, guarding the passage to Walker Bay. To the south, False Bay murmurs its secrets, a mere 12 miles away.
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Here, vineyards drape the gently undulating hills, a lush tapestry stretching from the southern Helderberg to the northern embrace of Simonsberg. This enchanting terrain offers a symphony of wine styles, where microclimates dance among sunlit slopes and shaded valleys, nurturing an array of grape varieties in their unique havens.
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Beneath the surface, granite and sandstone soils weave their own story. Rich in clay, they are both free-draining and steadfast, their embrace allowing water to linger even as winter rains nourish the land. These soils have earned a reputation for crafting premium red-wine grapes, a testament to the earth’s benevolence.
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The climate here is a warm canvas, kissed by dryness yet tempered by the maritime breath of False Bay. In the afternoons, cooling south-easterly breezes waltz through the vineyards, refreshing the grapes after the sun’s ardent embrace. White-wine varieties flourish nearer to the ocean, where the maritime influence paints their character.
This land, rich in terroir, reveals a mosaic of wine-producing areas. Banghoek, Bottelary, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all recognized in the esteemed Wine of Origin scheme. Beyond this, the unofficial realms of Helderberg and Stellenboschkloof, each whispering their own distinctive tales, add further richness to the region's legacy.