Delaire Graff Estate Cabernet Franc Rosé 2025
£17.95
The wine
Cabernet Franc picked early and pressed gently for a pale, dry rosé in the Provencal manner. Delicate red berry fruit with a herbal lift that is the variety's signature, and the crisp, mineral finish that the Banghoek Valley altitude reliably delivers.
A rose from Cabernet Franc, which is unusual and well judged: the variety has naturally high acidity, moderate colour and a distinctive leafy, red-berry perfume, all of which suit a serious pink wine. Cabernet Franc does particularly well at this altitude, and the estate uses it for their flagship red too.
The producer
Delaire Graff Estate
View all Delaire Graff Estate winesDelaire Graff Estate sits on the Helshoogte Pass above Stellenbosch, high on the ridge between the Banghoek and Dwarsrivier valleys with views across to the Simonsberg. Laurence Graff, the diamond dealer, bought it in 2003 and rebuilt it entirely.
Altitude is what distinguishes the site. Stellenbosch is South Africa's most celebrated wine district but much of it is warm valley floor; these vineyards sit high enough on the pass to catch cooler air and the afternoon cloud that spills over the mountains, which slows ripening and preserves acidity. Banghoek in particular is one of the coolest wards in the district.
The estate is as well known for its art collection, restaurants and lodge as for the wine, which has occasionally obscured how good the wine is. Cabernet Franc does especially well here, both as a rose and as the backbone of the Botmaskop blend, named for the peak above the property.
