Voted winery of the year in The Platter Guide 2018, with an unprecedented eight wines receiving the coveted 5 star rating, Bruwer Raats is considered to be one of the leading New World producers of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
Raats Family Wines is a boutique winery situated in the Polkadraai Hills area of Stellenbosch and the only Cabernet Franc specialist in South Africa. Established in 2000, Raats was originally a partnership between brothers Bruwer and Jasper Raats, with their father Jasper Snr as viticulturist. Jasper Snr passed away in 2009 which saw Bruwer's cousin, Gavin Bruwer Slabbert joining the team as Winemaker and Viticulturist.
Bruwer (also known as the Chenin King) spent time at esteemed Blaauwklippen, Delaire and Zorgvliet estates before his commitment to build the Raats Family brand full time. His intense and personal devotion has seen Raats Family Wines earn a stellar reputation internationally, consistently producing Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc of outstanding quality, which are considered benchmarks for these varieties around the world. Indeed during a tasting in Europe, Bruwer’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 was declared better than Cheval Blanc 2001 and was lauded by Jancis Robinson OBE MW as one of the greatest Cabernet Francs in the world.
A great deal of effort has gone into sourcing specific soil types and old low-yielding vineyards located in the Stellenbosch, Paarl, Durbanville Hills and the Paardeberg area. All the grapes are handpicked and the wines are made with his extensive knowledge and attention to detail. The result is a truly distinctive showcase for South African wine and soil.
