Howard John 2021, Lourens Family Wines, Hemel en Aarde

The 80% whole bunches bring gorgeous perfume, not just bright fruit, but lots of freshly cracked black peppercorns and hints of Asian spice, garrigue and tapenade. Such vibrancy on the palate with tissue paper fine tannins.

Franco Lourens spent some years working with the great Chris Alheit before setting to focus entirely on his own range of wines. 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. Franco is a leading light of South Africa’s New Wave and champion of old-vine Chenin, among others. He is inevitably set to join the likes of Chris Alheit, Eben Sadie, Adi Badenhorst, Duncan Savage et alia in the shimmering constellation of New Wave South African stars. BUT – and here’s the rub – since Franco is still relatively unknown, the prices do not yet reflect how sensational the wines really are.

No Vinification / Viticulture information available.