Winemaker Notes
Jasper is a tribute to Bruwer’s late father, Jasper, who was one of Raats’ founders and the viticulturist for nine years. This complex Cabernet Franc-driven Bordeaux blend shows blackberry and black cherry on the nose, along with the perfume and violets one would expect from a 49% Cabernet Franc wine. The palate offers luscious brambly berry fruit intertwined with hints of tobacco, anise and dark chocolate. Silky tannins caress the palate, and a lovely minerality shines through on the long, supple finish.
Blend: 49% Cabernet Franc, 35% Malbec, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Merlot,3.5% Petit Verdot
Vegan-Friendly
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a blend of mainly Cabernet Franc and Malbec grapes with a small percentage of three other Bordeaux varieties. It’s full of black fruit aromas and flavors. A supple palate and good acidity hold a mix of plum jam and leafy notes.
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Wine Spectator
A fresh, chewy, focused red, offering black currant, boysenberry and herbed olive notes. Smoke, wild sage and milled pepper accents play on the lingering finish. Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2028. 5,350 cases made, 388 cases imported.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.