This wine is lovingly dedicated to Franco Lourens’ father, who, we are delighted to say, is alive and well and fully expects to enjoy a case of this wine whenever the mood strikes him. We can all aspire to have such a son.

The grapes were all hand-picked and sorted before spontaneous fermentation took place in 500L neutral oak barrels. The Grenache was fermented with 25% stems, the Cinsault was 100% de-stemmed, and the Syrah was 100% with stems. The wine saw 10-14 days on skins before the lots were pressed and returned to barrels for aging. Following ten months of maturation, the wine was racked to tank and settled naturally. It was bottled without fining and just a coarse filtration and a small sulfur addition.

Tasting Notes: Complex layers of red & black berries, fennel, fynbos, pepper, olive brine, cured meat, and earthy notes. Concentrated dark fruit (cherry, mulberry) with spicy undertones, balanced by fresh acidity and supple, energetic texture. Finishing long, dry, savory, with fine, chalky tannins and citrus-fresh acidity.

“Howard John – a tribute to Franco Lourens’ father, who appears on the label – is a judiciously blended cuvée of Grenache and 29% each of Cinsault and Syrah, all of them sourced from dry-farmed vineyards in the Swartland. Combining concentration with freshness, it’s peppery, savoury and spicy with lovely cranberry, pomegranate and black olive flavours. 2024-30”  Tim Atkin MW 93

42% Grenache, 29% Cinsault and 29% Syrah, all sourced from Swartland. 40% whole-bunch fermentation. Complex aromatics of red and black berries, fennel, fynbos, olive brine, cured meat and pepper. The palate displays concentrated fruit, lemon-like acidity and fine tannins, the finish deeply savoury. A vintage of sophistication and nuance.. CE’s rating: 94/100