Wednesday, 9 February, 2022
Wines of South Africa, Angela Lloyd
Semillon and Franschhoek is such a partnership, one Franschhoek producers are intent on further strengthening. In this goal they are assisted by having seven of the oldest semillon vineyards in the country: planted in 1902, 1905, 1932, 1936 and 1942 and today covering 10.9 ha out of Franschhoek’s 97.16 ha of old vines (over 35 years).
Local producers support the goal; at least nine of them list a Franschhoek WO semillon in their range, some from those low-yielding old vines. But they are not the only people who recognise this quality; there is much competition to buy their fruit.
Raising the profile of Franschhoek wine and keeping its old vine semillon fruit within the valley is the cause of two separate projects.
The GD1 project (GD1 is the original semillon clone) involves 15 Franschhoek producers, who are pursuing a goal of raising the area’s semillon profile. Each winemaker produces semillon from one single vineyard, using no oak and preventing malo-lactic; the style the winemakers feel Franschhoek should be following is linear and focused in youth one which age will allow to blossom. GD1’s maiden vintage was 2019.
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