Lourens Family Wines

“Tremendously good wines“

― Christian Eedes, Winemag

Summary

Lourens Family Wines is run by winemaker Franco Lourens. He sources fruit from Stellenbosch, Swartland, and in particular Piekenierskloof for his wines.

Franco grew up in Paarl and studied at Elsenburg Agricultural College. He then worked at David Finlayson Wines (were he made his first experimental wines) and later joined Chris Alheit as assistant.

He sources fruit from Stellenbosch, Swartland, and in particular Piekenierskloof for his wines. He is particularly enamoured with the unique flavours and textures of Cape Verdelho and Grenache Noir, both of which feature heavily in his two blends.

“Poenie”, as he more widely known, is one of the industry’s ‘Nice Guys’. He always has a smile on his face and is never too far from a laugh and a joke.

Make no mistake though, when it comes to wine, Poenie is totally quality-obsessed. While this means that the wines are superb (see below), it also means that the quantities can be frustratingly small.

The ‘Lindi Carien’ is named after Poenie’s wife and is a Verdelho, Chenin Blanc blend, frequently with the additions of Colombar, Grenache Blanc and (only recently) Palomino. It is one of the most unique Cape White Blends at the top end.

He makes a single site Chenin Blanc when the vintage allows from a vineyard planted in 1977 in the Piekenierskloof Ward situated in the Citrusdal Mountain District. Called ‘Skuinskap’ because of the angled trellis – it is an electric, singular wine.

The ‘Howard John’, named after Poenie’s father, is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah from the Swartland.Bright, floral and sinewy. Super classy Swartland red.

The newest addition to the Lourens Family Wines cellar is ‘Lua Ilse’, named after Poenie’s daughter. This is a dryland, bushvine vineyard up in the Piekenierskloof WO. Spicy and vibrant, with nuance and poise, it is a classy wine.

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