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A free-wheeling spirit, Raoul can only be described as an eccentric, and
perhaps an enfant terrible! He spent heady years in Ibiza, the
artist hotspot of the '60s. Ever the aesthete, Raoul married Jayne - an
artist in the Cape - and their creativity lead to the Beaumont Wines.
Raoul
also had a passion for Harley's. Never without one, he was often seen
cruising the vineyards and orchards checking on plant development. He
bought his last bike in 2007. A husband, father and
friend extraordinaire, Raoul touched many lives --- as someone said ---
with gruff compassion.
Raoul's son, Sebastian, is now in charge of vines and cellar, created the
range of RAOUL's wines to capture the eccentric, free spirit of his father. It is heartening that Raoul was involved in the development of RAOUL's and that he saw both its launch and its quick success. Cheers!
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| RAOUL'S OLD BASKET PRESS 2007
32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23.5% Shiraz, 17.5% Merlot, 14.7% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 3.3% Malbec
Years
ago, this wine was made exclusively for Raoul and mainly consisted of
Tinta Barocca, a version that is now sold in South Africa and Europe.
Sebastian
came to the US in Nov 2006 with a wine mission : find out what
Americans really like. After three weeks of intensive blind tastings,
he went back to the farm in Bot River with a few extra bottles. Just
before harvest, he took these bottles out and tasted them again - to
compare and understand them in the context of his
now-adjusted-back-to-South-African-wine palate. With this firmly
blazened in his wine memory, Sebastian made this blend just for us.
Although more jammy and soft than the gruffer tinta-based wine they
make, the US version has clean lines and expresses a comfortable style
: It’s easy to enjoy the broody black fruits that are perked up by a
razor line of acidity and dusted wth a touch of spice and gentle
tannins. Some initial earth in the aromatics gives way to full fruit
flavors in the glass.
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