Often, our best work is not in what we originally planned. A case in point are the recently released maiden vintages of Francis Wines’ 2023 chardonnay and pinot noir.
If you had to ask Burton Francis about the possibility of crafting his own label a little more than five years ago, he might have liked the idea, but told you it didn't really fit in with his plan to play professional rugby. But when a career-ending injury derailed those ambitions, he decided to pursue his passion for Burgundy-style wines, which he had picked up while in France.
Francis grew up in the heart of the Boland wine route in Paarl, but it wasn’t until moving to France to play rugby that he was really introduced to the French style of winemaking.
My dream was to capture the essence of Burgundy in every bottle
— Burton Francis
“[After] moving to Agen, between Bordeaux, Toulouse and Grenoble, I fell in love with chardonnay and pinot noir, the finesse of that Burgundy style. Once I opened my mind and palate to these new experiences, I immediately fell in love with pinot and chardonnay,” he says.
When Francis sustained a back injury in 2018, he threw himself into the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of being in France without the obligation of having to constantly train and play, and started meeting local masters of their craft. Eventually he completed his Wine and Spirit Education Trust level two and three courses, as well as an MBA in wine and spirits at the Burgundy School of Business, with his eye on coming home and making Burgundy-style wines in South Africa. As he says: “My dream was to capture the essence of Burgundy in every bottle.”
Francis settled on the Hemel-en-Aarde ridge appellation, which is known for its splendid Burgundy-style wines and worked with master winemaker Kevin Grant from Ataraxia and Christo Kotze from La Vierge to craft his first bottles. Grapes were sourced from the Babylon Vineyard block at La Vierge and traditional methods of winemaking were honoured as far as possible, with an emphasis on climats — delimited plots of land which are defined and recognised for their unique microclimates and geological features.
Only 1,400 bottles of the pinot noir and 1,100 bottles of the chardonnay were released to target what Francis calls an “intimate” audience which will appreciate a boutique-style wine.
Both wines are ready to drink now, but have excellent ageing potential. “It's exceeded my wildest expectations. The chardonnay is showing so well right now and the pinot keeps getting better with age,” he says of the fruits of his labour.
If you ever thought rugby aficionados should stick to brandy and Coke, a taste of these will set you straight. Francis has managed to craft wines that are elegant, refined and complex: wines to be truly savoured. The end result is the best example of the quality produced in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley.
If his plan to work with the two other appellations from the region to produce a premier cru and grand cru come to fruition, I’ll be first in line with my wine glass.
The 2023 chardonnay retails for R495 a bottle and the 2023 pinot noir for R595 a bottle. For more information, visit the website.
HOW TO ENJOY THE WINES
The pinot noir pairs well with dishes like duck and mushroom risotto. As Francis says, it will even go well with a braaied chop or rump steak. The chardonnay will pick up on the flavours of grilled seafood and roast chicken, while its body will carry creamy pasta dishes well.
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