An Evening with Bruwer and Sam Raats
Last night, we welcomed Bruwer Raats back to the Cellars for the first time in five years. A full house was treated to a memorable evening, tasting the breadth and scope of Bruwer's wines. For the first time, he was accompanied by his son, Sam, fresh from harvest in Burgundy and the Loire. The infectious energy of Bruwer and Sam — who love what they do and the vineyards they do it in — was palpable. We were treated to the complete works in this tasting. Thanks to Bruwer and Sam for reminding us all why we love wine, it always comes down to the people and the place.
Bruwer is always modest, referring to himself as a simple farmer. A farmer — yes but one that has recently been hailed 'South African Winemaker of the year' by Tim Atkin. It was his love of the land and of farming that brought Bruwer to winemaking. While helping at a friend’s harvest before going travelling, the friend’s father noticed something in Bruwer and told him, “You will become a winemaker.”
These wines are very much created in the vineyard and the winery. Bruwer tells his sons: “You are part of the terroir.” The human influence is there, and you need to integrate yourself with the wines. The decision-making process is deeply intertwined with how these great wines are crafted.
To kick off, we were treated to the first vintage of the beautifully crafted Vesperi (meaning Morning Star—in case your Latin's a bit rusty!). It's been a labour of love for Bruwer to produce his white MR, a white Bordeaux-inspired blend with a touch of Chenin to give it a sense of home. This wine has really flourished with some time in bottle. This has a lovely bouquet of lemon curd, tropical notes of passion fruit and citrus lime and tangerine peel as well some waxy notes. The palate has great balance and acidity with a little ginger spice. What a brilliant debut, a wine worth waiting for. £285.00 PER 6 (IB)
Next came the Eden Chenin — a wine produced from the mother block of low-yielding Montpellier clone vines. Bruwer rescued this vineyard just before it was about to be ripped up. High-density planting reduces yields even further, so from just 0.6 hectares, this is a very rare wine indeed. To add to its plaudits, it is aged 60% in concrete eggs and 40% in barrels from François Frères — the same cooperage used by DRC! The Eden Chenin has that beautiful wet-stone minerality that is the signature of Polkadraai granite. Eden is the name of Bruwer’s farm, and these vineyards are close to his home. With a beautiful green mango note — pure and precise — it’s easy to see why Eden is considered the benchmark for South African Chenin. £375.00 PER 6 (IB)
The Red Jasper, a tribute to Bruwer’s father, is a wine that truly showcases the varietals. With Cabernet Franc and Malbec bringing their own personalities to the blend, it delivers both dark and red fruit profiles. It was dubbed “Mini Compostella” at a Handford tasting back in 2012, but it very much has its own identity. £25.00 PER BOTTLE
Bruwer’s reign as the King of Cabernet Franc continues with his newest wine, Vlag. We tasted the 2023 — only his second vintage — and it has just been voted Platter’s Cabernet Franc of the Year for 2026. Tasting it, we could see why. A perfect palate and structure, with pure Chinon perfume — this is a wine that transports you. £375.00 PER 6 (IB)
The evening was rounded out with a mini-vertical of MR de Compostella. This is a wine Bruwer has made in partnership with Mzokhona Mvemve for the last 20 years. They share a joint passion, with a focus on quality, consistency, and elegance. Their iconic Bordeaux-style blend, MR de Compostella, has garnered critical acclaim as one of the highest-rated South African wines of the past two decades.
Here is a wine that demonstrates the importance of decision making, Their meticulous winemaking process starts in the vineyard, with fruit sourced from as many as 13 different blocks in Stellenbosch. Each block is vinified separately, and Bruwer and Mzokhona personally score each wine out of 100. If a wine scores below 90, it’s simply not included in the final blend — a true testament to their dedication to excellence. Only the very best make it into the MR de Compostella, and it’s this attention to detail that has made it a Waud Handford favourite.
It was a great opportunity to taste 3 vintages alongside each other — the 2016, the 2022 and the 2018 vintage, which was voted Wine of the Night.
MR de Compostella 2022
The 2022 vintage was Bruwer's pick of the evening and is very approachable now, is has a gorgeous bouquet, which brings lovely crunchy red apple, potpourri, violets and a menthol note, The texture and weight on the palate are lovely with the tannins already beautifully integrated. £340.00 PER 6 (IB)
MR de Compostella 2018
Bruwer commented on how small the berries were that year, leading to the amazing concentration found in the wine. This was the star of the line-up: dark bramble fruit, perfumed red fruits, plum, dark cherry, and kirsch. Lovely intensity, mocha notes, and a few earthier tones of forest floor—all layered beautifully with a great finish. It tastes fantastic at this point in it's life, a nod to some of the great wines of Pauillac. £295.00 PER 6 (IB) | £65.00 PER BOTTLE
MR de Compostella 2016
This has the darkest fruit profile of the 3 and highest cabernet component. Using a cooler vineyard close to False Bay in this hot vintage, we get graphite, lead pencil notes, bramble, earthy tones, and cassis opulence. This still has a bright future ahead. £320.00 PER 6 (IB) | £75.00 PER BOTTLE
We also have a small parcel of the 2018 In Bond, and the last 2 cases of Vlag 2023 and Eden Chenin 2023 available. MORE INFO ON THESE WINES HERE.
Please email vicky@waudhandford.com to buy the wines IB.
