Lourens Family Wines
Summary
Lourens Family Wines is a small-scale artisanal project founded by winemaker Franco Lourens in South Africa's Cape South Coast region, focusing primarily on Chenin Blanc and Cinsault from carefully selected vineyards in the maritime-influenced Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Franco personally oversees every aspect of production, employing minimalist intervention techniques including natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts, neutral oak aging for whites, and whole-bunch fermentation for reds to create transparent expressions of site-specific terroir.
Heritage & Leadership
Lourens Family Wines was established by winemaker Franco Lourens in the Cape South Coast region of South Africa. Franco's winemaking journey includes significant experience as assistant winemaker at the highly regarded Alheit Vineyards, where he worked alongside Chris Alheit, developing his craft and philosophy before launching his own label. This apprenticeship provided Franco with invaluable experience working with old vineyards and minimal intervention techniques that would later inform his own winemaking approach.
The winery represents Franco's personal project, allowing him to express his vision through small-batch wines that reflect the distinctive terroir of the Cape South Coast. As both founder and winemaker, Franco maintains direct oversight of all aspects of production, from vineyard selection to bottling, ensuring consistency with his winemaking philosophy.
Vineyards & Wines
Lourens Family Wines sources fruit from carefully selected vineyards throughout the Cape South Coast region, an area known for its maritime influence and cooler climate compared to other South African wine regions. The portfolio focuses primarily on Chenin Blanc and Cinsault, varieties that thrive in this coastal environment and reflect Franco's interest in South Africa's viticultural heritage.
The Cape South Coast's proximity to the ocean creates ideal conditions for slow, even ripening of grapes, allowing for retention of natural acidity while developing complex flavor profiles. The region's diverse soils, including decomposed granite, shale, and sandstone, contribute distinctive mineral characteristics to the wines.
Franco works with specific vineyard sites chosen for their unique expressions of terroir, often focusing on older vines that produce lower yields but more concentrated fruit. Each bottling aims to showcase the distinctive character of its source vineyard through transparent winemaking practices.
Philosophy & Practice
Franco Lourens adheres to a minimalist winemaking philosophy, intervening as little as possible to allow the natural expression of the vineyard sites. Harvesting decisions are based on achieving optimal balance between ripeness and acidity rather than pursuing maximum sugar levels.
In the cellar, Franco employs traditional techniques including natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts. White wines typically ferment and age in neutral oak vessels that allow for gentle oxidative development without imparting dominant wood flavors. For red wines, whole-bunch fermentation is often utilized to enhance aromatic complexity and structural elements.
The winery's small-scale production enables meticulous attention to detail throughout the winemaking process. Each bottling reflects Franco's commitment to producing site-specific wines that honestly represent their origins. This approach has positioned Lourens Family Wines as part of South Africa's new wave of winemakers focused on expressing the country's diverse terroir through thoughtful, transparent winemaking.