Franco Lourens is assistant winemaker with Chris Alheit, and also makes his own wines in the Alheit cellar in Hemel-en-Aarde. I tasted through the latest releases of the Lourens Family Wines and was really impressed, especially by the two new Chenin Blancs. These are pretty serious.

Lourens Family Wines Lindi Carien 2016 South Africa
34% Grenache Blanc, 30% Verdelho, 21% Roussanne, 15% Chenin Blanc. Lovely pure fruit here: stony-edged citrus and pear with a gentle personality. It’s fresh and supple with lovely personality. Delicate and fine with nice precision. 93/100 (retail 195 Rand)

Lourens Family Wines Lindi Carien 2017 South Africa
Verdelho, Chenin, Grenache on skins, Rousanne, Clairette Blanc. So fine and spicy with nice grip. Lemons, tangerines,orange peel. Lovely texture to this wine. Very fine with a lovely lemony, spicy edge. 94/100

Lourens Family Wines Contermanskloof Chenin Blanc 2017 Durbanville, South Africa
Dark brown heavy soil in Durbanville. Chenin Blanc. So distinctive with sweet peach and pear fruit. Linear and spicy with real brightness, as well as the rich fruity depth. This has lovely mineral detail. Profound. 95/100

Lourens Family Wines Piekeneerskloof Chenin Blanc 2017 South Africa
Sandstone soils at 760 m. Tangy, bright citrus fruit with some fennel and a bright spiciness. Powerful but delicate with lovely acidity and a bit of pithiness. Very intense with nice precision. 95/100

Lourens Family Wines Howard John 2016 South Africa
43% Cinsualt, 43% Carignan, 14% Grenache Noir. Very pretty and bright with a lovely floral, slightly peppery personality and fresh red cherries and raspberry. There’s lovely focus and brightness to this wine. Has a bit of grip on the finish and good acidity. A deliciously drinkable red with lovely focus. 93/100

Lourens Family Wines Howard John 2017 South Africa
Grenache from Swartland, Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah. Supple, rounded and elegant, but with lots of flavour. Sweet cherries, olives and pepper. Juicy and lively with a nice damson twist on the finish. Lovely. 93/100

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com