JACOLINE Haasbroek has the smallest cellar in Franschhoek, off the beaten track at the end of a long and winding road that could do with some improvement – although that would mean more visitors, and half the appeal is the discovery of a place few have been to, particularly as the sign at the bottom of the ‘driveway’ often tells you that it’s ‘closed’.

“My Wyn does not have its own vineyards, but buys in grapes,” she says. “My home is in one of the prettiest corners of Franschhoek – it nestles against the lower slopes of the Du Toitskop mountains with a view over the length of the Franschhoek Valley… When the weather gets threatening, we move to the cellar, cosy and welcoming, just three little tables between the barrels. Nothing is hurried… My Wyn specialises in hand-made wines, created in a rather primitive cellar without steel or modern technology, just lots of passion and heaps of patience.”

And the wine is good, especially the Cabernet Franc, placing among the Top 6 at both the 2017 and 2018 editions of South Africa’s Cab Franc Challenge with the 2014 and 2015 vintages respectively.

My Wyn Cabernet Franc 2015
Grapes from the ‘Burgundy’ farm in Franschhoek. Open fermentation vats. Twenty four months in three French oak barrels, one new and two second-fill. Unfiltered. 900 bottles.
Alc 14 | R/S 2.7 | TA 6.7 | pH 3.6
Winemaker’s tasting notes: “Aromas of dark berry and violets. On the palate, herbaceous and earthy. Complements pork and rich, creamy pasta sauces. Also duck, quail or pheasant…”
Cellar-door price: R300 pb