Over the past weeks, Franschhoek has faced one of the most devastating fire seasons in its history. Estates, vineyards, homes and working cellars, many woven into the fabric of South African wine, have suffered damage that will take years, not months, to repair.
At Museum Wines, Franschhoek is not just a name on a label. It’s a valley we’ve walked, tasted, argued over barrels in, and quietly championed for years. Through producers like Holden Manz, Stony Brook Vineyards, Lokaïa, Terre Paisible and Paserene, we’ve built a portfolio of top-quality, often under-the-radar wines that reflect the depth, resilience and beauty of this extraordinary place.
In response to the fires, we’re committing 50% of all profits from Franschhoek wines to support rebuilding efforts in the valley. It’s a small way of standing with the people and producers who continue to shape some of South Africa’s most compelling wines, even in the face of loss.
This is not about charity for charity’s sake. It’s about drinking with intention, backing the regions we believe in, and helping ensure that Franschhoek’s vineyards, cellars and stories continue for generations to come.
Browse our Franschhoek collection below and raise a glass, not just to great wine, but to a valley on the rise.
Franschhoek Wines
Support the Valley
17 Points – Jancis Robinson MW
“Chardonnay grown on sand, spontaneously whole-bunch fermented in clay amphora and in skin/stem contact for two months in the amphora under a protective layer of olive oil. Unfined. It doesn’t smell of fruit or flowers, but if you could imagine stepping back into the past and walking into a new classroom of a new school and smelling that mouth-watering thing of new cement, along with the almost invisible aromas of wet chalk, new desks, newly cut grass on sport fields newly painted with white-chalk-paint pitch lines, you would smell this wine. It takes me to salty razor-clam shells and samphire, weathered beach signs and pickled lemons. It tastes like the wind off the sea. Like crystal-salted butter scraped onto warm sourdough. Like wild cliff-path thyme. Hand me that bowl of green olives and Marcona almonds, some sunshine and a book…” – Tamlyn Currin.
The 2021 Paserene Bright Chardonnay from Franschhoek is a vibrant wine with a bright green/gold color and aromas of citrus blossom, neroli, and yellow peaches. There are also savory, sea-spray, chalk-like notes complemented by subtle oak influence. The wine offers a soft mouthfeel balanced by crisp acidity, giving it great length. Crafted with patience, the Chardonnay is fermented separately in seasoned oak barrels and left unfiltered to ensure its authenticity. Drink now or within five years.
This 100% barrel-fermented Chardonnay was made using natural yeast and aged for 11 months in French oak. The wine has a bright, lemony green color and a lively nose with mineral overtones, followed by aromas of stone fruit, roasted almonds, and a hint of lemon meringue. On the palate, it offers a refined creaminess from lees contact, balanced by elegant citrus and white blossom flavours, complemented by minerality, subtle salinity, and complex acidity. The result is a smooth, lingering finish with impressive length.
Camissa means ‘sweet water for all’ in Kora, the Khoe language of the Cape. This refers to the river that runs from Table Mountain, under the city of Cape Town and into the Atlantic Ocean. This is a wine that is only produced every few years and its blend changes each time. The 2021 vintage is made up of only Franschhoek-grown fruit; 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Petit Verdot – matured in 30% new French oak barriques for 24 months.
94 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
“Rich bold and dark fruited, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has a multi-layered structure brimming with aromas of sweet damson plum, ripe black currant and macerated black cherries. Deliciously sweet fruited on the palate, there is a fine vein of bright acidity running beneath the ripe black berry fruits that harmoniously integrate with plush fleshy tannins and well-integrated, measured oaking. An accomplished wine from this noteworthy Cape vintage. Drink now to 2035+.” –Â Greg Sherwood MW.Â
