Wine of the Week 57: Lourens Family “Proefkonyn” Verdelho 2024

“I was pretty much done with winemaking,” recalls Franco “Poenie” Lourens. Then the phone rang. On the other end was Chris Alheit, one of the Cape’s most influential modern winemakers. Alheit made an offer that would change everything: come work with me as my assistant at Alheit Vineyards, and I’ll help you build your own label at the same time.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Lourens. “I’ll forever be grateful to Chris, not just for what he did for my business, but for my family, and for me as a person.”

For nearly six years, Lourens split his time between Alheit’s cellar and his own fledgling brand, before stepping out on his own to run Lourens Family Wines full time.

Wine history

Growing up in Paarl, vines were never far from his doorstep, spurring him to earn a degree in Agriculture, majoring in Viticulture, from CPUT, followed by a postgraduate diploma in Cellar Technology from Elsenburg. He then cut his teeth at David Finlayson before venturing abroad for harvests at Vasse Felix in Australia’s Margaret River, Ramey Wine Cellar in California’s Healdsburg, and Domaine Matassa in France’s Roussillon.

Family story

At its heart, Lourens Family Wines is a love story.  In 2015, Lourens needed money for an engagement ring. His solution was to make two barrels of wine, sell them to friends and family at a premium, and use the proceeds to propose. That first bottling became Lindi Carien, named after his then-girlfriend (now wife).

The family theme continues. There’s also a grenache “Howard John”, named after his father, and more recently, two bottlings for his children. Lua Ilse, a grenache in tribute to his firstborn. “She changed my life the second she was born.” And now, the Mathias chenin blanc, ‘for our little miracle, our son.”

Rooted in place

Currently Lourens sources fruit from Stellenbosch, Swartland, and the Piekenierskloof for his wines. True to his family-centred, deeply rooted nature, he’s already looking homeward for the next chapter. “I want to make proper wines on the granitic slopes of Paarl Mountain,” he says. “It’s a very special place for me, and I’d love to make a wine that truly represents where I’m from.”

As for legacy, Lourens keeps it simple: “I want to be known for making wines that are honest and pure. Wines that tell the story of where they come from.”

Lourens Family “Proefkonyn” Verdelho 2024

Stellenbosch verdelho fermented spontaneously in two older, neutral 500L barrels. 10 months on the fine lees adds extra freshness and a salty tang. Flashes of zippy green fruit dart through golden yellow peach and apple, intense yet lifted by its angular bone-dry profile and pure, mouthwatering finish. Bottled unfined and with only coarse filtration to preserve its phenolic edge.

“The thing about verdelho that always amazes me,” says Lourens, “is how it holds its nerve, high acidity and low pH even at full ripeness. You get phenolic ripeness with this wild, almost electric freshness.”
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