Marc Kent, Franschhoek

As if Boekenhoutskloof wines don't attract enough attention, winemaker Marc Kent wants his say. Christian Eedes speaks to him about his Cabernet Sauvignon.

Marc Kent's black T-shirt emblazoned with the logo of streetwear brand "Bad Boy" says it all. The winemaker at Franschhoek cellar Boekenhoutskloof since its inception in 1994, he has never been one to abide by convention but this hasn't hindered him in making wines of excellence throughout that time.

Most recently, the Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 2002 obtained a 5 Star rating in the 2005 Platter guide, this coming after the 2001 vintage got 5 Stars from the WINE magazine panel last year. The maiden 1997 vintage also got 5 Stars from Platter, and it's clear that Kent has a particular aptitude for this Rhône variety.

Kent's Cabernet Sauvignon is equally celebrated, however, with the 1998, 1999 and 2000 vintages having gained consecutive Platter 5 Star ratings. Shiraz might be flavour of the day in South Africa but many wine lovers view Cabernet Sauvignon as the greatest red grape variety of all, and so it is this in particular that Kent is to be interrogated on.

The first cherished belief that he assails is the importance of site. The grapes for Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet come from "a little vineyard near [Franschhoek farm] La Motte" and close to the valley floor. There's plenty of Franschhoek's "infamous" alluvial sand in the vicinity, which Kent suggests is only really good for potatoes, although he does point out that the Cabernet is situated a little higher up avoiding the poorest soils.

Terroir is not a concept that preoccupies Kent too much. Asked what it means to him, he says, "I don't really have an understanding of it. I've never dug a profile to see what's going on in the sub-soil. Quite honestly, I don't give a toss." Not wishing to sound too maverick, he quickly qualifies this. "It's not that I have a nonchalant, don't-care attitude. It's just not my area of expertise."

The romantic notion of estate-bottled wine, where the wine must come from the winery's own vineyards, is almost entirely neglected at Boekenhoutskloof. Total production (which includes hugely successful second-label Porcupine Ridge) has grown from 500 twelve-bottle cases in 1996 to 120 000 cases in 2005. But, the actual Boekenhoutskloof property has just 25ha of vineyard, making up a mere 10% of the tonnage processed, the rest being sourced elsewhere.

It's no wonder Kent is sceptical of terroir if you consider his experience with the Syrah 1997. For this first version of the variety under the Boekenhoutskloof label, the fruit came from an old vineyard near Somerset West. Despite the wine stunning the critics, no further vintages would ever be produced as the vineyard was grubbed up to make way for an industrial park. Kent simply set off to discover grapes of similar quality, eventually settling on a vineyard in Wellington.

So what is Kent's winemaking philosophy if he is not inclined to subscribe to site expression? "You can't make good wine if you don't know what good wine tastes like," he says. He makes a point of sampling the best in the world, and when it comes to his Cabernet Sauvignon, the benchmark is Bordeaux, or "claret" as he resolutely refers to it.

The vagaries of vintage are not something that Kent lets himself be constrained by; he insists that because South Africa is so temperate, there are no huge variations from year to year. To the extent that vintage differences do occur, these can largely be cancelled out by fruit selection (and it bears mentioning that he was one of the first local producers to install a sorting table). When a lesser vintage does occur, then selection simply has to be more stringent. "You can't make Cabernet according to a recipe," he proffers.

The Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2002 vintage is the current release, selling for R140 a bottle from the farm. Even though most considered the vintage to be a poor one, Kent is confident that his wine from this year displays no serious decline in quality relative to its predecessors. "It was an up and down vintage, but we did more berry selection and kept maceration times shorter [so as to ensure optimal tannin extraction]. I feel 2002 will turn out to be as good as any, though it may have less longevity." Elsewhere in this issue, the WINE magazine panel gives it a very creditable 3½ Stars.

In general, Kent feels the length of maceration [skin contact] post fermentation is critical to making quality Cabernet. Just how long the wine is kept on the skins depends on the vintage, but it's usually around 14 days. After pressing, the wine spends 18 months in 100% new wood before undergoing an egg white fining and racking, and then it is returned to cask for a further nine months.
The use of wood is central to Kent's creative vision for Cabernet. "I'm looking for oak to make a major contribution to the flavour profile of the wine," he comments. "The best claret has cedar and cigar box characteristics. Those are from your cooper and not your vineyard and I really like them."

If Kent seeks to preserve the integrity of fruit when it comes to Syrah, he reckons that Cabernet should be "something you can get your teeth into". When made badly it can be "lean and harsh", but when made well it should have "texture and structure" and provide a "real mouthful".

Cooperage of choice is Sylvain, from Bordeaux. "This is the same cooperage that supplies Chateau Cheval Blanc," explains Kent. "Wood is so important when it comes to making Cabernet. I want continuity of quality from vintage to vintage and with Sylvain I have complete traceability." He opts for a "luxury model" barrel with thinner staves and extra attention given to seasoning and toasting.

Kent is again outspoken on the whole matter of vines infected with leaf-roll virus. Most see the phenomenon of virus as detrimental to the overall quality of local wine as it inhibits optimal ripening, but Kent takes a contrary position. "Virus has become a buzz word, but maybe it's a blessing. Because it retards sugar synthesis, it is at least a way of holding back our rampant alcohols." His Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 has an alcohol by volume of 14,65%.

In Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon is typically blended, very often with Merlot, and if the great French region is the standard by which Kent measures his wine, then it must be asked why he himself does not blend. He reveals that there is one hectare of Cabernet Franc on Boekenhoutskloof, which he describes as being of "outstanding quality" and the intention is to add a small quantity (between 5 and 10%) of this to the Cabernet Sauvignon to enhance the aromatics and lend backbone. However, Kent is keen to continue labelling it as a single variety wine for marketing reasons, and points out that the cult Cabernets of California refute the theory that the variety is best blended.

Boekenhoutskloof belongs to a syndicate of seven owners, Kent being one of them. He explains that when it came to bottling the 2002 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon, he was required to select from 180 barrels, enough volume to generate 4 500 twelve-bottle cases. However, the syndicate, which includes hotshot ad agency types like John Hunt and Reg Lascaris, clearly knows a thing or two about brand building, so as ever the onus was on Kent to choose only the best. In the end only 890 cases were made, the rest being used for other wines in the range.

Kent is an iconoclast in many respects, but when it comes to producing quality, he's more committed than most.

Boekenhoutskloof's Marc Kent