Mvemve Raats MR de Compostella: 2014-2022

BY NEAL MARTIN | AUGUST 12, 2026

The touchpaper for my passion towards South African wine was Mvemve Raats' MR de Compostella. I vividly recall tasting it for the first time during my maiden trip to South Africa in 2010, leaping back into the hired minivan, gabbling how I had just experienced an epiphany to my driver, who reciprocated with undisguised indifference. 

It was more than the wine’s intrinsic virtues. It was the break from the norm, the blend emphasising the crucial role of Cabernet Franc rather than the ubiquitous kingpin, Cabernet Sauvignon. This prefigured a renewed appreciation for Franc, and inspired Stellenbosch producers like Lukas Van Loggerenberg and Taaibosch.

Bruwer Raats of Raats Family Wines.

Moreover, I was intrigued by the people behind the wine: Bruwer Raats, your archetypal white, ursine, rugby-obsessed winemaker, and Mzokhona Mvemve, one of South Africa's first officially qualified black oenologists. The pair met in 2002 after Mvemve completed his degree in Viticulture & Oenology from the University of Stellenbosch and interned at Delaire with Raats, who immediately recognized his bright mind and work ethic. Their friendship continued after Mvemve’s internship. Over a braai (barbecue), they discussed the idea of creating a world-class South African premium wine. The maiden vintage, 2004, was released soon after.

MR de Compostella comes from vines between seven and twenty years old, rooted on decomposed Dolomite granite soils. Though Cabernet Franc still plays a major role in the traditional blend of Bordeaux varieties, the proportion varies. For example, the 2016 contains 63% Franc, whereas the 2020 contains just 30%. This is because the final blend is determined in the winery. “We vinify the thirteen plots separately and then, after twelve months in barrel, we make a blind assessment,” Raats explained. “Anything we score under 90 out of 100 is discarded, and we are not scared to declassify entirely. The selected lots are then aged for a further eight to twelve months.”

It gave me enormous pleasure to see Bruwer Raats pouring MR de Compostella at Vinous Icons: New York last February. It was such a joy to witness attendees' expressions of delight as, in real time, they discovered the tremendous quality of contemporary South African wine, doubtless some having preconceptions swept away. During Icons week, I had the opportunity to fulfill a long-held ambition and taste a vertical of this cuvée back to the 2014 vintage. I found the consistency impressive, testament to a strict selection process maintained vintage after vintage. (Alas, the 2023 had suffered en route to the United States; I will retaste it when I return to the Cape.) The tasting notes speak for themselves, though I must forewarn that this wine needs time in bottle, preferably several years. If you want to sample great Cape wine, perhaps MR de Compostella can lead you to experience your own epiphany, just like I did 16 years ago.

© 2026, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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