Description
Holden Manz Visionaire 2021 is a Franschhoek red blend built around poise, layering, and the interplay of multiple varietal voices rather than sheer force. It is a wine that aims for harmony, with each component contributing something distinct to the final shape of the blend. The result is a red that feels composed and polished, combining ripe fruit, savory detail, and structural finesse in a way that is greater than any single part.
On the palate, red and black fruit take the lead, balanced by a graphite-like steeliness that gives the wine extra definition and lift. There is clear mid-palate ripeness, but the finish stays supple and spicy rather than heavy, with soft, refined tannins carrying the fruit and savory notes with ease. Fresh plum and subtle spice round out the profile, while the overall impression is layered, focused, and quietly complex. It would pair especially well with roast lamb, beef fillet, duck, or mushroom-based dishes where its fruit, spice, and polished structure can settle naturally into the meal.
Already expressive, this is a red blend with enough shape and cellar support to continue developing over the next several years, gaining even more integration and nuance with time.
On the palate, red and black fruit take the lead, balanced by a graphite-like steeliness that gives the wine extra definition and lift. There is clear mid-palate ripeness, but the finish stays supple and spicy rather than heavy, with soft, refined tannins carrying the fruit and savory notes with ease. Fresh plum and subtle spice round out the profile, while the overall impression is layered, focused, and quietly complex. It would pair especially well with roast lamb, beef fillet, duck, or mushroom-based dishes where its fruit, spice, and polished structure can settle naturally into the meal.
Already expressive, this is a red blend with enough shape and cellar support to continue developing over the next several years, gaining even more integration and nuance with time.
The wine was aged for 24 months before blending and bottling, using 20% new 225L French oak barrels and 80% second- and third-fill 225L French oak barrels. The grapes were sourced from distinct parcels with varying soil types, adding complexity and intricacy to the final blend. Each variety was bunch- and berry-sorted, then crushed and destemmed to tank before a five-day cold soak.
Fermentation followed with minimal additions, allowing the individual cultivar characteristics to remain clear while building the layered, balanced profile of the finished wine.
Winemaker: Thierry Haberer
Fermentation followed with minimal additions, allowing the individual cultivar characteristics to remain clear while building the layered, balanced profile of the finished wine.
Winemaker: Thierry Haberer
Named after owners Gerard Holden and Migo Mans, this Franschhoek property was originally developed into a wine farm in 1999. Located in the top, southern-most corner of the Franschhoek Valley, in the embrace of its spectacular mountains, the 22 hectares Holden Manz Wine Estate is situated between the Franschhoek River and Stony Brook at 300 meters above sea level.
Today it is a lifestyle destination, boasting five-star guest house and spa, restaurant, picnics by the Franschhoek river, with an art collection housed in the town. An exclusive grower of red grapes, the Estate only cultivates its top 16 hectares under vineyards, notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot resulting in the production of ultra-premium wines made for the discerning wine connoisseur.
Today it is a lifestyle destination, boasting five-star guest house and spa, restaurant, picnics by the Franschhoek river, with an art collection housed in the town. An exclusive grower of red grapes, the Estate only cultivates its top 16 hectares under vineyards, notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot resulting in the production of ultra-premium wines made for the discerning wine connoisseur.
