Weather Report
ウェザー・レポート
A one-man négociant chasing Cabernet Franc across the Cape's coolest coastal sites.
About Weather Report
Weather Report is a micro-négociant Cabernet Franc label founded in 2018/2019 by Chris Keet Jnr, a viticulturist who by day manages the vineyards at Gabriëlskloof estate in Bot River. Keet is the nephew of Christopher Keet, the winemaker behind Cordoba's celebrated Cabernet Franc-led Crescendo and later his own eponymous Keet Wines. Rather than owning land, Weather Report sources fruit from a handful of small, hand-picked sites scattered across the Western Cape's cooler pockets — including Elgin and the Bot River ward of the Overberg (within the broader Cape South Coast region) — vinifying each parcel separately with whole-bunch fermentation and no added enzymes, fining or filtration. The range centres on single-site expressions such as Flight Farm (Elgin) and Land of Birds (Bot River), alongside the flagship Climes of Cabernet Franc (previously labelled Atlas), a multi-regional blend that changes composition each vintage to capture a snapshot of the Cape's diverse terroirs. The label's name nods to the idea that, in a business built on small, exposed vineyards, the weather ultimately has the final say.
Who Is This For?
For drinkers curious about South Africa's Cabernet Franc renaissance who enjoy low-intervention, site-transparent reds with cool-climate freshness rather than heavy extraction.
Wines of Weather Report
No cuvées registered yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who makes Weather Report and where is it based?
- Weather Report is made by Chris Keet Jnr, viticulturist at Gabriëlskloof estate in Bot River, South Africa. He is the nephew of veteran winemaker Christopher Keet (Cordoba, Keet Wines) and launched the label in 2018/2019 as a small-batch, one-man project.
- Does Weather Report own vineyards?
- No — Weather Report is a négociant-style label. Chris Keet Jnr sources Cabernet Franc from a handful of small, carefully chosen sites across the Western Cape's cooler zones, including Elgin and Bot River in the Overberg, rather than farming his own estate.
- What grape does Weather Report focus on?
- Almost exclusively Cabernet Franc, vinified as both single-site wines (such as Flight Farm from Elgin and Land of Birds from Bot River) and as the multi-regional flagship blend Climes of Cabernet Franc (formerly called Atlas).
- What is the winemaking philosophy behind Weather Report?
- Low-intervention: whole-bunch fermentation with native yeasts, no added enzymes, and no fining or filtration, aiming to let each cool-climate site speak for itself while acknowledging that the weather ultimately calls the shots.