Restless River, `Ava Marie` Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnay

Beginning as a hobby for self-taught winemaker, Craig Wessels, Restless River is now a world-renowned producer of cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay described by Neal Martin as having “real Burgundian allure”.

In 2004, Craig and his wife Anne bought a run-down sheep farm in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, with a view to raising their family away from the city. By chance, the farm was also home to the area’s oldest remaining Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon vines, planted in 1998. Farming these vines became a serious passion, leading Craig to start making wine in a small, converted garage on the estate. In 2012, the Restless River wines were officially launched and have continued to impress ever since.

The Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is one of three sub-appellations of the Hemel-en-Aarde. Here, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, coastal breezes, regular cloud cover and high elevations result in some of South Africa’s coolest daytime temperatures. Combined with duplex soils of decomposed granite over heavy clay subsoil, this marginal climate makes the area perfectly suited to create elegant wines with a distinctive sense of place.

The estate is named after the Onrus River (Afrikaans for Restless River). As this name suggests, Craig is never one to sit still. He has more than doubled their plantings since 2013 and continues to fine-tune an organic approach to farming. Biodiversity is encouraged to manage pests naturally, and mulching is used to suppress weed growth without the need for herbicides. Invasive plants are also converted into biochar and recycled into the soil. Craig sees himself first and foremost as a farmer, explaining, “we spend 80% to 90% of our time in the vines”. This informs his winemaking process, in which site expression and authenticity are his guiding principles. Each variety is estate-grown and fermented using indigenous yeasts and matured in its own cellar. Extended bottle ageing (between nine and 21 months) before release is also indicative of their unwavering commitment to quality.

Restless River’s single vineyard Chardonnay, ‘Ava Marie’, strikes a fine balance between freshness and density. Fermented and aged in 500 litre French oak barrels and unlined terracotta amphorae, it is textured and fragrant with notes of lemongrass, struck match and oatmeal. Fruit for the ‘Le Luc’ Pinot Noir is sourced from the eponymous vineyard, planted in 2013 with Dijon clones 113, 115 and 777, known for their finesse, balance and intensity, respectively. It is layered and refined with fine-grained tannins and notes of rose, black cherry and wild mushroom.

The ‘Main Road & Dignity’ Cabernet Sauvignon fruit is sourced from three neighbouring estate vineyards, planted between 260 and 400 metres above sea level. The grapes undergo a long, slow ripening period, resulting in complex aromatics. With such high-quality fruit Craig uses gentle pump-overs and hand punch downs, producing finely structured tannins. Notes of graphite, fynbos and blackcurrant are underpinned by vibrant acidity and a long, pure finish. Their latest additions are an estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These two wines offer exceptional value while still expressing the purity of their granite soils and high elevation site.