Restless River’s brilliant Ava Marie Chardonnay – 95 pts

NEW releases, including the Wanderlust Red Field Blend

Restless River in the Hemel-En-Aarde Valley is home to the most unique Cabernet Sauvignon in the country. The 2019 release of Main Road & Dignity Cabernet Sauvignon is from a vintage that required up to 12 pickings to ensure optimal ripeness. This long hang time has produced a wine with wonderful fruit concentration cascading over fine tannins, with a savoury, juicy finish. A fantastic expression of this variety.

The Ava Marie Chardonnay 2020 is once again exceptional and scores 95 points from Christian Eedes. ‘The palate is taut and tense… pure fruit, arresting acidity and a pithy finish,’ notes Christian. Like previous vintages, the 2020 has a chiselled structure with hints of yellow stone fruit, integrated oak, and their trademark long, linear end. This needs time in the cellar!

From eight varieties all picked in a single day, the Wanderlust Red Field Blend 2020 is deliciously different. It spans the entire red to black berry spectrum without being too fruity and offers layers of flavour and supple tannins. Each vintage of the experimental Wanderlust label is unique, and the 2020 is ‘most appealing’, says Christian.

Craig and Anne Wessels from Restless River have quietly achieved cult status for their brilliant, Burgundian-style Chardonnay and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines exude their terroir and, above all, the care and attention to detail that’s poured into making them.