Restless River, Main Road & Dignity 2021, Hemel-en-Aarde
1 in stock
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 raise 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.
Aromas of fresh blackberry and damson are layered with graphite, fynbos, green pepper and spice. The palate is elegant yet structured with fine-grained tannins amd a persistent finish.
