Viognier, Arendsig 2017

I should have to admit approaching our meeting with Arendsig with a degree of scepticism as Robertson still struggles to command the respect afforded to Stellenbosch and Hermanus but my doubts proved to be totally unfounded as these were some of the most exciting wines that we tasted during our visit. Lourens Van Der Westhuizen`s winery may lack the grandeur and, let`s be honest, size of some of his peers to the west but this is a property that just screams `authenticity`. We had been fortunate to visit some stunningly beautiful wineries over the previous 10 days, many with stylish restaurants and showpiece cellars but this is the reality of winemaking for so many – battling against shortage of space and ferments that won`t do as they`re told, to create wines of unbelievable class. All the wines are very site specific with the block no. stated on the label together with the (frequently tiny) number of bottles produced. Neutral vessels are used for maturation such that the character of the vineyard is allowed to shine through and only natural yeasts are used for the fermentation. Elegance and balance are the keywords here, together with length; these are wines that just beg to be drunk. Wasn`t looking forward to this as I find so much Viognier just too intense but this is really lovely. Great minerality, everything is restrained and toned down – beautiful balance and very, very food friendly - Chris Connolly