With our vines planted in 1999, Restless River has some of the oldest cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay vineyards in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The soils are extremely diverse resulting in each block being quite unique. The Valley is well renowned for its cooler climate. The farm is only 5km from the Atlantic Ocean, and with the vineyards at 870ft, the temperature is a further couple of degrees cooler. Although challenging, these are great conditions for making good wine.

We believe it’s fundamental that our vines reflect this distinctive, marginal environment in which they grow, passing their unique characteristics onto the grapes, and ultimately the wine.

Being in a cooler valley, finding optimal ripeness is a game of patience, particularly for our late ripening cab. Harvest begins around late February with the chardonnay, and finishes towards the end of April with the last of the cab.

We farm as naturally as possible, and believe the grapes develop depth and complexity through struggle. As a result, yields are low, extremely low actually, taking off the few tons that the weather, birds, baboons and Kwezi the grape-loving dog kindly leave behind. Our last press is often in late May, followed shortly by winter.

As of 2011 we have registered three single block vineyards in order to further our knowledge and understanding of our unique terrior. Needless to say, a couple of hundred years lie ahead in this regard.