Aren'd They Lovely

Arendsig Hand Crafted Wines

In the learning of loving of wine, one comes across many rather...questionable wines as well as many truly fantastic examples of the craft. This particular experience of very limited, hand-crafted single-vineyard wines falls firmly into the latter category.

WHITES:

• Sauvignon Blanc (2013): Less than 1 hectare of vines, 4 – 6 months on lees. Lime marmalade, roasted green pepper, lemon & lime juice, light, grapefruit, very green apple, crisp but gets richer
• Chardonnay (2013): Old barrel & wild yeast, 12 months in oak.  Green pepper & fynbos honey, honey crème brulee sugar, orange blossom turns to pith, age to soften (***)

REDS:

• Grenache Inspirational Batch #2 (2013): 180 bottles available in the Western Cape, 500 bottles made. 8 months in oak. Caramelized candyfloss, berries on an old wooden fence, sliver of wet biltong in tangy berry jus, soft but sharp, very sugary berry tartlets with spicy crust.

• Shiraz (2012): Bloody well-spiced biltong, spiced jam tartlet, gentle richness, first date wine, easy drinking & easy talking, more-ish, sweet baked berries in softly whipped cream. (*)

• Cabernet Sauvignon (2012): “Red Sauv Blanc”, honey on slightly warm berries, lurking green peppercorns, dried bluegum leaves, velvety, very ripe strawberries. (*)

Notes:

• “Barrels are like bubblegum – the more you pass it around, the less it tastes like bubblegum”
• Grenache – Rhone varietal, Pinot Noir-like colour
• 8,4l per year – Per capita wine consumption
• Cab sauv is the world’s most planted varietal