Andre van Rensburg Sauvignon Semillon 2022

"My first encounter with the relatively unknown André was in 1995. Even then, the winemaking genius was apparent. We became good friends. Our long-standing relationship is a tale of two ill-matched individuals: the outspoken rock spider and the quiet English rooieneeke. The quintessential odd couple. Over the last three decades, I’ve come to understand that André is the greatest winemaker in the world. It’s something he reminds me of every time we meet." Richard Kelley MW For those of you unaware of Andre’s background, he has been the winemaker at Vergelegen in Stellenbosch since 1998. The farm is owned by Anglo American, whose primary business is mining. It is Anglo’s policy that all employees are obliged to retire on their 60th birthday. It’s a condition that Andre has been aware of since start, but it was clearly not his intention to retire from making wine, hence the launch of these two wines, both sourced, from some of the best sites on the Vergelegen farm. This first white wine to be released is produced from what is without doubt AvR’s signature white grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc. Be sure to note that this is no facile poolside quaffer. It’s a serious barrel-fermented complex example, supported by a small proportion of Semillon. Approachable now, it would benefit from further maturation and should still be drinking well into the next decade.