Next stop was Avondrood Winery. Here Albertus and Minett van Rensburg and their friendly pack of Great Danes welcome you to their secluded farm. Albertus is a bit of a terroir-rist as he firmly believes that his vineyards on the rocky slopes "hoeg teen" the Boland Mountains produce wines of distinct character. You could call it location in a bottle. Hard to argue, when he has walked away with so many awards at the annual National Terroir Competition. The stand out wines for me were the 2008/2009 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 Viognier. This corner of he Bredekloof is hardly regarded as prime Sauvignon Blanc territory, but Avondrood is proving that with the right site selection you can produce unique and distinctive wines. The 2008 is at its peak, showing a perfect balance between beautiful tropical fruit and the slightest hint of green flavours from bottle age, all of this backed up with fine acidity. The 2009 on the other hand is a fruit bomb. Granadilla, guava and gooseberries. Wines of this quality sell for twice the price, at R40 per bottle its a steal. The 2007 Viognier was all fruit, spice and floral. A great food wine, and will be a perfect match for delicately spiced food.
Avondrood also has their own mountain cabin with majestic views over the winelands and distant mountains. As Albertus would say in typical Boland fashion "Dis Teen Die Berg!"
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