The Story
Sometimes the best wine ideas arrive after months of careful planning, detailed vineyard analysis and highly disciplined tasting.
And sometimes they arrive on a flight back to London when you’re feeling distinctly second-hand after a very long South African braai.
Aurelia was very much the latter.
In 2022, I was in South Africa with fellow Collectible Vintage founder Ronan Sayburn, CEO of the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe, to facilitate a Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory and Certified Course in Stellenbosch.
As we were already making the journey south, we added a few extra days to the trip.
Those few extra days turned out to be rather important.
It was also during this visit that we bottled the 2022 Collectible Vintage Oniv Chenin Blanc, the very first wine we ever made.
We headed down to the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and spent several days visiting vineyards, wandering through cellars and tasting our way through some of the valley’s finest wines.
Among the stops were Hannes Storm, Newton Johnson Vineyards and Restless River Vineyards.
The trip eventually culminated in a long afternoon braai at Restless River, with everyone there alongside their families and, as tends to happen at these occasions, a thoroughly unreasonable number of bottles being opened.
It was brilliant.
Somewhere on the flight back to London, while reflecting on the previous day’s festivities and wondering whether another glass of water might save me, the idea suddenly became very clear:
We need to make wines with these amazing people.
That was the beginning of what would eventually become 2023 Aurelia Chardonnay.
While the inspiration had come from our time in the Hemel-en-Aarde, I didn’t want the project to be confined entirely to the valley. There was another name I very much wanted involved: Peter-Allan Finlayson of Crystallum.
A few emails, conversations and probably some gentle persuasion later; the plan came together.
Aurelia would be a collaborative Chardonnay bringing together three outstanding producers: Restless River Vineyards, Newton Johnson Vineyards and Crystallum.
Gordon and Bevan from Newton Johnson kindly agreed to take on the small matter of pulling everything together, consolidating the final blend and bottling the wine at Newton Johnson.
Which sounds straightforward when written in one sentence.
In July 2024, a total of just 2,293 bottles of the 2023 Aurelia Chardonnay were bottled.
Aurelia is a snapshot of South African Chardonnay through the eyes of three brilliant producers, brought together under one label and made in exactly the spirit Collectible Vintage was created for, collaboration, friendship and the occasional very long lunch.
The Final Blend
Chemical Analysis
The trip that started it
Restless River · Newton Johnson · Crystallum
The Producers
Restless River · Upper Hemel-en-Aarde
Craig & Anne Wessels
Restless River is the deeply personal project of Craig and Anne Wessels, created on their family farm in the cool, elevated reaches of the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The couple purchased the property in 2004, initially seeking a quieter place to raise their family away from Cape Town. The former sheep farm happened to include mature Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards planted in 1998, among the oldest surviving examples of these varieties in the valley. What began with Craig experimenting in a converted garage gradually evolved into one of South Africa’s most distinctive and highly regarded wine estates.
Restless River remains genuinely family owned and operated. Craig, a self-taught winemaker, oversees the winemaking with an instinctive, detail-focused approach, while Anne manages the commercial and operational side of the estate. Together, they have built the property patiently and independently, placing long-term vineyard health, craftsmanship and authenticity ahead of rapid growth. Their philosophy is rooted in the belief that truly great wine is a generational endeavour, requiring time, commitment and respect for both the land and the people who farm it.
“Truly great wine is a generational endeavour, requiring time, commitment and respect for both the land and the people who farm it.”
The vineyards lie on ancient, granite-derived soils containing rocky clay, at an altitude and exposure that bring notably cool growing conditions. Slow, even ripening allows the grapes to develop flavour while retaining natural acidity and moderate alcohol. This environment has enabled Restless River to produce an unusual expression of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley: wines defined not by overt richness, but by restraint, purity, structure and length.
Craig’s winemaking is deliberately patient and unobtrusive. Harvest dates are chosen with precision, extraction is gentle, and maturation takes place slowly, without allowing oak or cellar technique to overpower the vineyard. The estate concentrates primarily on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, produced as individual expressions of specific sites. These include Ava Marie Chardonnay, from the property’s oldest Chardonnay vineyard; Main Road & Dignity Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from its historic Cabernet blocks; and Le Luc Pinot Noir, a refined single-vineyard expression from the estate’s oldest Pinot Noir parcel.
Restless River’s wines possess a quiet confidence that mirrors Craig and Anne themselves. Precise, finely textured and built to develop with time, they capture the cool climate and granite soils of their remarkable property while reflecting the patience, curiosity and determination of the family behind them.
Est. 2004 · Upper Hemel-en-Aarde · Self-taught · Vines planted 1998
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Newton Johnson · Upper Hemel-en-Aarde
Gordon & Bevan Newton Johnson
Newton Johnson is a family-owned estate situated high in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus. The story began when Dave and Felicity Newton Johnson moved their family to the valley in 1995, inspired by the region’s cool climate and its potential for producing exceptional Pinot Noir. Today, the estate is guided by the next generation, with brothers Gordon and Bevan Newton Johnson continuing their parents’ pioneering vision.
Gordon leads the winemaking alongside his wife, Nadia, while Bevan oversees the commercial direction of the family business and represents the wines internationally. Gordon joined the family operation in the 1990s after initially studying economics, gradually developing his craft through practical experience and close observation. His approach is thoughtful and instinctive, seeking to produce transparent wines that communicate the character of their vineyards rather than the influence of cellar technique.
“Transparent wines that communicate the character of their vineyards rather than the influence of cellar technique.”
The estate’s vineyards lie approximately nine kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean, where elevated slopes are exposed to cooling maritime winds. Decomposed granite soils, often layered with clay and quartz, contribute structure, fragrance and a distinctive linear quality to the wines. Considerable attention is given to vineyard health, biodiversity and the planting of high-quality, virus-free vine material, reflecting the family’s long-term commitment to the land.
Newton Johnson is best known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, varieties that have become synonymous with the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The family produces wines ranging from accessible regional expressions to limited bottlings drawn from individual vineyard parcels. These smaller-production wines explore subtle differences in soil, aspect and elevation, revealing the estate’s varied expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with remarkable clarity.
In the cellar, the approach is restrained and deliberately sensitive. Spontaneous fermentation, selective use of whole bunches, gentle extraction and carefully judged maturation in French oak are employed to preserve freshness and vineyard identity. The resulting wines are perfumed, finely textured and energetic, combining delicacy with the structure and depth required to develop beautifully in bottle.
Through Gordon’s intuitive winemaking and Bevan’s stewardship of the family business, Newton Johnson has played an important role in establishing the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley as one of South Africa’s most respected fine-wine regions. Their wines reflect both the distinctive landscape of the valley and the patience, curiosity and shared purpose of the family behind them.
Family estate since 1995 · 9km from the Atlantic · Granite, clay & quartz
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Crystallum Wines · Walker Bay
Peter-Allan Finlayson
Crystallum is the family-run winery of brothers Peter-Allan and Andrew Finlayson, based in South Africa’s Walker Bay region. As third-generation winemakers, they inherited a deep connection to the Hemel-en-Aarde, where their father, Peter Finlayson, helped pioneer the production of cool-climate Pinot Noir. Although Peter-Allan initially studied philosophy and economics and Andrew trained as an architect, wine soon drew them back to the vineyards and cellars of their family’s home region.
The brothers founded Crystallum in 2007, producing just over 4,000 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc in their first vintage. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay followed the next year and quickly became the sole focus of the winery. Today, the portfolio consists of carefully composed multi-vineyard blends alongside limited single-vineyard bottlings that explore the remarkable diversity of South Africa’s cooler coastal landscapes.
Peter-Allan leads the winemaking, while Andrew plays an important role in the vineyards and the broader family business. Rather than being restricted to one estate, Crystallum sources fruit from carefully selected sites, principally within the cool, maritime Hemel-en-Aarde region. The brothers have also looked further afield to exciting vineyards in the Overberg and high-altitude Elandskloof, while gradually investing in vineyard ownership to protect the quality and continuity of their fruit for future generations.
Peter-Allan’s approach combines traditional, Old World-inspired techniques with a sensitive understanding of each vineyard. Fermentations rely on indigenous yeasts, new oak is used sparingly and cellar intervention is kept restrained. Rather than shaping the fruit to fit a predetermined style, his aim is to nurture what arrives from the vineyard, preserving purity, freshness and the individual personality of every site.
“Nurture what arrives from the vineyard, preserving purity, freshness and the individual personality of every site.”
The Crystallum range includes the expressive The Agnes Chardonnay and Peter Max Pinot Noir, together with highly sought-after single-vineyard wines such as Clay Shales, Ferrum, Cuvée Cinéma, Litigo and Mabalel. Across the collection, the wines are recognised for their fragrance, fine texture, natural acidity and ability to combine delicacy with concentration and depth.
Through Crystallum, Peter-Allan and Andrew have helped shape a new generation of South African fine wine. Their work is grounded in family heritage but defined by curiosity, precision and a determination to express the Cape’s finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards with clarity and authenticity.
Est. 2007 · Third generation · Indigenous yeasts · Hemel-en-Aarde