Winery of the Week: House of Hier

Here Arendsig’s owner and small-batch winemaker Lourens van der Westhuizen collaborates with IT entrepreneur Jaco Pienaar on premium wines from special sites they find and that fit their philosophy, which encompasses rigorous grape selection, staggered picking, low yields, spontaneous ferments and limited quantities, among others. Crafting happens at Arendsig in Bonnievale and, while the current parcels are local and elsewhere in Robertson Valley, wider sourcing is a possibility as the portfolio grows. Watch for a trendy field blend, made from Portuguese grapes. Attractively and minimally presented, the wines are styled to be ‘fruit-forward, powerful and expressive of the terroir’, and sold mostly online and in wine bars around Cape Town.