The 2023 opens with aromas of yellow plum, pear, green apple and jasmine, layered with sweet herbs, beeswax and crushed stone. Medium-bodied and beautifully textured, it combines pure fruit with vibrant acidity and a subtle mineral character. Fresh, savoury and precise, it finishes long with notes of grapefruit, kumquat and ginger, making it an elegant and versatile expression of South African Chenin Blanc.

James Suckling | JS 92
Published: Oct 25, 2024

Fresh and aromatic, showing jasmine, green tea, sliced apples and pears on the nose. It’s medium-bodied, bright and pristine. Hard to resist. From young chenin blanc vines. Drink or hold.

Jancis Robinson | JR 16.5
Published: Oct 16, 2024
Drink: 2026-2032

Young vines (5–35 years old). Spontaneous fermentation in eggs and a mix of old oak. 
Much more smoky and reduced on the nose than the 2022. Much more contained within tramlines of tense acidity and iron-clenched savoury notes. Bread and bee pollen and saffron and cooked rice. I'd hold this back for a couple of years at least. Tamlyn Currin

Alheitvineyards.co.za

Hereafter Here is a young vineyard wine. The great thing about planting young vines is that you can choose the site and the material purely for the sake of quality wine. Some of our favourite growers have already planted new vines, as will we on our own farm in the coming years. I find the idea of planting for the future very exciting! Our kids will have nice mature vines to work with. This is also a great space for us to nurture younger parcels that are very good but still too young for Cartology.

Winemaking and Maturation
The grapes were picked early in the morning, sorting in the vineyard, and whole bunch pressed. The juice was very lightly settled (we like very cloudy raw juice) with no additions to the raw juice, wild fermentation in took place in old barrels of various sizes. Fermentation lasted for about two months. The wine was kept on lees for around 12 months, then rested in tank on fine lees without fining for a further six months prior to bottling. Very simple, careful winemaking.

Tasting Notes
Charming nose, soft pollen and pear, curry leaf, maybe a touch of beeswax.  Palate is silky and bright, with some savoury herbs, dried laurel. Very good.

Technical Specs

Alcohol: 13.21%
Closure: Cork
Harvest: 2023
Oak: Fermented and aged in old French oak barrels; 12 months on lees, followed by 6 months in tank on fine lees
Varietals: 100% Chenin Blanc
Vineyard: Young bush vines, with parcels in Swartland, Piekenierskloof, Bottelary, Polkadraai, Paardeberg and Tygerberg
Soil: Predominantly granite, with diverse Western Cape terroirs
Vinification: Hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed; lightly settled; spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in old barrels for around 2 months; no fining or filtration
Region: Western Cape, South Africa
Appellation: W.O. Western Cape
Residual Sugar: 1.6 g/L
Total Acidity: 5.45 g/L
pH: 3.40

Serving Temperature: 10–12°C
Decanting: No decanting required; optional 20–30 minutes if serving young
Food Pairing: Oysters, shellfish, grilled fish, roast poultry, spicy dishes and fresh goat's cheese.