Radio Lazarus 2015

By , 9 July 2016

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The super-exciting operation that is Alheit Vineyards is soon to release its wines from the 2015 vintage, tasting notes and scores as follows:

Cartology 2015
Approximate retail price: R320 a bottle
86% Chenin Blanc, 14% Semillon. A compelling nose – pear, citrus and white peach but also dried herbs, thatch, yellow earth and a subtle waxy note. Relatively rich on the palate but very flavourful and entirely seamless – grapes are drawn from mainly from Perdeberg and Skurfberg but also Bot River and Stellenbosch as well as Franschhoek in the case of the Semillon and there’s a sense that Alheit grows ever more expert at how to meld the different components. Great fruit concentration, coated acidity and a nice pithy quality to the finish. Total production: 21 762 bottles.

#WinemagRating: 94/100.

Radio Lazarus 2015

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Radio Lazarus 2015
Approximate retail price: R630 a bottle
From two Bottelary vineyards of Chenin Blanc: the first planted on Goede Hoop in 1978 and the second on Sterhuis in 1970. Very aromatic with notes of lime, lemon, green apple and a little gravel-road dustiness. Extraordinary fruit purity and lip-smacking acidity – this wine is very finely honed and wonderfully direct to drink. Total production: 1 908 bottles.

#WinemagRating: 96/100.

Magnetic North Mountain Makstok 2015
Approximate retail price: R630
From a Skurfberg vineyard planted in the early 1980s. Pear and white peach as well as dried herbs, a little marzipan, spice and some yeasty complexity. This is a wine of reined-in power – great flavour intensity yet totally composed, it unfurls for ages in the mouth. So very accomplished. Total production: 2 634 bottles.

#WinemagRating: 96/100.

La Colline Semillon 2015
Approximate retail price: R560
Previously bottle as Arrow Heart, this is from a Franschhoek vineyard of Semillon and Semillon Gris planted in in 1936. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, there is a definite cloudy quality to its appearance. On the nose, there is an intriguing smoking note before pear, white peach, tangerine and spice. The palate possesses unusual presence, which is to say it displays particular depth and breadth. Unconventional but utterly complelling. Total production: 1 086 bottles.

#WinemagRating: 96/100.

Hemelrand Vine Garden 2015
Approximate retail price: R238
From Roussanne, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Verdelho grown on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge property Hemelrand. Yellow apple, peach and apricot as well as ginger and spice. Great depth of flavour and pleasantly oily in texture. This is rich and ripe but has a properly savoury finish. Total production: 5 112 bottles.

#WinemagRating: 93/100.

See a photo album of our visit to Hemelrand here.

Find our South African wine ratings database here.

Comments

2 comment(s)

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    Udo | 10 July 2016

    @Smirrie: my vote goes to John Seccombe 😉

    Smirrie | 9 July 2016

    I literally cant wait to taste my allocation. Now let us hope the Platter Guide also agree with your ratings and not like last year award him so little stars.

    Tongue in cheek perhaps but is Butch the nr 1 white wine maker ?

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