Alheit new releases

Chris Alheit, of Alheit Vineyards that first bottled in 2011 and is now unquestionably one of South Africa’s most admired producers, describes the 2024 vintage as producing “very good, even excellent wines, but not much of it.” Crop loads were low while canopies remained strong – a combination he likens to “a V8 engine pulling a small trailer up a pass.” Tasting notes and ratings for the new releases as follows:

Cartology 2024
Price: R430
W.O. Western Cape. 92% Chenin Blanc, 8% Semillon. Delicate aromatics of hay, pear, white peach, lime, dried herbs and a touch of gravel-road dust. The palate starts off seemingly light but reveals more depth and nuance with time in the glass. Taut and linear, the wine is defined by racy acidity and a pithy, dry finish. Refined and quietly complex, with impressive detail and length. Alc: 13.37%.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

Hereafter Here 2024
Price: R300
Mostly a young vineyard wine, Chenin Blanc from Swartland, Piekenierskloof, Bottelary, Polkadraai Hills plus some from older parcels in Paardeberg and Tygerberg. A forthcoming nose of pear, peach and citrus, along with less conspicuous notes of fynbos, honeysuckle and a hint of flinty reduction. The palate shows impressive fruit concentration, supported by soft yet sufficient acidity, tapering to a gently savoury finish. A wine that marries satisfying weight with poise – the most convincing vintage to date. Alc: 13. 23%.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

Fire by Night 2024
Price: R560
Grapes from two Paardeberg Chenin Blanc vineyards planted between 1972 and 1985 on granite. Gorgeous aromatics of hay, fynbos, potpourri, peach and lime. The palate is harmonious, showing striking purity, vivid acidity and an ultra-dry finish. Intensely flavoured yet featherlight, this is a wine of exceptional precision – perilously close to perfect. Alc: 12.74%.

CE’s rating: 98/100.

Nautical Dawn 2024
Price: R560
Grapes from a Chenin Blanc vineyard on the southern Stellenbosch farm Rustenhof planted in 1978 on granite. Flinty reduction before pear, peach, lime, guava, fynbos and a little earthiness. The palate is ethereal with great tension and energy – excellent clarity of fruit, zesty acidity, and a finish that’s long and pithy. Alc: 13.15%.

CE’s rating: 96/100.

Huilkrans 2024
Price: R790
From Skurfberg Chenin Blanc vineyards planted between 1974 and 1989 on red sand over clay. Super-complex aromatics – nectarine, soft citrus, flowers, herbs, plus traces of white pepper and spice. The palate is dense yet vibrant, fresh acidity lending drive, the finish long with a winning bitterness about it. Expressive and intricate, cascading with flavour. Alc: 13.28%.

CE’s rating: 97/100.

Magnetic North 2024
Price: R790
From two Skurfberg Chenin Blanc blocks, one planted in 1981 and the other in 1984. The nose is restrained for now, offering subtle hints of hay, yellow apple, citrus, mushroom, earth and spice. The palate, however, is powerful – showing notable depth and breadth, punchy acidity, and an intensely savoury finish. A wine that speaks more through texture than overt aroma or flavour. Alc: 13.65%.

CE’s rating: 96/100.

Monument 2024
Price: R720
From a Franschhoek Sémillon vineyard planted in 1936. Hay, honey, peach, nectarine, a touch of nuttiness and spice on the nose. The palate is broad and textured, with moderate acidity and a gently savoury finish. Somewhat oxidative in style – rich and round, perhaps edging towards listless. Certainly not without depth and complexity. Alc: 13.2%.

CE’s rating: 93/100.

Hemelrand Vine Garden 2024
Price: R380
W.O. Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. 32% Roussanne, 28% Chardonnay, 25% Chenin Blanc, 11% Verdelho, 4% Muscat. A melange of peach, apricot, orange, pineapple, melon, herbs verging on outright mint, and floral notes on the nose. Big fruit, big acidity, the finish savoury and long. There’s real drive here – unapologetically ripe yet urgent. A wild, characterful wine with plenty going on. Alc: 13.37%  

CE’s rating: 94/100.

Check out our South African wine ratings database.