Alheit Vineyards new releases

Chris “Butch” Alheit says that in general his vineyards were around 10 days later in 2021 than they were in the previous year, yields low but quality high. No Huilkrans as the crop from this Skurfberg vineyard was simply too low and no Magnetic North, ruined by a faulty tank gasket that lent a severe bitterness to the wine. Tasting notes and ratings for the remaining six new releases as follows:

Hereafter Here 2021
Price: R320

A young vineyard wine, grapes from Upper Blaauwklippen, Polkadraai and the Swartland. Expressive and appealing on the nose with notes of flowers, herbs, white peach and citrus. Pure and energetic – excellent fruit definition, fresh acidity and a pithy finish.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

Cartology 2021
Price: R420

90% Chenin Blanc and 10% Semillon sourced across the Western Cape, all dryland bushvines with a minimum age of 35 years although mostly between 40 and 50 years. Citrus, peach, thatch, earth and a little reduction on the nose while the palate is dense and relatively thick textured given an alcohol of just 13.11%. Aciditiy is well integrated, and the finish is dry and extremely long.

CE’s rating: 93/100.

Fire By Night 2021
Price: R540
Briefly known as Broom Ridge but now back to its old name. From Swartland vineyards planted between 1972 and 1985 on granite. An evocative nose of pear, citrus, thatch, fynbos and a little flinty reduction. There’s a real precision to the palate – a wonderful clarity to the fruit matched by bright acidity before a pithy finish. Lean and nervy.

CE’s: 97/100.

Nautical Dawn 2021
Price: R490
From a Stellenbosch vineyard planted in 1978 on granite. Intense aromatics of peach, lemon, naartjie plus a little leesy funk. With great fruit concentration and well-integrated acidity, this has a lovely sweet and sour pull to it, the finish, in turn, having a salty quality to it.

CE’s rating: 96/00.

Monument Semillon 2021
Price: R700
Grapes from a 1936 vineyard planted on La Colline in Franschhoek. Naartjie, blackcurrant, some waxy character and smoky reduction on the nose. Lots of palate impact – dense fruit and impressive texture with well-integrated acidity and a gently savoury finish. Flavour packed, this is already quite approachable but should mature with benefit over the next five years at least.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

Hemelrand Vine Garden 2021
Price: R370
36% Chardonnay, Roussanne 27%, 18% Chenin Blanc, 16% Verdelho and 3% Muscat. Exotic aromatics with notes of citrus, peach, litchee and pineapple plus floral perfume, herbs and spice. The palate, meanwhile, has good fruit depth and tangy acidity, the finish nicely savoury. It’s a wine that might be described as “glossy” but equally has plenty of detail – altogether very pleasing.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

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