Alheit Vineyards : Hemelrand Vine Garden 2021

The liveliness and intensity of a white Western Cape wine by Alheit Vineyards

The property

Located in the Walker Bay region of South Africa, Alheit Vineyards is a family estate created in 2011 by Chris and Suzaan Alheit. After travelling to the world's greatest wine-producing countries (United States, France, Australia, Germany), this young couple settled in 2010 on Hemelrand Farm, with the ambition of revealing the potential of old South African vineyards of Chenin and Semillon grapes.

Convinced that the quality and beauty of a wine comes exclusively from its vineyard of origin, they focus most of their work on rigorous vineyard management. Their minimalist approach to making white wines aims to capture the pure and authentic expression of these great terroirs with their rare and unique soil mosaic. Over the years, Alheit Vineyards has become one of South Africa's most fascinating estates.

The vineyard

Hemelrand Vine Garden 2021 is a Western Cape wine that stems from a vineyard located at 360 metres of altitude on the on the cold and windy ridge of Hemel & Aarde. This vineyard, planted in 2010 on gravelly clay and sandstone soil, is made up of several grape varieties (Chardonnay, Roussanne, Verdelho, Chenin blanc, and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains), the blend proportions of which vary from vintage to vintage.

The wine

The vineyard grapes were grown, harvested and vinified together. In this way, the blending was done directly in the Hemelrand vineyard and not in the cellar. It is therefore a unique wine produced from a single vineyard in its own right. Its name Vine Garden characterises the vision of this small, garden-like vineyard.

Winemaking and ageing

The grapes, harvested early in the morning, were sorted and pressed as whole bunches. In this vintage, the Chenin, Verdelho and Muscat grapes were harvested on the same day, pressed and fermented together. The juice was lightly settled with no additions. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts took place in old barrels of different sizes. Ageing on the lees for about twelve months was completed by an additional six months of ageing in tanks on the fine lees without fining before bottling.

Blend

Chardonnay (36%),
Roussanne (27%),
Chenin (18%),
Verdelho (16%),
Muscat (3%)

Characteristics and tasting tips for Hemelrand Vine Garden 2021

Tasting

Nose
The nose is exotic, releasing lemon and stone fruit notes, mingled with delicate touches of verbena.

Palate
Lively and intense, the rounded and aromatic palate gives a lovely acidity.