Provenance

Producer

Critics Ratings

2017 - 'Every so often you come across a wine in its first vintage that’s simply, incontrovertibly worldclass. This is one of them. Made with Chenin from three blocks (7, 12 and 13) from Joshua Visser’s Oudam farm on the Skurfberg. Dense, rich and ferrous with salty freshness, coiled power and the sense that you are tasting a landscape, not just a wine. Incredibly long and satisfying. 2020-27.'- Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2018, 97/100

'Citrusdal Mountain’s Skurfberg vineyard responsible for some of SA’s most renowned chenins; this majestic 2017 joins them. Power, richness, with resonating length to its bracing finish. A grand wine, deserving time & contemplation. Spontaneous ferment, older oak. Unfined, unfiltered, as all.' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2019, 4.5* (94/100)

'Grapes from the Skurfberg farm called Oudam owned by the Visser family. A captivating nose of hay, pear, peach, citrus and apple plus earth and a little leesy complexity. Extraordinary fruit concentration making for a palate that’s rich but perfectly balanced and absolutely flavour packed. Lovely proportions, plenty of detail, the finish extremely long. Neat and tidy, which is to say so very well judged when it comes to the winemaking, but there’s also no denying that there’s a very special site involved making for something utterly distinctive. Alcohol: 14.24%' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 98'/100

'The 2017 Hulkrains ("crying cliff") is named after a cliff close to the vineyard that is said to weep when it rains. Hitherto it was blended into the Cartology. The vines were planted on 1976 on red sand soils located at 450 meters above sea level. The wine has a wonderful, pure bouquet of dried honey, orange blossom, broom and just a hint of wild fennel, all detailed and expressive of their place of origin, as depicted on the label. The palate is very well balanced with touches of honeysuckle on the entry and a fine bead of acidity, and quite saline in the mouth, showing a touch of lemongrass toward the persistent finish. Outstanding.' - Neal Martin, Vinous, 95/100 (Aug 2018)

'The 2017 Hulikrans is a bit more on the steely and acidic side. The mouthfeel is lifted and punchier on the mid-palate. It reminds me of the classic Loire "acid slam" that you get from warmer vintage Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley. The lemon-focused, white flower nose and palate are classic descriptors for Chenin, with the soft phenolic bitterness that one would expect. This wine has some of the textural complexities that make the mouthfeel interesting for me. Medium-bodied, the wine ends with a medium finish. These grapes come from the Odam farm in Skurberg, from dry-farmed bush vines with low yields. Only 280 cases made.' - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 91/100 (Oct 2019)

2018 - ‘Richer than its Citrusdal Mountain sibling (Magnetic North), this 2018 Chenin shows peaches and pineapples with caramelised marshmallow. A woolly core firmly teased into line by lime marmalade acidity. Persistent and evolving through to a lengthy tail. Vines planted 1974, 1986, 1989.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2020, 4.5* (94/100)

‘Like Magnetic North, this stunning Chenin also comes from the Skurfberg, albeit from Joshua Visser's rather than Basie van Lill's farm. Grown at 620 metres, dry farmed and aged on its lees in concrete eggs, it's another breathtaking white from Chris Alheit with understated power and palate-energising minerality. 2021-32.’ - Tim Atkin SA Special Report 2019, 97/100

‘Pale lemon in hue, the 2018 Hulikrans explodes from the glass in waves of expression, offering seductive aromas of lemon-almond tart, raw honeycomb, white spiced tea, yellow apple skin and elements of Meyer lemon and sea spray. Medium-bodied, the wine splashes down on the palate with an amazing mouthfeel, mineral tension and energetic acidity with a growing spiciness across the mid-palate. The wine is impeccably balanced, showing the incredible depth and versatility that Chenin Blanc possesses, bursting with layers of soft, nutty and funky tones, bright, energetic acidity and stretched mineral essence. The wine grows spicier on the finish and continues to evolve for more than a minute, flipping back and forth between flavors of sautéed nuts, citrus zest and hints of dried caramel. There is no choice; I must finish this glass. I highly recommended it to every Chenin Blanc lover out there. Bravo!’ - Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 94+/100 (Feb 2021)

2019 - ‘From Citrusdal Mountain, 2019 is rich and honeyed, displaying more soft spice and oatmeal notes from old barrels (8-12 years, 300L). Beautifully balanced between peaches-and-cream texture, pineapple and lime acidity. Exceptionally low yields of 1.5-2 t/ha. ±13.5% alcohol.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2021, 4.5* (93/100)

‘All sourced from Jozua Visser's farm on Citrusdal Mountain, Huilkrans is a "deeper baritone" to the "tenor" of Magnetic North. Rich and textured, it has pear, subtle stone fruit and aniseed flavours, some tangerine and beeswax and a super taut, almost mouth-watering finish. The vines were planted between 1974 and 1984. Let's hope there's a preservation order on them. 2022-29.’ - Tim Atkin SA Special Report 2020, 98/100

‘From Skurfberg Chenin Blanc. A striking nose of citrus, peach, dried herbs and baking spice plus a rather funky waxiness. With great depth of fruit and vibrant acidity, this is altogether more powerful and showy than other recent vintages. It’s still extraordinarily complex and long, however.’ - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 95/100 (Jul 2020)