Chenin & Pinotage
Timed Online Auction, 4 - 11 September 2023
Chenin & Pinotage
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
Chris and Suzanne Alheit set the wine world on fire with their maiden 2011 Cartology receiving 96 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Aiming to harness the best old vineyards across the Cape, the Cartology offered a textured old-vine Chenin Blanc Semillon blend with startling purity and depth. Passionate and focused on the expression of place, tiny, long-forgotten parcels were added to the range, and are today South Africa’s most profound white wines. We auction maiden vintages of Magnetic Makstok on the legendary ‘Skurfkop’ in the Citrusdal area, Huilkrans in the Paardeberg, La Colline in Franschhoek, and, extremely rare Radio Lazarus in Stellenbosch.
Nautical Dawn is a single origin Chenin Blanc wine. Since its maiden vintage in 2017 it has helped to showcase the raw talent of the False Bay coast of Stellenbosch - a vital part of the Cape Chenin story. The wine has quite an extreme nature and a strong personality. Even with early picking, this vineyard delivers huge flavour with intense concentration and ripping natural acid.
Provenance
Wine Cellar Private Client
Critics Ratings
‘Nautical Dawn is a reference to the location of this Firgrove vineyard, very close to False Bay. Picked early, despite its maritime influence, it's grown on coastal granite and has a salty, almost seaweedy note, layers of beeswax, lanolin and baking yeast, subtle oak and vibrant acidity. 2021-28’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2019, 96/100
‘The 2018 Nautical Dawn comes from Stellenbosch, around False Bay. It has a captivating bouquet of orange pith, mirabelle and light sea spray aromas that are clinically defined. The palate is beautifully balanced with a pithy nectarine and clementine opening, dovetailing into gorgeous mango and spicy notes toward the lively, quite penetrating finish. Stunning.’ – Neal Martin, Vinous, 96/100 (Oct 2019)
‘From False Bay side of Stellenbosch, granite soil, 1978 block produces ripest of the chenins, 2018 peaches, apricots & almonds plus gravelly texture & piquant aniseed twist. Endless finish, as racy acidity keeps it fresh & appetising throughout.’ - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2020, 4.5* (94/100)
‘Very clean-cut citrus aroma. Both mineral and saline, even a little smoky. On the palate, there’s stunning clementine freshness and a cool silky texture even though the aroma is chalky. Fluid and salty on the finish.’ – Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17.5/20 (Sep 2019)
‘Displaying with a pale straw color, the 2018 Nautical Dawn is immediately impressive with citrus blossom elements blown by sea spray, Meyer lemon pith, green apple skin and a significant mineral expression that makes this wine utterly electric in the glass. Medium-bodied but full in flavor, the wine bursts to life with zippy, energetic acidity that will allow this to age for more than a decade. Underneath the dusty citrus tones and soft salinity, flavors of lemon pastry cream wade across the palate, displaying masterful elegance and balance. The wine draws me back for more as the finish somersaults and evolves from more than a minute. This is serious winemaking at hand. Bravo! It is devastatingly gorgeous and food friendly.’ - Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 93/100 (Feb 2021)
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