Young Guns and New Wave Producers
Timed Online Auction, 17 - 27 November 2023
Young Gun and New Wave Producers
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.
Hemelrand is situated on the cold and windy Hemel & Aarde Ridge at 360 meters above sea level, on gravelly clay, and Sandstone. The vineyard was planted in 2010 to Chardonnay, Roussanne, Verdelho, Chenin blanc, and Muscat Blanc a Petit grain. The proportions of the different grapes produced significantly varies each vintage. Viticulturally speaking, this is a marginal site, the upside of which is slow ripening with high natural acidity.
Provenance
Wine Cellar Private Client
Critics Ratings
‘Aromatic, floral but not OTT. Orange notes in the aroma and on the palate, so scented without any aromatic variety dominating. Some pear and citrus at the core but lots of light aromatic top notes and still has a mineral dusting. Intensity builds on the palate to give a firm, concentrated wine.’ – Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Sep 2019)
‘The 2018 Hemelrand Vine Garden is whole-cluster-pressed and matured in oak and foudres. It has a very seductive bouquet of honeysuckle, passion fruit and hints of beeswax that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a saline opening, plus a fine bead of acidity. There is a light saline lick toward the finish that becomes nuttier with aeration, although this does not quite deliver the complexity of Alheit’s best Chenin Blancs. Still, it is a lovely white blend that should age with style.’ – Neal Martin, Vinous, 93/100 (Oct 2019)
‘Around 30% each of roussanne, chenin, chardonnay with verdelho & muscat de Frontignan from mixed vineyard in Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 360 m elevation & windblown. 2018 40% fermented in concrete ‘egg’, adding roundness & silky texture to peachy, Lemon Cream fruit, with racy acidity & fragrant finish.’ - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2020, 4.5* (93/100)
‘Vine Garden is sourced from a 2010 block that's right next to Chris Alheit's cellar in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Priced below his other wines, it's an easier drinking cuvée of Roussanne, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Verdelho and Muscat, with aromatic kitchen spice, some pear, quince and peach fruit and a hint of skin tannin. 2019-23’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2019, 92/100
‘An enticing, silky white, with papaya and lilac flavors emerging from the core, framed by coriander, yellow apple and sel gris notes. Hints of heather and cardamom add nuance, while bracing acidity keeps everything focused. Complex, but crowd-pleasing. Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Verdelho and Muscat. Drink now through 2028.’ – Wine Spectator, 92/100 (Nov 2020)
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