Cape Heritage and The Loire
Timed Online Auction, 1 - 12 August 2024
Cape Heritage - White Wines
About the SessionThe Cape Heritage White Wine Session features the noble variety, Chenin Blanc, known for its versatility and fruit intensity. South Africa has the oldest Chenin Blanc vines in the world and produces long-aging, diverse and fine wines.
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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.
Cartology is one of the most recognisable Cape white blends today.
Cartology (meaning the study of maps) is a vinous exploration of Cape heritage. It’s intended to be a picture of the Cape, seen through the lens of her mature vineyards, in a given vintage. Therefore, the cuveé is composed of rare and extraordinary parcels of mature dryland bushvines. Naturally, the varieties used are also heritage varieties, namely Chenin blanc and Semillon. They have been planted in the Cape for centuries.
Winemakers personal tasting note:
'The nose shows lemon peel, fennel, spearmint, ripe apple and pear, perhaps a touch of honey. The palate is very vibrant and fine, with ample texture and weight. The finish is long and refreshing. For me, this is the most balanced Cartology bottling to date. Is it arrogance to feel so good about a wine? Yep, probably.' - Chris Alheit
Provenance
Private Client
Critics Ratings
'Heralded since maiden 2011 (5 stars), has grown in self-assurance since. Texture - some grippy density & silkiness - especially evident in 2016. There’s also brightness & vivacity to heighten layers of persistent flavour. Chenin with 11% semillon; natural ferment, 90% old oak, 10% concrete ‘egg.'' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2018, 4.5* (93/100)
'More Stellenbosch fruit because it was hard to pick on time to keep acidity. More difficult vintage, says Alheit. Scented with citrus and lime leaf, creamy and spicy too with just a touch of oak-fermented and lees mealiness. This has wonderful richness of fruit but also a lovely acid tension giving an incredibly long finish. Super-creamy.' - Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17.5/20 (Jul 2018)
'On account of the heat wave, 2016 produced the smallest amount of Cartology (69 barrels) since 2013. Early picked for freshness, it’s a spicy, complex, naturally fermented blend of Chenin with 11% Semillon, showing stony minerality and notes of aniseed, beeswax and citrus peel. 2018-24' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2017, 95/100
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