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36% Chardonnay, 28% Roussanne, 18% Chenin, 17% Verdelho, 1% Muscat
During the ripening season, the temperatures were moderate, with regular rain. The Chenin Blanc began developing beautiful dry noble rot (botrytis) several days before picking. While Hemelrand always has some noble rot, the quantity and quality in 2023 distinguish this vintage from all previous ones.
The nose exhibits the classic stone fruit and exotic flavors typical of Vine Garden, complemented by dried orange peel and apricot from the noble berries. The palate is full and powerful, with high acidity carrying the wine to a long, tapered finish.
$41.99
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5 Stars 2025 John Platter’s South African Wine Guide
Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge co-grown roussanne, chenin, verdelho & touch of muscat led by 36% chardonnay in 23 (95 pts). Blackcurrant top notes to apple, peach & quince, the whole lightly spiced ex older, mixed-sized barrels. Kept on pointe, now & for many years, by steely acid core.
94 points Vinous Aug 2024
The 2023 Hemelrand Vine Garden comes from vines planted in 2010. Chris Alheit said that it was looking perfect until about 12 to 14 days before the intended picking date, when he started seeing some botrytis on the Chenin Blanc. He briefly considered making a sweet wine from the fruit, but in the end, since it is predesigned to be a field blend, the Chenin is “in the mix.” Consequently, there is a slightly more honeyed tone to the nose, but it is still well defined with fine minerality. The palate is clear and precise with a slightly viscous texture, counterbalanced by the acidity. Very distinctive in style and true to the growing season, it reveals a twist of bitter lemon on the aftertaste. Very fine. Drink 2026-2042.
93 points James Suckling Oct 2024
Aromatic and exotic, showing lychee, melon, orange-blossom, peach and honeysuckle aromas. Some apricot compote. It’s medium- to full-bodied, lightly oily in texture yet fresh and wonderfully floral. 36% chardonnay, 28% roussanne, 18% chenin blanc, 17% verdelho and 1% muscat. Delicious now.
93 points Tim Atkin MW 2024
[13.5%] Hemelrand comes from the vines that are planted around Chris Alheit’s winery on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge and is an intriguing cuvée of Chardonnay, 28% Roussanne, 18% Chenin Blanc, 17% Verdelho and 1% (very perfumed) Muscat. Featuring some botrytis affected grapes caused by the rains in 2023, this has pear, orange zest and fresh grape flavours and some lees-derived texture. 2024-2029.
17.5 pts Jancis Robinson MW (Tamlyn Currin)
A slight body shock to go from the structural power of Huilkrans and Magnetic North to the lustrous golden shimmer and seduction of Hemelrand. The wine is so rich it almost tastes sweet (which, at 2.7 g/l of residual, it most certainly is not). It’s a tango of sweet and sharp, bitter and spice. Honey and crab-apple jelly, kumquat marmalade and russet apples. A shifting sifting shimmer of golden-grass spices. A long, murmuring finish leaving the sense of fireflies in its wake. Drink now-2032.
Alheit Vineyards is based on Hemelrand: a beautiful, fynbos-covered farm situated high on the Hemel & Aarde Ridge in Walker Bay, South Africa. Chris and Suzaan Alheit are a husband and wife team that make finely-crafted wines with ample power, but no excess weight. The Alheits are minimalists in their approach to winemaking. Grapes are whole bunch pressed and undergo natural fermentation in old barrels. Wines stay on the lees for at least 10 months, are never racked, and are only fined or filtered if absolutely necessary.
Hemelrand Vine Garden is a unique vineyard that produces a unique wine. The idea is to bottle the wine just as the vineyard produces it, effectively creating a white field blend that changes every year depending on the vintage conditions. This way we have one place expressed by a few different grapes, changing as the season dictates. The wine is always remarkable and continues to gain in stature as the vines mature.
Hemelrand Vineyard is located on the cold and windy Hemel & Aarde Ridge at 360 meters above sea level, with gravelly clay and sandstone soil. Planted in 2010, it includes Chardonnay, Roussanne, Verdelho, Chenin Blanc, and Muscat Blanc à Petit Grain. The proportions of these grapes vary significantly each vintage. This marginal site benefits from slow ripening and high natural acidity.
For winemaking and maturation, grapes are picked early in the morning, sorted in the vineyard, and whole-bunch pressed. The juice is very lightly settled, with no additions, and undergoes wild fermentation in old barrels of various sizes for about two months. The wine ages on lees for around 12 months and then rests in tanks on fine lees for an additional six months before bottling, following a simple and careful winemaking process.
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