Alheit Vineyards

Alheit Vineyards - Olifants River Huilkrans 2023

"The excellence of Domaine Alheit's old vines: with striking depth and complexity, discover the 2023 vintage of the range!"

"On the nose, Huilkrans is unexpectedly sweet, almost misty. It smells faintly of petrichor, the sweetness of white melon and custard apple. The tension on the palate rises so imperceptibly that by the time you realize it, it has the power of a storm. A gust of citrus and rock salt. It recalls the Japanese word "kogarashi": a cold wind that signifies the arrival of winter, symbolizes the passage from one state to another and is accompanied by its own perfume, the essence of winter. Then the gust passes and, in the tranquil pool left behind, you can taste melon skin and grilled lime peel, choisya flowers and fennel seeds. You really get the impression that this wine has a story to tell. 2026-2035" (Jancis Robinson 2024)

Alheit Vineyards - Western Cape Hereafter Here 2023

"Taste all the expertise of the sublime Alheit estate in this accessible cuvée deemed tasty, disarmingly pure, and remarkable!"

"Hereafter Here 2023 has a disarmingly pure bouquet, with aromas of yellow plum, candle wax and a touch of crushed stone, all deliciously defined and concentrated. The palate is very well balanced, with an electric line running from start to finish. Lively flavors unfold on the palate, with hints of grapefruit peel and a generous touch of ginger towards the end. This is a remarkable Hereafter Here. 2025-2035" (Vinous 2024)

Alheit Vineyards - Western Cape Cartology 2023

"One of the most elegant bouquets to be found in a South African white of this vintage according to critic Vinous!"

"Cartology 2023 contains a little more Semillon in the blend this year. As usual, it's a blend of what he considers his best parcels. It has one of the most elegant bouquets to be found in a South African white of this vintage: yellow fruit, a hint of peach skin, lanolin and stiffly beaten egg whites. The delineation and purity are astounding. The palate is very well balanced, with a lively, taut opening. The acidity of this wine is formidable, it's full of tension and complexity and ends with a mineral finish with a slightly waxy/resinous texture. Very long. Very elegant. 2025-2040" (Vinous 2024)

Alheit Vineyards - Olifants River Magnetic North Mountain 2023

"According to Jancis Robinson, this pure, mineral cuvée from Alheit offers a spellbinding tasting experience thanks to its complexity!"

"The 2023 Magnetic North comes from vines not grafted onto their own roots, resulting from massal selection, but whose exact origin has been lost to time. It has a vibrant bouquet with a little more energy than the Huilkrans, extremely mineral with notes of sea spray and gunflint. The palate is very pure and pixelated, perfect in terms of acidity, with a hint of menthol on the finish. Remarkable." (Vinous 2024)

Alheit Vineyards - Stellenbosch Nautical Dawn 2023

"Cuvée de la propriété never before presented on 1jour1vin : superb according to Vinous, shivering with balance according to Jancis Robinson!"

"The 2023 Nautical Dawn comes from the granite soils of Sinai Hill and was assembled at Cartology until 2017. Chalk powder, a touch of dry honey and lanolin appear on aeration. The delineation is superb and the wine is full of energy. The palate is wonderfully balanced, but perhaps a little more tropical than Fire by Night. Notes of orange pith and pear develop through to the lively finish, with a hint of lemongrass in the aftertaste. Superb. 2025-2038" (Vinous 2024)

Alheit Vineyards - Swartland Fire by Night 2023

"A stunning Fire By Night according to Vinous, discover the new vintage in very limited quantities!"

"The 2023 Fire by Night, from dry-grown bush vines planted between 1971 and 1985 on Alheit's farm in the Paardeberg, Swartland, was whole-cluster pressed and settled overnight. It was aged for 12 months, half in cement eggs and half in foudres. This wine has a stunning mineral bouquet, with hints of gunflint and a touch of reduction. Captivating! Well-balanced on the palate, with taut acidity. Sappy on the palate and judiciously spiced with lemongrass and ginger, it blossoms beautifully on the finish. It's a stunning Fire By Night. 2025-2042" (Vinous 2024)

Alheit Vineyards - Western Cape Hemelrand Vine Garden 2023

"This complex blend from the Hemelrand vineyard offers a unique and memorable tasting moment..."

" A slight body shock to go from the structural power of Huilkrans and Magnetic North to the golden glow and seductive power of Hemelrand. The wine is so rich it almost tastes sweet (which, at 2.7 g/l residue, it certainly doesn't). It's a tango of sweet and spicy, bitter and spicy. Honey and potato jelly, kumquat marmalade and russet apples. An ever-changing shimmer of golden grass spices. A long, whispering finish that leaves an impression of fireflies in its wake. 2024-2032" (Jancis Robinson 2024)

Alheit Vineyards - Western Cape Huilkrans 2022

"White wine of the year" according to Tim Atkin, not to be missed!"

"Magnetic North wasn't released in 2022 (Chris Alheit, ever the perfectionist, felt it wasn't good enough), so fans of his Citrusdal Mountain will have to make do with this stunning wine from Jozua Visser's neighboring estate. Selection was rigorous, yields were correspondingly low, but the sacrifice was worth it. After two failures in 2020 and 2021, this wine is a triumph over the elements by a world-class winemaker, with the density and understated power of a Corton-Charlemagne (Burgundy appellation). Complex, layered and deep, it has lemony intensity, flavors of garrigue, citrus, yellow apple and rooibos, and a long, tapering finish." (Tim Atkin 2023)

Alheit Vineyards - Franschhoek Monument Semillon 2022

"Remarkable and unmissable, the "Monument" lives up to its name!"

"Opening with a waxy, expressive nose, Monument Sémillon 2022 offers aromas of spicy peach and wax melon essences before displaying a delicious floral note. Medium-bodied but impressively weighty, the palate is complex, revealing surprising breadth and depth before a rocky, mineral finish. Give it another year and drink it over the next decade. Only 2,600 bottles were produced after resting in old oak barrels. 2024-2034" (Robert Parker 2023)

Alheit Vineyards - Western Cape Cartology 2022

"A blend of excellent quality, a testament to the great talent of this winemaker!

"It was a vintage that allowed us to show what we could do," said Chris Alheit of the 2022 season. And that's exactly what happened. It's a brilliant cuvée of chenin blanc, sourced from ten different vineyards. Showing plenty of energy from early-harvested grapes on granitic soils, it has aromas of fennel, fynbos and lanolin, flavors of citrus, green herbs and wet stone, and good aging potential, despite the heat of the vintage." (Tim Atkin 2023)

Alheit Vineyards - Swartland Hereafter Here 2022

"A 'terrific wine' according to the critics, lively and harmonious!"

"Hereafter Here 2022 is a blend of young and old vines due to higher yields this year, pressed in whole bunches with 18 months of ageing, two-thirds on the lees. The well-defined bouquet features aromas of yellow plum, orange blossom, Japanese yuzu and crushed stone. The palate is very harmonious, with a lively line of acidity. A linear, almost Zen-like, razor-sharp Chenin that shows plenty of nerve on the finish. Superb. 2024-2034" (Vinous 2023)

Alheit Vineyards - Coastal Region Hemelrand Vine Garden 2021

Planted at an altitude of 360m, Hemelrand Vine Garden is a blend of Roussanne, Chenin, Chardonnay and Verdelho. On the nose, this blend gives notes of stone fruit and white flowers, with a touch of sweet spices and ripe apple. The palate is powerful and fragrant, with a lovely acidity that sets off this savory richness. - Very limited quantities!

Alheit Vineyards - Broom Ridge 2019

Broom Ridge 2019 presents aromas of lime and thatch on the nose, accompanied by notes of elderflower and aromatic herbs. Racy and pure, the palate is slightly spicy and saline, best waited a few years to discover its potential. A 100% Chenin that goes very well with grilled fish!

Alheit Vineyards - Magnetic North Mountain Makstok 2020

Although still in its youth, Magnetic North Mountain Makstok reveals an impressive nose of grapefruit, honeysuckle and pear. Ungrafted Chenin vines produce a cuvée with fine tannins and lovely acidity. The finish is extraordinarily long. What a thrill!

Alheit Vineyards - La Colline Vineyard 2018

The La Colline vineyard bears witness to an extraordinary viticultural heritage: on this parcel are planted vines of Sémillon gris, which has disappeared from the rest of the planet. This cuvée defends the South African identity in all its splendor: great depth, density and texture typical of old Sémillon vines.