Alheit Vineyards - Hemelrand Vine Garden 2020
Alheit Vineyard is located in Hemelrand , in the Walker Bay region of South Africa . The Estate was created in 2011 by Chris Alheit , who after starting out making pineapple beer under his bed as a child, studied viticulture in Stellenbosch where he met his wife Susan with whom he manages today the Domain. After their studies, the couple traveled to different wine-growing regions of the world (Napa Valley, Saint Emilion, Australia, Germany, etc.), which aroused respect and admiration for committed viticulture . They work on 21 hectares of vines in several regions as well as parcels of lavender and olive trees. The 8 parcels of vines are located in Skurfberg, Piekenierskloof, Paardeberg, Bottelary Hills, Tygerberg, Franschhoek, False Bay and Hemel & Aarde. They have a minimalist approach to wine making, and for them 99% of the work is done in the vineyard and 1% in the cellar.
Hemelrand is located on the cold and windy ridge of Hemel & Aarde at 360 meters above sea level, on gravelly clay and sandstone. The vineyard was planted in 2010 with Chardonnay, Roussanne, Verdelho, Chenin blanc and Muscat Blanc à Petit Grain. The 2019 vintage is a blend of Roussanne (42%), Chardonnay (22%), Chenin Blanc (16%), Verdelho (16%) and Muscat (4%) . Each variety is harvested and pressed separately. The juice was very lightly decanted without inputs, the fermentation with indigenous yeasts took place in old barrels of different sizes. Fermentation lasted around 2 months, with the exception of the Roussanne which fermented around 9 months. The wine was aged on lees for approximately 12 months , then rested in vats on fine lees without fining for an additional 6 months before bottling .
Grapes: 42% Roussanne, 22% Chardonnay, 16% Chenin, 16% Verdelho, 4% Muscat