Alheit Vineyards - Cartology 2022
Alheit Vineyard is located in Hemelrand , in the Walker Bay region of South Africa . The Estate was established 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 Domaine. 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 plots of lavender and olive trees. The 8 vineyard plots are located in Skurfberg, Piekenierskloof, Paardeberg, Bottelary Hills, Tygerberg, Franschhoek, False Bay and Hemel & Aarde. They have a minimalist approach to winemaking, and for them 99% of the work is done in the vineyard and 1% in the cellar.
Cartology 2022 is a blend of Chenin Blanc (92%) and Sémillon (8%) . Chenin Blanc comes from plots in Skurfberg, Malmesbury, Perdeberg, Bottelary, Upper Blaauwklippen, False Bay and Tygerberg. The Sémillon comes from the La Colline plot in Franschhoek. The grapes are sorted by hand and pressed into whole clusters . The juice is very lightly decanted without additions. Fermentation is carried out in ovoid cement or clay vats, tuns or old barrels (different sizes) and lasts between 3 weeks and 11 months. The wine is aged on lees for approximately 12 months , then rested in vats on fine lees without fining for an additional 5 months before bottling.
Grape varieties: 92% Chenin Blanc, 8% Sémillon