This is a predominantly Balance & Finesse wine, but it shares structural nuances of Bright & Crisp as described in the tasting note below.
Tasting Notes
Medium plus bodied, with crisp acidity and slight residual sugar, the Hemelrand Vine Garden impresses with its balance of tension and grace, unfolding with white plum, citrus, ginger, honeysuckle, saline, petrol, and a touch of honeyed oak.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
ACIDITY
Low
Moderate
Balanced
Crisp
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
13%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
Deftly balances intensity and finesse. A tour de force of flavor.
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Chardonnay
32%Shar-do-NAY
Chardonnay may be the most versatile white wine grape, often seen as a blank canvas. It displays various flavors and aromas depending on where it is grown and more specifically, how it is made. It can range in Palate Character from Bright & Crisp to Rich & Full depending on the climate. It is also particularly malleable and highly affected by winemaking choices like as malolactic fermentation, lees stirring, barrel fermentation and ageing practices.
Chenin Blanc
25%Shuh-NAN BLON
Chenin Blanc is often overlooked, but makes some of the most compelling white wines across Palate Character, including bone dry to sweet in style. Some of the best expressions come from France’s Loire Valley, and South Africa, which at their best are concentrated, crisp, sometimes long-lived, mineral driven wines that deserve more recognition for their high quality age-worthy whites.
Roussanne
25%Roo-SAN
Rousanne is a high quality, aromatic, white Rhone varietal often blended with Marsanne in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, and St. Joseph. Rousanne is more aromatic than Marsanne, often with a refreshing floral, and slightly herbal perfume, and has higher acidity that provides it better ability to age gracefully.
Muscat
5%Mus-KAT
Muscat is a diverse family of grape varieties grown around the world, known for their aromatic wines with floral and fruity notes. Muscat wines can range from dry to sweet, with flavors of citrus, peach, apricot, and a distinctive grapey aroma. Muscat is often used in sparkling and dessert wines.
Verdelho
13%Ver-DELL-Who
Verdelho is a white grape variety from Portugal, known for its role in Madeira wine. It produces wines with bright acidity, medium body, and flavors of citrus, apple, and tropical fruits. Verdelho is also grown in Australia, where it makes fresh, aromatic white wines.
Alheit was founded in 2011 by husband-and-wife team, Chris and Suzaan Alheit. They traveled and worked in winemaking regions across the world with a special affinity for Europe before starting their own boutique winery.
Alheit focuses on white varietals from old sustainable and dry-farmed bush vines, employing minimally invasive winemaking, believing that the wine is made in the vineyard. The product of low-yielding vines, the wines are naturally fermented in neutral oak to retain their distinctive terroir.
The wines of Alheit, especially their Chenin Blanc, is dry, bright, but with remarkable concentration and minerality that speaks to the rocky high altitude vineyards from which they are farmed.
Plum
Honeysuckle
Saline
