Alheit Vineyards - Hemelrand Vine Garden 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.
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 2022 vintage is a blend of Chardonnay (31%), Roussanne (29%), Chenin Blanc (20%), Verdelho (18%) and Muscat (2%) . Each variety is harvested and pressed separately as whole bunches . The juice was very lightly settled without any inputs, fermentation with native yeasts took place in old barrels of different sizes. Fermentation lasted approximately 2 months. The wine was aged on lees for approximately 12 months , then rested in vats on fine lees without fining for a further 6 months before bottling .
Grape varieties: 31% Chardonnay, 29% Roussanne, 20% Chenin Blanc, 18% Verdelho, 2% Muscat
