South African Chenin Blanc
Nautical Dawn 2021 – Alheit Vineyards
Brilliant expression of South African Chenin. Beautiful acidity, layered with ripe lemon, tropical hints, and a long, textured finish.
Chris Alheit sources grapes for this wine from the closest Chenin parcel to the ocean in Stellenbosch. It comes from heritage vines planted in 1978 on Rustenhof farm (Pieter Bredell), just 4km from False Bay.
Decomposed granite soils, constant ocean breeze, and serious vine age combine to make something special.
It’s the same site Bernhard Bredell (Scions of Sinai) uses for his Granietsteen. Both wines are stunning expressions of place, and I can’t wait to taste them side by side this summer.
Also Bernhard is going to be at Hella Chenin in Berkley. I’m so excited to taste so many different domestic and South African producers!
I love South African Chenin Blanc1
by stpa0501
6 Comments
Love these wines. Alheit and Sadie make some of my favorite white wines in the world. And, there is a whole world of not quite as great but still very good producers that are making some incredible value in the Swartland.
Oh man, their Cartology is just –
Love Alheit.
Local prices of this exploded after TA handed out another 100 pointer, I went from an allocation of 24 bottles to…. 3.
Check out their ‘Here after here’ incredible value and still has that Alheit style.
I’m busy drinking their Hemelrand 2023 field blend. They never disappoint. He is one of the few producers I know that will pull a vintage if he doesn’t feel like it meets the standard that people expect from the label. The Magnetic North in 2022 was sold under a discount label called “Gone South” and yet it tastes exceptional, no idea why he thought it was sub-par, but I wasn’t complaining getting it for half price.
He does a vintage release video every year and he isn’t shy to say when a vintage wasn’t up to standard, like 2022.
And if anyone cares, the 2025 vintage in SA is widely considered to be an once-in-a-generation vintage. For once it was great everywhere. Many consider it better than the 2015 vintage. So, next year is going to be a banger of a year for SA wines.
We have many, many great wines in SA. Alheit is up there in the top 5.