Winemaker Notes
This is a slow ripening site, resulting in full flavor and high acidity. This wine exemplifies the push and pull between those two elements. The nose is exotic, the palate is bracing.
Blend: 26% Chenin Blanc, 26% Chardonnay, 23% Roussanne, 21% Verdelho, 4% Muscat
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A blend of 26% Chenin Blanc, 26% Chardonnay, 23% Roussanne, 21% Verdelho and 4% Muscat, this opens with initial aromas of toasted apple, spiced pear, peach pit and pie crust, with a hint of singed orange peel in the back. The medium-bodied palate shows good fruit richness graced with a lovely toasty overlay. It sounds decadent, but superbly bright and vibrant acidity and a saline freshness on the finish keep it all in balance.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe, yet vibrant and zesty, with spice and mineral details lacing the flavors of persimmon and Asian pear. Intense acidity keeps everything intact and gives this a bit of firmness midpalate, where the mouthwatering, mineral-infused finish takes over. Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Verdelho and Muscat.
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Vinous
From vines planted in 2010, the 2017 Hemelrand Vine Garden was matured in old neutral barrels and cement egg. It has a clean, pure bouquet of lemon curd, albumen and light yellow flowers. The palate is well balanced, with a taut line of acidity, and quite saline in the mouth. The sharp, slightly flinty finish oddly reminds me of a mature Chablis. Very fine.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.