Winemaker Notes
Lady May is Glenelly’s flagship Estate wine. Elegant and complex, the wine develops flavors of cassis, blackcurrant, dark cherry, touch of graphite and delicate spicy plum. Fresh and vibrant, the evolution of the wine introduces flavors specific to Glenelly’s terroir . Deeply colored and perfectly balanced, the wine displays an exquisite structure with velvety tannins and a very good ageing capacity.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Black fruit, lavender, pine needles, mushrooms, sandalwood and spice box on the nose. Full-bodied with firm, creamy tannins. Polished and ambitious with pretty wood. Still needs a little time to soften. A blend of 69% cabernet sauvignon, 13% cabernet franc, 11% merlot and 7% petit verdot.
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose presents blackberry, cranberry and light notes of licorice. This has a silky texture and vibrant acidity holding layers of cranberry, blackberry and cherry. A smart use of oak assured a good balance and gentle notes of vanilla and nutmeg on the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Lady May is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot and offers up aromas of roasted coffee bean, mocha, fried sage, blackberry reduction and elements of rosemary blossom. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is mineral driven with flavors of dusty cherry, black plum and blackberry skin that sway with elements of bitter dark chocolates and rosemary before giving way to youthful tannins. These youthful tannins mean that this needs additional time in bottle to come around. The wine concludes with a long-lingering and food-friendly finish.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.