Winemaker Notes
Lady May is Glenelly’s Flagship Estate wine, named for proprietor May-Eliane de Lencquesaing. The 2018 is crafted from a meticulous blend of Bordeaux varietals. Each component contributes distinct characteristics. Cabernet Sauvignon provides depth, Cabernet Franc adds herbal complexity, Petit Verdot brings rich color and firm tannins, while Merlot offers softness and roundness. Together, they create a harmonious symphony of flavors, enhancing complexity and elegance. Balanced structure allows for graceful aging, yet it’s ready to delight with immediate pleasure.
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and the remainder Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Lady May is firm and red-fruited with a broad yet compact frame. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is generous and juicy on the palate with a robust frame. It is slightly shy in its cocoon phase and should reemerge in about five years and remain a stoic and epic South African red blend for decades to come. This is what you want in your cellar.
Rating: 95+ -
James Suckling
This has a deep array of dark cherries, dark chocolate, walnuts and dried herbs. Full-bodied and concentrated, showing focus with firm yet well integrated tannins. Excellent balance from a very dry vintage. 85% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc, 6% petit verdot and 3% merlot. Drink from 2024.
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.