Wine and Co - Alheit, Morgenster and Parking...
New in stock: Alheit Vineyards
Members of the Cape Winemakers Guild, Chris and Suzaan Alheit have been producing benchmark wines since 2010, "Our goals are simple. We want to make wines with a clear sense of Cape identity. We want to show that the Cape’s vinous heritage is worth celebrating and protecting. We love old vineyards. We love dry farming. We love bushvines. We think that “ordinary grapes” are in fact wonderful. We believe that great things are possible here in the Cape, and that we are now just scratching the surface of what can be done." These arrived a week or two ago and we only have a few of each left in stock, so, as usual, it's fastest fingers first!
Tasting notes and ratings for the Alheit range are from Christian Eedes (WineMag):
Alheit Hereafter Here Chenin Blanc 2020: NEW – grapes from two young blocks in Stellenbosch, 70% on Polkadraai Hills and 30% in the Upper Blaauwklippen Valley. Spontaneously fermented and matured in old barrels. Pear, peach, lime and herbs plus undertones of wet wool and earthiness on the nose while the palate shows concentrated fruit, lively acidity and a pithy finish. It’s very pleasing but perhaps inevitably doesn’t have quite the same detail or mass as the wines from old vines in the range. Production: 9 036 bottles. CE’s rating: 92/100.
Alheit Cartology 2020: 93% Chenin Blanc and 7% Semillon, from unirrigated old-vine parcels situated across the Cape. Spontaneously fermented and matured in a variety of vessels including cement eggs, clay pots, foudres and old barrels of different sizes. Super-complex aromatics of pear, peach, lime, green apple, thatch, herbs, earth and some waxy character. The palate has excellent structure – great density of fruit matched by bright acidity. Marvellous intensity of flavour but also great drive, the finish long and savoury. An extraordinary achievement especially seeing as production is 23 331 bottles. CE’s rating: 96/100.
Alheit Nautical Dawn 2020: From a 1978 Chenin Blanc block on granite in Firgrove, Stellenbosch. Spontaneously fermented and matured in two 2 000-litre foudres. Hay, pear, peach, a touch of earth and some wet wool on the nose. The palate shows precision and tension – pure fruit plays off against snappy acidity before a finish that is long and pithy. Wonderfully refined with a crystalline structure. Production: 5 116 bottles. CE’s rating: 97/100.
Alheit Magnetic North 2020: From two blocks on Citrusdal Mountain (aka Skurfberg), the one planted in 1981 and the other in 1984. Fermented and matured in a single 2000-litre foudre. Striking aromatics of buchu and other fynbos before pear, peach and grapefruit plus lanolin and earth. The palate is rich with an almost oily texture – great fruit density matched by a cracking line of acidity before a savoury finish. Nothing if not attention grabbing. Production: 2 706 bottles. CE’s rating: 96/100.
Alheit Monument Semillon 2020: Previously La Colline – from a Franschhoek vineyard planted in 1936. Spontaneously fermented and matured for 18 months in old barrels. Pear, peach and yellow apple with overtones of thatch, herbs and a little white pepper on the nose while the palate is rich and broad – great depth of fruit to go with seemingly quite moderate acidity, the finish gently savoury. Production: 1 389 bottles. CE’s rating: 94/100.
Alheit Hemelrand Vine Garden 2020: From a site planted to multiple varieties on Hemel en Aarde Ridge, this vintage consisting of 32% Chardonnay, 25% Roussanne, 25% Chenin Blanc, 13% Verdelho and 5% Muscat. Matured in old oak for 12 months before a further six months in tank. Exotic aromatics of citrus, peach, tropical fruit plus hints of flowers and herbs. The palate, meanwhile, is dense with tangy acidity and a gently savoury finish. A wine that becomes increasingly convincing as the vines mature. Production: 8 246 bottles. CE’s rating: 95/100.
Saturday | Sunday Weekend tasting: The 'Lourens River Valley' from Morgenster is "a red Bordeaux-style blend made in a fruit-driven, easily accessible style. This wine is a true reflection of the terroir and what can be achieved with it in any given vintage. Wonderful evolution and longevity has made this wine a household brand. Aged in French oak for over 12 months this complex wine offers flavors of cassis, black cherry, and earthy spice. Medium to full-bodied with seamless tannins and wonderful acidity to complement a variety of meals." Join us this weekend to taste this 'Bordeaux-style' wine from Stellenbosch.
Parking in High Street
The High Street roadworks are complete and it looks beautiful! Unfortunately one of the disadvantages of having the road pedestrianised is that we have lost quite a few parking spaces along High Street. Most of our customers don't take to too long selecting their favourites so my advice is to stop directly in front of our shop while you are with us - this will save you time driving around looking for a parking space.
COVID-19 RULES:
Just a reminder that we have an ON/OFF Consumption Liquor License that allows us to be open for tastings over weekends during the newly-imposed Level 3 COVID-19 restrictions. This means that we are open every day of the week, and will still be able to have our weekend tastings.
We are open 10am - 6pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am - 4pm on Sunday and Public Holidays.
A reminder of our website: www.wineandco.co.za/shop
Please note that our website does not show the complete range of wine that we have in stock, so please do contact us if you are looking for something not listed online, especially those that are 'allocation' only. We offer free delivery in Hermanus, and free shipping to major centres around South Africa for orders over R1500. Please contact us for international shipping rates.
COVID-19 shop hours (until further notice):
- Monday to Saturday: 10am - 6pm.
- Sunday + Public holidays: 10am - 4pm.
About Us
Have you ever heard about a great wine but could never find a bottle for yourself (to share with friends, of course)? Well, the team at Wine & Company do all the hard work for you! We visit wine farms and attend tastings to find, taste, and then stock wine from the smaller Estates and independent winemakers who buy grapes and produce outstanding wine under their own labels – much the same as the French negociants have been doing for centuries. Given that these winemakers make wine in such small quantities, sometimes just a single barrel, their wine will never be found on the shelves of the major retailers, but only in specialist shops like Wine & Company on High Street, Hermanus.
In addition to the great selection of well-known wines and MCC's, we also stock local craft gin and beer, French Champagne, Belgian Ales as well as whisky and other spirits. Wine & Company (established in 1998 by Bartho Eksteen) has a well-earned reputation for stocking hard-to-find small-batch wines and we strive to continue this great tradition. If you purchase a bottle of wine from us and it is faulty we will gladly replace the bottle and return the faulty wine to the winemaker.
Feel free to contact Wine & Company if you need a particular wine and we will do our best to source it for you. We are also able to ship wine locally and to most countries so do ask about international shipping.
Thank you for your support - stay safe - see you soon!
