2019 Alheit Chenin Blanc 'Fire by Night' Swartland

Winemaker Notes:  Fire by Night is a single origin Chenin Blanc wine grown on our own Paardeberg property called Nuwedam. The Paardeberg holds a mythical place in our minds. It is both ground zero for the quality revolution that’s sweeping the Cape, and home base for some of our country’s wine heroes. Previously under-valued, the Paardeberg sports an embarrassment of riches: pure decomposed granite soil and an abundance of dry-farmed old bushvines. As usual, the wine is bright and bristling, but still the most restrained of our bottlings. It usually takes a few years to show its full potential Now, its youthful nose shows thatch, fynbos, and some citrus. The tightly layered pallet is slightly saline and quite pithy. There are hints of honey and pear to come. I think this wine will grow into something outstanding.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Wine Spectator - "Chiseled and energetic, this Chenin shows melon, yellow apple and mirabelle plum flavors of great intensity, underscored by mouthwatering acidity. Hints of juniper and sea salt add a savory, fresh component, which extends on the finish. Beautifully put together, with a gorgeous mouthfeel. Best from 2022 through 2032."


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Displaying a crystalline expression in the glass, the 2018 Fire By Night offers a precise frame of lemon skin, graham cracker and citrus blossom on the nose, with walnut skin and wet concrete. Light to medium-bodied, the 12.8% alcohol wine is delicately balanced on the palate, with flavors of spicy lemon zest and white pepper that build in the mouth and merge to a subtle marshmallowy character. The wine concludes with a long–lingering finish that is food-friendly and beckons me back for another sip and shows the quietest of the Chenin Blanc range this year."