critic reviews
Chris and Suzaan Alheit seek out grapes from heritage vines in various regions, but they have found something very special in the granite mountains of Paardeberg in the Swartland. The Alheit Vineyards 2023 Swartland Fire By Night shows an initial hint of flinty reduction that hints at citrus, bitter almond, wild sage and crushed stone. The motto "A Note to the Mountain" is expertly conveyed thanks to the wine's freshness and a sense of rigid minerality that gives backbone and bite. This elegant white wine should start giving its best results in another year or two.
The 2023 Fire by Night, which comes from dry-farmed bush vines planted between 1971 and 1985 on Alheit's farm in the Paardeberg in Swartland, was whole-cluster-pressed and settled overnight. It was aged half in cement egg and half in foudres for 12 months. This has a breathtaking mineral-driven bouquet, with struck flint and just a touch of reduction. Captivating! The palate is very well balanced with a taut line of acidity. Sapid in the mouth and judiciously spiced with lemongrass and ginger, it fans out beautifully on the finish. It's a stunning Fire By Night.