critic reviews
The Alheit Vineyards 2024 Citrusdal Mountain Huilkrans comes from bush vines in their mid-50s, rooted in red sand over red clay at roughly 450 meters in elevation, a low-yielding site that naturally drives intensity and tension. The wine can show high acidity, shaping a distinctly different mineral and aromatic profile that leans into orange blossom, lemon blossom and lifted floral notes rather than overt fruit, recalling the exotic scents of a Moroccan garden such as the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh. Dry and linear on the palate, it finishes fresh and finely etched, with brightness and precision outweighing richness.
The 2024 Huilkrans is pure bush vine Chenin planted between 1974 and 1989 at 450m above sea level. It is quite discreet on the nose, with yellow plum, brioche, tangerine and light waxy aromas that are very seductive. The palate is well balanced, with fine tension and poise, the mineralité coming through nicely towards the finish. Very harmonious, perhaps this represents one of Chris Alheit's most elegant cuvées this year. Sophisticated.