critic reviews
A complete wine in both aroma and mouthfeel, the Alheit Vineyards 2024 Citrusdal Mountain Magnetic North delivers intensity and texture from a high-elevation site at roughly 540 meters planted to own-rooted Chenin Blanc vines now in their mid-40s. Drawn from massal selections prized for their genetic diversity, the wine moves firmly into a grapefruit jelly, Anjou pear and mineral spectrum, with a noticeable phenolic bite that shapes a linear, precise profile. The wine's structure feels architectural in form, like a steel skyscraper, carrying height and clarity. A persistent mineral finish underscores that extreme focus.
The 2024 Magnetic North comes from a massal selection of 2.8 hectares of Chenin Blanc planted on its own roots in 1981 and 1984 in Skurfburg, which Alheit mentioned has not been infected by leafroll. This has a slightly yeasty bouquet, with scents of melted wax and a little grilled hazelnut. The palate has a slightly sharp entry, with grapefruit and sour lemon, edgy and focused, with a hint of rooibos on the persistent finish. Not perhaps the crowd-pleaser like Nautical Dawn, but a fascinating and engaging wine.