“Gorgeous stuff! Layers of opulence, but all drawn together with a very tense, long finish.” - Jancis Robinson MW

As we have mentioned once or twice before, Haut-Brion Blanc is our favourite white wine, and this is the closest thing we have tasted to that great wine without spending £500 on a bottle. It’s a ‘selection massale’ sourced from a Franschhoek vineyard planted in 1936 and composed of Semillon Blanc, Semillon Gris and Semillon Rose. It has wonderful aromas of green fig, snow peas and lemongrass, a hint of creamy butterscotch, then reverberating echoes of apricot, greengage and lime cream. It’s utterly sublime. Chris says he understands the vineyard better now and lets the grapes hang a little longer than in previous years, gaining complexity without sacrificing PH, which stays at 3.2 despite the later picking. 13% alc. From the same vineyard that supplies about a third of Boekenhoutskloof’s Semillon. Drink now -2040.

N.B. This is the wine that used to be called ‘La Colline’, but an IP conflict led to the name being changed to ‘Monument’ (named after the famous Huguenot monument in Franschhoek).

Press review:

Tim Atkin MW: “Chris Alheit normally uses grapes from two parts of the legendary, south-facing La Colline vineyard for ‘Monument’, but in 2021 they all came from the top of the slope. Showing the balance of its old-vine source (planted in 1936 or possibly earlier), this combines leesy weight with notes of fynbos and green herbs, subtle skin tannins and an intense, stony core. Drink now-2030.” 97 points

Greg Sherwood MW: “The grapes from this famous La Colline vineyard were planted in 1936 and offer up complex notes of melted bee’s wax, incense, sweet baking herbs, black currant, lemon rind and tangerine. There is a generous, concentrated fleshy savoury fruit core all held in perfect equilibrium by fresh taut acids. Still showing a complexing hint of smoky reduction, this is undoubtedly a profound Semillon offering from one of the most famous vineyards in the country. Pop this in your cellar for 3 to 5 years and then drink over 8 to 10+ years.” 96+ points

Jancis Robinson MW: “The nose is very much of the Alheit family rather than being obviously Semillon; much tenser than the Boekenhoutskloof version. But on the palate there is the rich, waxy breadth and flattery of a really old, well-tended Semillon vineyard. Gorgeous stuff! Layers of opulence, but all drawn together with a very tense, long finish. Quite weighty. 13% alc. Drink now-2030.” 17 points