Alheit Vineyards Cartology 2013

Old vine Chenin and Sémillon from the Western Cape, and this 2013 vintage spent its early years in a reductive shell before opening up. Marine salinity, beeswax, wet wool and a slow-emerging note of orange pith. On the palate, acidity is finely calibrated, not aggressive, just a clean, precise thread holding everything together. Ginger and lemongrass build gradually through the mid-palate, and while the wine shows more restraint than the debut 2011, there's a harmony here that feels more fully resolved.