Glenelly Lady May 2014
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Robert
Parker
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Blend: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2014 Lady May begins with a dark, dusty, brooding nose with aromas of oak spices, dusty blackberry, black plum, sage and a rocky minerality. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is balanced with dusty dark red fruit essence that gives way to gripping tannins. Concluding with a long, dusty and drawn-out finish, persistent flavors of bitter dark chocolates, mature cedar and dusty black cherries continue to evolve after the wine has left the mouth. Give it some time in the cellar for the tannins to settle, and I recommend decanting up to an hour before pouring. This will age well until its twentieth birthday. Rating: 92+
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Located on the southern slopes of the Simonsberg, Glenelly is owned by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, Bordeaux doyenne and former owner of Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Struck by the tremendous potential of South Africa's terroir and the beauty of the country, Mme de Lencquesaing decided to embark on a French adventure on African soil. She purchased Glenelly in 2003, and subsequently planted 66 of the property's 128 hectares to vineyards. The first estate-grown fruit came on line in 2007, and Glenelly's state-of-the-art winery building was completed in 2009. The wines are fermented naturally and made with as little intervention as possible, seeking to achieve the perfect balance of French style and South African terroir.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.