Glenelly Estate is a prominent wine estate located on the southern slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The estate was acquired in 2003 by May de Lencquesaing, the former owner of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a Grand Cru Classé from Pauillac, Bordeaux, France.

At the time of purchase, Glenelly was a fruit farm with no vines. May de Lencquesaing, at 78 years old, embarked on a significant project to plant vineyards and establish a world-class winery, blending her extensive French winemaking heritage with the unique South African terroir.

The estate spans 123 hectares, with 57 hectares under vine, primarily focusing on Bordeaux red varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc) and Syrah, as well as Chardonnay for white wines.

Glenelly’s state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly winery, inaugurated in 2009, is anchored in the mountains and operates on a gravity-flow system across four levels. The estate is known for producing wines with power, elegance, and balance, reflecting both French style and South African characteristics. Their portfolio includes the flagship “Lady May” Bordeaux blend, the “Estate Reserve” range, and the “Glass Collection,” inspired by May de Lencquesaing’s antique glass collection displayed at the winery. The Vine Bistro on the estate offers French-inspired cuisine with vineyard views.

WEATHER CONDITIONS – Simonsberg, Stellenbosch

Following harvest 2021 the conditions were cool and dry, leading to later leaf fall than usual. Budding was even but occurred 7 days later than for the previous vintage. Continued low temperatures in spring, meant that flowering was delayed by 10 days. Significant rainfall had a challenging effect on flowering and berry set.
Moderate temperatures throughout the early summer ensured a balanced growth. January and February were marked by dry and hot weather spell, with multiple heat spikes occurring over this period. However, even with those spikes, we did not see a significant acceleration in ripening. The yields were small but of high quality and picking had to be timed carefully to ensure freshness in the resulting wines.

WINEMAKING

The grapes were whole bunch pressed and settled without enzymes. The juice was transferred to 500L French oak barrels and a 5,100L Foudre, where fermentation occurred naturally. The wine was left in barrel, on its lees, for 11 months prior to racking, blending, and bottling.
In total, 20% new oak was used in the final blend and due to the lower natural acidity of this vintage, only 18% of the wine completed malolactic fermentation.

GRAPE VARIETIES : 100% Chardonnay
PRODUCTION : 7,929 cases – 47,575 bottles
ANALYSIS : Alcohol: 12.9 % Vol.; Total Acidity: 6.40 g/L; pH: 3.28; Residual Sugar: 1.8 g/L

The Estate Reserve Chardonnay displays a bright crisp colour, a complex nose of quince, citrus peel, lime and butterscotch caramel with hints of pear drop. The palate lush, with poise and balance, sharp and vibrant citrus and mineral flavours leading the way to a long round textured finish.

Tim Atkin – 92 points