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

Winter was late, but cold enough to allow dormancy of our vines. Low rainfall brought low soil moisture levels which led to managing stress in the vines later in the season via drip irrigation. Luckily spring sprung with good, even bud burst. Warm weather for the season with little to no rain. This led to smaller berries appearing and lower bunch mass. Although there were more bunches on the vines to make up the yield. The harvest was earlier than usual and larger than in previous years.

WINEMAKING

The grapes were hand sorted and lightly crushed into stainless steel fermentation tanks. They were given a cold soak for three days before allowing the natural fermentation to start. Three pump overs a day were done on the tanks during fermentation, after which they underwent extended skin contact for 2-3 weeks. The wine was placed in French oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured for 18 months in French oak and racked on average every four months.

GRAPE VARIETIES 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc

PRODUCTION 10,213 cases – 61,282 bottles

ANALYSIS Alcohol: 14.5 % Vol. Total Acidity: 5,36 g/L pH: 3,58 Residual Sugar: 1.71 g/L

Glenelly Estate Reserve is the signature red blend of the Estate and is based on the classic Claret blend from the 1700s. Rich cassis and mulberry with cedar and tobacco reveal Cabernet as the backbone to this blend. On the mid palate red and black cherry accompanied by a hint of black pepper spice highlights the Syrah’s contribution. Intense fruit flavours are layered with mocha, Christmas cake, sandalwood and leather, bringing complexity to the wine, balanced by fresh, fruity acidity, the wine’s firm tannins lead to a clean, dry finish, promising excellent ageing potential.

Tim Atkin – 94 points

Robert Parker Wine Advocate – 92+ points