SOUTH AFRICA
CHENIN BLANC
95 Alheit 2017 Huilkrans Chenin Blanc (Citrusdal Mountain). A light, toasty accent wafts from the glass upon first sniff of this beautiful white, transitioning into aromas of grilled apple, dried apple slices, lemon wax, fresh beeswax, lemon basil and orange blossom. The palate is stunning, with a superb texture that wraps around the just-ripe citrus, orchard fruit and bitter melon flavors. It’s superbly balanced, with notes of wood spice, field flowers, lemongrass and fynbos that dance throughout the evolving and lingering finish. While it’s a stunner now, it should age gracefully through 2029. Broadbent Selections, Inc. Editors’ Choice. —L.B.
abv: 14% Price: $100
Lemon balm, cinnamon bark, yellow field flowers, spiced orange tea, just-dried straw and lightly toasted apple skin all dance on the nose of this ethereal and superbly attractive wine. The mouthfeel is fruited and rounded yet balanced and textured all at once, with a lovely bitterness and a lick of salted butter that play against the ripe orchard and citrus fruit flavors. Lingering. —L.B.
