Glenelly Estate
Lady May Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, Western Cape, South Africa
Vintage 2013 | Dark colour. Cardinal red edge. 3/4 transparant. Multi layered smell with minerality, sweet cassis, cinnamon and leather. Very concentrated, powerfull and after 48 hours also a sweet roundness. Very good Bordeaux blend with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot and 4% Peit Verdot. A wine of May de Lencquesaing. | Paired with venison steak on first day and an Asian vegan eggplant/shitake dish on second day.
Vintage 2013 | Dark colour. Cardinal red edge. 3/4 transparant. Multi layered smell with minerality, sweet cassis, cinnamon and leather. Very concentrated, powerfull and after 48 hours also a sweet roundness. Very good Bordeaux blend with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot and 4% Peit Verdot. A wine of May de Lencquesaing. | Paired with venison steak on first day and an Asian vegan eggplant/shitake dish on second day.
Mar 27th, 2022
My first time trying this relatively new marriage of Stellenbosch and Bordeaux, the 2013 Glenelly Lady May, a wine whose creation was overseen by May de Lencquesaing of Ch. Pichon Longueville, whose dream it was ‘to craft the finest Cabernet Sauvignon blend outside France’. There are many good imitations of Bordeaux in South Africa, but this may be the finest I’ve yet come across.
The wine opens with classical aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, singed tobacco, graphite, balsamic and an exotic edge - sort of five spice, but hard to pinpoint. The palate is very direct and forthcoming with its glossy flavours of ripe fruit, espresso, and fantastic minerality. The tannin and acidity cut through with great precision and harmony, leading to a long and mouth-puckering finish. This has the muscularity of a left bank Bordeaux and a very youthful feel, and should age exceptionally well.
I noticed that this wine showed best with my last glass on the first night, after a few hours’ decant, and better still on the second. By then, a delightful accent of sweet strawberry, violet and vanilla had emerged. This is a wine of great complexity and one I will buy by the case in future.
My first time trying this relatively new marriage of Stellenbosch and Bordeaux, the 2013 Glenelly Lady May, a wine whose creation was overseen by May de Lencquesaing of Ch. Pichon Longueville, whose dream it was ‘to craft the finest Cabernet Sauvignon blend outside France’. There are many good imitations of Bordeaux in South Africa, but this may be the finest I’ve yet come across.
The wine opens with classical aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, singed tobacco, graphite, balsamic and an exotic edge - sort of five spice, but hard to pinpoint. The palate is very direct and forthcoming with its glossy flavours of ripe fruit, espresso, and fantastic minerality. The tannin and acidity cut through with great precision and harmony, leading to a long and mouth-puckering finish. This has the muscularity of a left bank Bordeaux and a very youthful feel, and should age exceptionally well.
I noticed that this wine showed best with my last glass on the first night, after a few hours’ decant, and better still on the second. By then, a delightful accent of sweet strawberry, violet and vanilla had emerged. This is a wine of great complexity and one I will buy by the case in future.
Color of different shades of purple, quite inky and dense. Nose is beautiful, permeated with dark fruits like plum, prune, currants, oak, refined aldehyde, dried strawberry, nice subtle acidity, and more ripe aldehyde flavors. Taste is dried with mellow and mature tannins, peppery, oak, ripe grapes, a bit zest, a bit mineral mote, hint of dark fruits, smooth yet characteristics is a bit missing. Aftertaste is medium long with addition of some metallic bitter note. She is slightly beyond the peak I will say.
Color of different shades of purple, quite inky and dense. Nose is beautiful, permeated with dark fruits like plum, prune, currants, oak, refined aldehyde, dried strawberry, nice subtle acidity, and more ripe aldehyde flavors. Taste is dried with mellow and mature tannins, peppery, oak, ripe grapes, a bit zest, a bit mineral mote, hint of dark fruits, smooth yet characteristics is a bit missing. Aftertaste is medium long with addition of some metallic bitter note. She is slightly beyond the peak I will say.
Aug 19th, 2021Olive tapenade and star anise on the nose. Nicely balanced, medium-bodied. Not a ton of fruit, but maybe I'm just too accustomed to Napa cabs. Recommend decanting as there was some sediment.
Olive tapenade and star anise on the nose. Nicely balanced, medium-bodied. Not a ton of fruit, but maybe I'm just too accustomed to Napa cabs. Recommend decanting as there was some sediment.
Mar 28th, 2021
