Beyond World Class, call it intergalactic — 6 months ago
Neutral as it can be — 6 months ago
Near-perfect combination of new-world fruit and old-world restraint — a month ago
I bought 3 to take back to Nebraska, outstanding — 6 months ago
This is beyond fantastic — 6 months ago
Melon and vanilla. Great acidity. — 4 years ago
Fabulous Mr Banks. — a month ago
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2017 “Hamel Family Ranch” pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears, and perhaps some light signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart and ripe bramble fruit, black plum, tobacco, cigar box, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tan and medium+ acid. The texture is plush. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. A winsome wine. Drink now through 2032+? — 4 months ago
Near equal parts of Rousanne, Chenin and Chardonnay backed by Verdelho and a touch of Muscat sourced from Hamel en Aarde in Walker Bay, South Africa. Low intervention winemaking with elevage in old, neutral wood.
A fab complexity on the nose with a generous fruit, ranging from bruised apple, juicy peaches, orange blossom, through some tropical characters with a honeyd edge followed by toasted nuts and a mother rock-minerality. Rich on the palate but with a fresh acidity and a savoury dimension, ripe fruit drives the palate with a creamy slight waxy mid palate through a dry and solid finish. A performance that hits well above its modest price, though fall somewhat short on the finish to play in the big league, nevertheless an other remarkable wine from Alheit.
Serve at 10-12 degrees in generous burgundy glasses — 4 years ago
Adam Baker
Road Side Picnic -75/115. 56.3%. Maybe the best Willett Purple label yet. Drank with Hamel in the cigar lounge. Need to try neat. — 9 days ago