Glenelly, Lady May 2019

Description

Lady May is Glenelly’s flagship estate wine, paying tribute to the pedigree of its legendary owner, May De Lencquesaing – previous owner of the world famous Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande of Bordeaux.  Crafted from the best Bordeaux components of 2019, it reveals rich dark berry aromas with hints of mocha and cedar on the nose. The palate offers sweet fruit flavours, smooth tannins, and a long, refined finish.

TASTING NOTES

The 2019 Bordeaux Blend is all about balance, refinement and minerality.

The Southeast facing slopes on which the vines are planted has helped us capture the best this vintage has to offer. The slower ripening on this slope gives the wine incredible finesse and elegance, beautifully balancing the power and structure derived from the clay rich granitic soil. It reveals rich dark berry aromas with hints of mocha and cedar on the nose. The palate offers sweet fruit flavours,
smooth tannins, and a long, refined finish. The wine is fresh and precise with firm but fine tannins, giving it incredible length and age worthiness, beautifully capturing
the essence of the 2019 vintage.

Drink now or hold for up to 25 years.

WEATHER CONDITIONS – Simonsberg, Stellenbosch

• The winter was characterized by cold and wet conditions, which effectively replenished soil moisture following the drought of 2018.
• Despite a cool spring, the vines experienced good bud burst.
• Fluctuations in weather during flowering and berry set led to the development of looser bunches with smaller berries, while Veraison commenced earlier than usual.
• Throughout the growing season, cool conditions resulted in varied ripening of bunches.
• A heatwave in early February hastened the harvest of early varietals.
• Wet conditions at the end of February led to a significant three-week break in harvest, resulting in an extended ripening period for late ripening varieties.
• Overall, the 2019 vintage was a cooler vintage, that has resulted in wines of wonderful elegance and purity.

WINEMAKING

• The grapes were hand-picked and lightly crushed before being transferred into stainless steel tanks.
• Fermentation occurred naturally, with extraction carefully managed by limiting pump-overs to a maximum of two per day.
• Following fermentation, the wine remained in contact with the skins for an additional 2-3 weeks.
• It was then matured for a total of 24 months in 300L French oak barrels.
• Initially, the wine spent 12 months aging as individual components in 30-40% first-fill barrels. Subsequently, after blending, it was returned to 75% first-fill barrels for an additional 12 months.

GRAPE VARIETIES : 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet franc, 10% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot

PRODUCTION OF LADY MAY 2019: 3,347 cases – 20,082 bottles

VINEYARD

Nestled in a striking amphitheatre, on the foothills of Simonsberg Mountain, our vines benefit from a unique diversity of microclimates.  The soils on which they are planted are amongst the oldest in
the world. They consist of decomposed granite with a subsoil of clay and enable good drainage for the roots to grow deep, contributing to the complexity of our wines.

The Lady May is crafted from various sites located on southeast-facing slopes. The final blend will differ slightly every year, depending on how the vintage affected each individual block or cultivar. Cabernet Sauvignon, making up 75% of the 2019 blend, is always the leading component and backbone of the blend. The small percentages of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot add extra length, density, and complexity.

The southeastern slopes are critical in the production of Lady May. These slopes are steep and therefore very well-drained, ensuring smaller berries with increased concentration. They are also more exposed to the prevailing winds, which both cool the vineyard down and keeps them healthy.

The southeastern slopes receive the least amount of solar radiation and shortest sunshine hours. This combination ensures much slower and more even ripening, enabling fantastic tannin and flavour
development and is crucial to making a wine that has a dense, but fine tannin structure with great length and ageing potential.

ANALYSIS

Alcohol: 14.63 % Vol.
Total Acidity: 6,3 g/L
pH: 3,58
Residual Sugar: 3,58

Additional information

Beef, Venison, Lamb and Hard Cheese.