Lady May 1.5L

Grilled lamb, braised beef, venison.

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.

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.

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.

Winemaker Dirk and assistant Lehandri endeavour to make Glenelly wines as naturally as possible with wild yeast fermentation and little to no acidification. The team follows a minimal intervention approach to winemaking yet intensive sorting and care is taken when receiving the grapes. We use France’s most recognised coopers (mostly from Taransaud, Boutes and Sylvain) to ensure a gentle and precise elevage, preserving the identity of the terroir of Glenelly. Hygiene is of utmost importance in the cellar and a combination of both hot water and ozonated water is used for cleaning.