The Yethu Wines Hárslevelű is by far one of the best wines to try if you are an inquisitive wine drinker. This unusual white Hungarian grape variety – only produced in small parcels in Hungary – that is planted in South Africa is certainly something to taste.
I was walking around at WineX and saw some people walking around with shirts embroided with the word “Hárslevelű”. Before I could pin one of them down to talk about the peculiar inscription on their shirts, they were gone. Fortunately, I found them at the Yethu stall where they were presenting a 100% Hárslevelű wine and a white blend with some Hárslevelű as part of the blend. I immediately went to get all my friends to come and taste this unusual variety and started a great conversation with the representative, Tsholo. Ever since, I really wanted to share this wine with more people and I recently had the opportunity to present it at the Decanter Wine Club.
In my mind, Hárslevelű is the perfect variety to present between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chenin Blanc, as it is almost as if it is right in the middle of these two wines’ taste profiles. It has a light-yellow colour in the glass with shy-ish notes of pineapple, peaches and a hint of nuts on the nose. On the palate, it has an extremely fresh entry of lime, pineapple, peaches, marmalade and honey. It has a long fresh finish that breaks down the fruitiness to an almond aftertaste. When one thinks about the meaning of Hárslevelű (translating to “lime tree leaf”), you can almost taste that lime leaf in your glass.
The Yethu wines are part of an agreement between Yethu Wines and Lemberg Estate (the cork still has the Lemberg logo on). This farm is best known for their Hárslevelű, the only producer of this variety in South Africa, producing a mere 540 cases of 6. To give this wine its complexity, three winemaking styles are used: an oxidatively vinified style (80%), carbonic maceration (15%) and orange winemaking (5%). The wine was left to age on the lees for 8 months, adding to a soft mouthfeel. It is, however, fresh throughout. There is a reason why this wine received multiple 5-star Platters awards and Best Wine in Category awards.
This wine will probably age for 5-7 years, but it is really good to drink now. It should be served chilled. It will pair well with a medium spicy chicken dish. It is a really interesting wine that everyone should try at some point, and it was very well received at a recent Decanter Wine Club tasting.
Producer: Yethu Wines (Lemberg)
Variety: Hárslevelű 100%
Vintage: 2021
Origin: Tulbagh, Western Cape, South Africa
Winemaker: MC Stander
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 13.92%
RS: 2.3g/l
Average price: R300
Rating: 94/100
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