Description
2024 Solms-Delta Amalie
The backbone of the blend is Grenache Blanc, drawn from granite-based soils in the Voor-Paardeberg—structured, mineral, and naturally restrained. This component gives Amalie its firm frame, freshness, and quiet, stony core. But what elevates the wine beyond a single-varietal expression is a careful layering of two distinct and complementary elements: 10% barrel-fermented Chenin Blanc from the Swartland, and 5% Viognier from Stellenbosch.
The Chenin Blanc, a classic workhorse of the Cape, was fermented and matured entirely in oak, not to impart overt toast or spice, but to build texture, mid-palate breadth, and golden fruit complexity. The resulting contribution adds nuances of baked quince, yellow plum, and beeswax, seamlessly stitched into the linearity of the Grenache Blanc.
But the final stroke—the flourish that gives the wine its name, Amalie, meaning “hardworking and industrious” yet also evoking grace—is the addition of Viognier. Sourced from Stellenbosch, this 5% inclusion was a decisive act of blending intuition: its primary role is not weight, but aromatics. Just a touch lifts the nose with rosewater, jasmine blossom, and a whisper of dried apricot, lending an unmistakable floral allure without tipping the balance.
In the glass, the 2024 Amalie shows as a light gold hue, with glints of straw and lemon zest. Aromatically, it’s layered and evocative: white peach, citrus pith, fennel pollen, and fragrant flowers. On the palate, it walks a confident line between freshness and quiet opulence—with a fine thread of acidity carrying the wine through a textured, slightly waxy mid-palate and into a finish that lingers with saline minerality and spice.
The craftsmanship here is not about flamboyance. It’s about precision, patience, and the orchestration of varietal voices—a wine made not in pursuit of fashion, but in pursuit of harmony. It drinks beautifully now, particularly with delicately spiced dishes or fine cheeses, but also hints at the ability to age gracefully over the next few years.
With 2024 Amalie, Solms-Delta continues its revival with wines that are both rooted and progressive—grounded in the cultural and agricultural legacy of the Cape, yet expressive of a contemporary, terroir-first approach to blending.
