Use code 'ALHEIT' for 5% off 6 or more bottle orders - mix & match OK with other 2024 Alheit

***PRE-ARRIVAL - ETA mid-MAY 2026***

97 points Tim Atkin
Fire by Night showcases the quality of the Alheits' Nuwedam property on the decomposed granite soils of the Paardeberg. The yields were painfully low at 0.5 tons per hectare, but the wine is serene, not stressed with lots of pithy acidity, the saltiness of its terroir, some earthy notes from 50% cement ageing, green apple and lemon juice flavours and steely, obsidian-like acidity. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2032

95 pts Wine Advocate
Anticipated maturity: 2026-2038
The Alheit Vineyards 2024 Swartland Fire By Night is drawn from vines planted in 1971 and 1985 on the estate Chris Alheit purchased in 2019, the only farm he owns in a region where land is difficult to secure. The wine is tense, linear and intensely mineral, with a firm salty edge that speaks directly of place. This site can produce broad, powerful wines, yet the intention here is precision and focus. That savory mineral imprint gives the wine structure and persistence. Swartland’s decomposed granite soils contribute to the wine’s hard-edged clarity and natural concentration.

94 points Vinous Media
Drinking window: 2025 - 2044
The 2024 Fire by Night comes from granite soils in Paardeberg in Swartland, from vines planted between 1972 and 1985, the wine kept on the lees for 12 months. This has real complexity on the nose, with touches of beeswax and yellow fruit, just a hint of Clementine. Plenty of energy. The palate is fresh and vibrant, with a keen line of acidity, plenty of tension and quite minimalist on the finish in a good way. Less is more, as they say.

Winemaking and Maturation The grapes were hand sorted and whole bunch pressed. The juice is very lightly settled (they like very cloudy raw juice) with no additions to the raw juice, wild fermentation in cement eggs, foudres, and old barrels of various sizes. Fermentation lasted for about one month. The wine was kept on lees for around 12 months, then rested in tank on fine lees without fining for a further five months prior to bottling. Very simple, careful winemaking.

The Winery
The mountain itself is quite a sight. Tall granite domes tower over ridges and slopes of all aspects and elevations. There are deep kloofies and wild places high up where nobody goes. Small farmhouses and cottages dot the landscape below. Mysterious patchwork plots of agriculture are visible on distant ridges. The place has a distinctly three-dimensional feeling. Paardeberg is the epicentre of a quality revolution that has swept the Swartland for the past two decades. Driven by a few visionary producers, the Paardeberg’s identity has been reimagined. It now produces some of the Cape’s most wonderful wines. Many formerly undervalued vineyards are now held dear. Our farm on the Paardeberg is called Nuwedam. We have 20 Ha of unirrigated old bushvines on pure decomposed granite soils, all planted between 1972 and 1985. Low yields and tiny berries result in wines that can be textured and quite powerful, but still have a brightness and nervous energy about them. We find flavours of limey citrus, thatch, and honey on these wines. They tend to have a very linear and long form on the palate. These vineyards make Fire by Night, and also contribute significantly to Cartology