ALLÉE BLEUE Celebrates Cellar Innovation With Limited-Release Black Series Wine Range

If one phrase could sum up the wines of ALLÉE BLEUE in Franschhoek it would be ‘quality alongside continuous innovation’.

Over the year’s, the estates’ focus on quality has paid off. The ALLÉE BLEUE Chenin Blanc 2015 attracted considerable praise at the 2016 Standard Bank Top 10 Challenge and the ALLÉE BLEUE Pinotage 2012 made the brand proud when it also bagged a top position at the ABSA Top 10 Pinotage awards in 2014.

Recently, ALLÉE BLEUE launched a new category of ultra-premium single-cultivar releases that showcase the winemaking excellence at this acclaimed cellar.

“The new Black Series is about celebrating innovation in the winery,” explains Ansgar Flaatten, General Manager of ALLÉE BLEUE. “Although one of our strengths has always been producing superb red and white blends, we decided we also wanted to highlight the real gems within those blends and shine the spotlight on the stand-out barrels of particular cultivars in each vintage.”

“We noticed that some of these special barrels and vineyard blocks were being lost in the bigger blends. They have such unique character and elegance we decided that they deserved to shown on their own,” adds ALLÉE BLEUE winemaker Van Zyl du Toit. “The Black Series is not about volume, it’s about showcasing the very best of our cellar. These are collectors’ wines, they are wines for connoisseurs.”

ALLÉE BLEUE winemaker Van Zyl du Toit

The Black Series joins the current range of ALLÉE BLEUE wines, including the accessible Blue Owl and Starlette Range, the white-label Premium Range, and platinum Ultra-Premium selection.

Most wines in the Black Series are bottled in magnum (1.5-litre), rather than standard 750ml bottles.

“It’s an undisputed fact that a magnum is the best possible ageing vessel for a bottled wine,” explains Du Toit, who says the secret lies in the larger volume of wine relative to the ullage; the air between cork and wine.

The super-premium Black Series consists of a 2012 Cabernet Franc, a 2013 and 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 Shiraz, a 2016 Old Vine Pinotage, and a 2014 Chardonnay.

The grapes used in the Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and the Chardonnay show the true richness of the vineyards in the Banghoek valley. All three wines are real real head-turners. The Shiraz is made from a single vineyard on the ALLÉE BLEUE property and the Old Vine Pinotage originates from a Piekenierskloof vineyard planted in 1964. It’s the only two wines in the series that come in standard 750ml bottles.

Taking ALLÉE BLEUE from an ordinary winery to a top-of-the-line operation has been a challenge, but when tasting the wines, it’s been well worth it. One thing is certain, winemaker Van Zyl du Toit has helped to build a team that will have ALLÉE BLEUE making history for years to come.

The Allee Bleue Black Series will be available for purchase at the cellar door from mid November 2017 for:

Allee Bleue Chardonnay 2014 Magnum – R850.00 per bottle
Allee Bleue Cabernet Franc 2012 Magnum – R850.00 per bottle
Allee Bleue Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Magnum – R850.00 per bottle
Allee Bleue Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Magnum – R850.00 per bottle
Single Vineyard Shiraz 2014 750ml – R350.00 per bottle
Old Vine Post Pinotage 2016 750ml – R350.00 per bottle