In 1978, at 53, Madame May-Eliane de Lencquesaing drew lots with her siblings over her late father's estate and inherited Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. She went straight back to university to study oenology and became the only woman winemaker in the Médoc at the time. Over the next three decades, she took Pichon Comtesse to rival the finest wines of France and became one of the most recognised ambassadors Bordeaux has ever had.
At 78, she started again. In 2003, she bought this farm on the slopes of the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch and began planting vines. When it came time to name our flagship Cabernet Sauvignon-led Bordeaux blend, there was really only one choice. The Lady May carries her name, and in its own way, it carries that same trailblazing spirit into the bottle.
Madame has built a formidable team of women at Glenelly. Agatha, Alveretia, Amber, Anja, Cathleen, Chanel, Chelsea, Claudia, Khahliso, Lia, Lomay, Mavis, Melane, Michelle, Nina-Mari, Nora, Odette, Rochelle, Rosemary, Sanon, Sandra, Sarah, Shirna, Suzanne, Talita, Thandi, Vernecia, and Wawa work across our vineyards, winery, tasting room, bistro, glass museum, and office, much of it work you'll never see from the outside, and Glenelly wouldn't be what it is without them.
Thank you to each of you.
In celebration of Women's Month
Lady May 2021 - R1,080
This wine captures the relative coolness of the 2021 vintage with concentrated aromas of cassis, red berries and tobacco leaf. The palate is focused and structured, with incredible length – a wine that will reward patience.
AWARDS
98 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
97 Points – Tim Atkin MW
94 Points, #21 Top 100 Wines of SA – James Suckling
93 Points – Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Shop now