Glenelly Lady May 2020 Celebrating 100 years

May de Lencquesaing, a prominent figure in the world of fine wine, has marked her 100th birthday. The milestone was celebrated with the release of the 2020 vintage of Glenelly’s flagship Bordeaux-style blend, Lady May. The wine is described by the estate as reflecting de Lencquesaing’s approach to winemaking, characterized by precision, power, and elegance. The release pays tribute to her century-long journey in wine, which includes three decades leading Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac.

In 2003, at age 78, de Lencquesaing surprised many by purchasing Glenelly Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The 123-hectare property on Simonsberg Mountain had previously been a fruit farm. Her decision followed a visit to South Africa in the mid-1990s with wine critic Michael Fridjhon. She saw similarities between Stellenbosch’s granite-rich soils and maritime climate and those of Bordeaux. Advised by Dr. Anton Rupert to invest in Stellenbosch if she entered South Africa’s wine industry, de Lencquesaing aimed not to replicate Bordeaux but to create something new with shared values.

The Lady May 2020 vintage is being highlighted as a reflection of de Lencquesaing’s resilience. The growing season was marked by droughts, erratic temperatures, and challenges from Covid-19 lockdowns during harvest. Despite these difficulties, Glenelly’s now two-decade-old vines produced fruit with notable intensity and structure. Winemaker Dirk van Zyl described Lady May 2020 as one of the most intricate wines from the estate—a Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend with increased Cabernet Franc for aromatic lift, Petit Verdot for depth, and Merlot for roundness on the palate. The wine was aged for two years in French oak barrels followed by three years in bottle before release—a Gran Reserva-style approach rarely seen in South Africa.