Maryna and The Wine Show ladies donned their Kill Bill suits, sharpened their samurai swords and sabraged themselves through 6 MCC’s from this years Show.
Remember the 80’s and 90’s when we were drinking ‘champagne’ from martini glasses and feeling oh-so sophisticated? That sweet bubbly drink, most likely in the form of JC le Roux le Domaine or 5th Avenue Cold Duck is, in retrospect, a far cry from its more sophisticated cousin, French Champagne.
In Spain they call it Cava, Italians say Asti or Spumante and the Germans go with Sekt. We boertjies have come up with our own term, Methode Cap Classique (MCC). It still sounds French, so I suppose a bit more posh, but in essence it refers to how the actual fizz is made – the traditional way of Champagne, by secondary fermentation in the bottle.
In the last few years as our palates have evolved, the world has gotten smaller and South Africans have caught on to the fact that, even though we can’t call it ‘champagne’ we can afford it, drink it and yes, even make it! So when my first task for Wine Extra was to sample a few of the latest MCC’s shown at The Wine Show,I most certainly didn’t object!
with 6 bottles of bubbles and 4 swords, the
girls soon had the corks flying
The six I tried were Kumkani Infinity, Tanzanite by Melanie van der Merwe, Philip Jonker’s Entheos, Bon Courage’s Jacques Bruere and two pink ones: Somerbosch’s R! and Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel.
I had to open them all together to experience them on the same palate, so decided to make the most of it and invited the girlies over for a ‘champagne breakfast’ and (samurai swords aside) the corks were popping as soon as they arrived!
We all had a great time sampling the bubbles on offer and everyone had their own distinct opinion from the more knowledgeable ladies to the ones who simply enjoy drinking it and don’t really care either way
!It was soon very obvious though that there was a definite favourite amongst us and this was Philip Jonker’s Entheos. Everyone agreed that it’s tiny bubbles and beautiful smooth fruity flavour is what made it stand out from the rest.
In second place was Tanzanite. Again, it was such a pleasure to drink and managed to tickle the right senses.
Of the two pink options, it’s very hard to choose a favourite. I would probably recommend the Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel to someone who prefers something on the sweeter end, although by no means a sweet wine.
R! by Somerbosch was an absolute winner with one of the ladies totally hogging the bottle and the rest of us had to nick more whenever she went to the loo!
I must however point out that none of them were bad and that I would personally buy any of them.
It’s fantastic that the South African wine market is embracing this method of winemaking. Winemakers and Saffers alike should be proud of what we have here in our own country. The fact that we can compete with the best of them without any doubt means that we are truly of world class standard and we needn’t have to pay a fortune to get the very best.
Having MCC’s on our shelves means we can celebrate like celebrities and I intend to celebrate at every given opportunity
WELTEVEREDE PHILIP JONKER BRUT ENTHEOS Overall Favourite (RRP) R75
Available at: Makro (Fourways), Bootleggers (Fourways) and Johnny's Liqours (Atterby)
Web: www.weltevrede.com Notes:60/40 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend. Grapes picked riper to show richness and attractive fruit at an early stage. Matured on lees for up to 3 years. Lively mousse, creamy biscuit on the palate and long finish.
TANZANITE BRUT RUNNER-UP (RRP) R136
Available at: Frogitt & Vonkel Private Wine Merchants
021-888-8800
Notes:Matured for 3 years on the lees. Yeasty, toasty and creamy on the nose. Zesty mousse. Broad, creamy and nutty palate. Slightly smoky and a lovely lingering palate. This is a structured and elegantly matured wine. Drink now or over the next two years. Every bottle has its dégorgement date on the back label.
SIMONSIG KAAPSE VONKEL BRUT ROSE FAVOURITE ROSE (RRP) R96.20
Available at: Norman Goodfellows, Makro and Johnny's Liqour.
Notes: Delightful bright, rosy salmon pink colour, contrasting the string white pearly bubbles. Aromas of rose petals and red berries dominate the nose and reveal it’s red grape origins. The Mousse is fine and enthusiastic bringing out floral and yeasty aromas in the mouth. A mouthfilling roundness on the palate shows ample fresh fruit intensity and body.
Notes: The wine has a rose pink color .
The aromas are light and yeasty with an explosion of strawberry and
raspberry on the palate. Maryna calls it "an absolute winner with one of the
ladies totally hogging the bottle and the rest of us had to nick more
whenever she went to the loo!".
Notes:1005 Chardonnay. This elegant Methode Cap Classique has a strong yeasty nose and a faint lemon scent. It is a crispy white wine with a creamy complexity on the palate. A wine with great finesse.
To be enjoyed as an aperitif with oysters, or as a refreshing welcoming drink and is also very complementary to seafood.
KUMKANI INFINITI BRUT
(RRP) R74.95
Available at: Makro Liqour, Johnny's Liqour and selected SPAR shops
Notes:Chardonnay Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier blend. Good frothy mousse pale straw colour with fine, lazy bead. Toasty yeasty nose with hints of nuts. It has a creamy entrance with a rich complex palate of nuts, warm toast and medium spicy, fruity candy flavours with a complex, persistent finish. This is a great aperitif or delicious with oysters or veal.
rest.
