As the first winery to make a bottle-fermented sparkling wine in the traditional method, cellar master Johan Malan will be offering a Cap Classique as well as an adventurous Mediterranean blended white wine at this year’s Cape Winemakers Guild Auction on the 1st of October.
Enter the Simonsig Cuvée Chêne Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs 2007. A 100% Chardonnay wine and at nine years of age, the oldest wine on this year’s CWG Auction.
This rare cuvée spent 15 months in barrel before bottling for the Prise de mousse or second fermentation in the bottle. The disgorging took place after 48 months on lees with a minimal dosage to keep the fruit intact and in the Extra Brut style. A further 54 months on cork completes the history.
According to Johan, the cool 2007 vintage offering ideal Chardonnay grapes, meticulous selection of the final cuvée and the artisanal approach in the winery has led to one of the best Cap Classiques made on Simonsig to date.
The Simonsig Mediterraneo 2015 White Blend, a three-way combination of Roussanne (66%), Grenache blanc (28%) and Verdelho (6%), shows floral notes with zesty citrus rind and lime aromas on the nose. Sweeter ripe yellow apple and stone fruit flavours combine with the subtle scented oak spices to add a further dimension to the silky texture on the palate.
Though very youthful and fresh at the moment it is well known that this style of wine develops beautifully with further aging when the earthy mineral characters come to the fore.
For further information on this year’s CWG Auction, go to www.capewinemakersguild.com