Cap Classique

Karoo Hoogland Wines – Impressive New Wines with Altitude and Attitude…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I was recently introduced to the wines of Karoo Hoogland Winery by wine consultant extraordinaire Adam Mason. I had never heard of the winery before so was intrigued to taste these unique expressions from the Hendrikse family. The Karoo Hoogland wines come from an impressive high-altitude terrain located at 1,100 meters above see level in a semi-desert region.

Here, the Hendrikse family have gone from humble beginnings as fifth generation sheep farmers to vignerons growing vines on incredibly ancient alluvial soils, laden with lime. Each wine in the Karoo Hoogland range represents a zodiac sign of a Hendrikse family member and I recently sampled two vintages of their exciting Shiraz as well as their incredibly accomplished Cap Classique.

Karoo Hoogland Capricorn Brut Cap Classique

This is a truly impressive Cap Classique from Karoo Hoogland. Never an easy style of wine to truly master, the unique terroir of this winery lends itself to cool elegance, minerality and classical restraint. On the nose, the aromatics are impressively delicate and pure with plenty of dusty minerality, dried herb intricacy, pithy white citrus, crystallized lemon slices, crushed gravel, and a white citrus blossom complexity … all very compact and tightly wound into an incredibly attractive sparkling wine. The clarity, purity and precision continue onto the palate which shows an accomplished level of winemaking, a notable degree of terroir expression and plenty more pithy citrus, grilled nuts, and crunchy green apple nuances cloaked in a leesy, stony liquid minerality. The acids are sleek, pinpoint, and well-integrated and the mousse sufficiently vibrant, creamy and fine. Ultimately, this is a sparkling wine where less is definitely more, where elegance, minerality and fruit restraint play a winning hand. A really impressive Cap Classique that in my mind rubs shoulders with some of the top producers’ premium South African MCCs being produced in South Africa. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8 years.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Karoo Hoogland Wines Scorpio Shiraz 2021, WO Karoo Hoogland, 14% Abv.

A 100% Shiraz wine made from a single vineyard and matured in French oak for 6 months. The 2021 Hoogland Scorpio Shiraz boasts and attractively lifted, perfumed aromatics with genteel notes of spicy red apples, incense, pressed violets, lavender, lipstick, red currant and sweet and sour plum with just the faintest earthy forest floor note. Complex and compelling, the palate of the 2021 is equally seductive with silky soft fine svelte tannins, an ethereal weightless mouthfeel, soft delicate layers of red berry fruits, black olive, tart black cherry and a creamy mineral laden length. This is an attractive, cool fruited Shiraz (despite its 14% alcohol), that is tender, texturally very polished and delicately seductive. Drink now and over the next 3 to 5 years. (746 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Karoo Hoogland Wines Scorpio Shiraz 2022, WO Karoo Hoogland, 14% Abv.

The new release 2022 Scorpio Shiraz shows a tangible increase in outright quality, focus and precision, with aromatics lead by sweet lavender, pure red and black berry fruits, Parma violets, sun dried cranberries, red cherry, and raspberry nuances. The fruit purity is next level and the perfumed complexity seductive and utterly hedonistic. As pretty as the nose is, the palate excels in equal measure with beautifully seamless sweet, silky, elegant tannins, weightless red berry fruit concentration, and a texture so fine your senses lose their bearings trying to navigate the start and finish of the wine. Simply packed with pristinely pure fruit, intelligently handled oak, allowing the beguiling dusty, stony, cool slatey minerality to shine through. This is really very classy indeed with a finish simply gob-smackingly delicious! Drink on release or savour over 5 to 8+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Another Fantastic Charitable Colaboration Between Schalk Burger, Sporting Wine Club and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation – Tasing the Doddie’5 Cap Classique…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

In 2020, during the dark days of the pandemic, ex-international rugby players Kenny Logan, Simon Halliday and Schalk Burger Snr. decided to create a wine to help in the fight against MND, in the name of MyName5Doddie Foundation. The Doddie5 was born and this amazing red blend (5 grape varieties) has been enjoyed throughout the UK, raising significant funds for the Foundation.

Then came the sad news of Rob Burrow’s MND diagnosis, and the 7&5 Gin was created reflecting his and Doddie’s rugby shirt numbers. This raised more funds and awareness of their commitment to research to combat this disease. Now Sporting Wine Club brings you the third project, the Doddie’5 Cap Classique Brut Blanc de Blancs.

Welbedacht Wine Estate may be more renowned for their bold, premium reds but it’s a slightly better kept secret that they actually produce some excellent Cap Classique or Method Champenoise-styled bottle fermented sparkling wines from the Cape. Normally produced under the Mon Rene Blanc de Blancs Brut label, Welbedacht have offered their sparkling wine expertise to produce the latest creation in the Doddie’5 charitable range. A project worthy of every sportsman’s support!

Doddie’5 Cap Classique Brut by Welbedacht Wines, Schalk Burger & Sons, WO Western Cape, 12% Abv.

An alluring pale gold colour with a vibrant energetic mousse, the aromatics are seductively complex boasting layers of dusty white citrus, green Granny Smith apples, warm buttered brioche and honey glazed pastries. Produced as a pure varietal Chardonnay, this Brut Cap Classique has all the sourdough, lemon biscuit and leesy savoury white toast nuances that make traditional bottle fermented sparkling wines so tantalisingly appealing, suitable not only for celebrations but also food and wine pairing. The palate is sophisticated and elegant with a beautifully creamy mouse, a fresh mouth watering acidity that adds extra structure to the mouthfeel, finishing with hints of chalky minerality, lemon peel and white peach bon bons. A classical expression that will seduce a lot of fizz drinkers. Drink now and over the next 2 to 3+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wines are available from Sporting Wine Club in the UK at £24.95 per bottle inc.

https://sportingwineclub.com/product/cap-classique/

Samantha Suddons Hits the Big Time with Her New VineVenom Cap Classique Thriller…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The world of wine, like life itself, can be a topsy turvy world of highs and lows. Perhaps it’s simply the yin and yang of life? So, after a few tumultuous years of change, Samantha Suddons, the once partner and shareholder in the now temporarily mothballed Terracura Wines project, has finally released her very own labour of love – a Method Cap Classique sparkling wine aged for over 5 years on its lees before disgorgement.

I met up with Samantha in London recently to unpick the mystery behind her new VineVenom label that was launched recently in South Africa. Her first wine under the brand is a killer Cap Classique sparkler from the 2015 vintage that she has labelled Serenade. 2015 you may ask? Well, if you know anything about Sam, you will know she is a Champagne and sparkling wine obsessive and while some have questioned how she managed to suddenly release a six year old MCC, the answer is simply that this was a passion project that was never really meant for commercial day of light, producing a wine made from the 2015 vintage which was originally intended for home consumption and sharing with friends.

But having recently disinvested from the Terracura Wines business, and looking for a new project, the VineVenom brand seemed the obvious next step. The maiden wine, a MCC blend of 68% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Noir and 14% Pinot Meunier from grapes bought in cool climate Elgin, the wine spent five years on its lees and received zero dosage. The wine was disgorged in November 2020, saw no malolactic fermentation and no oak treatment and was bottled with a 2.5 g/l RS.

VineVenom Serenade 2015 Cap Classique, WO Elgin, 12.3% Abv.

The wine shows a lovely creamy explosive mousse with a fine bubble, lovely bright tangy acids and a complex bouquet of green apple skins, grilled almonds, cardamom and spicy white citrus. The palate is full and expansive, tangy and fresh with sweet and sour acids, layers of citrus, yellow grapefruit, lemon cream biscuits, crunchy green apples and a long, dry, saline picante finish. Very impressive depth of fruit but also beautiful complexity, electric vibrancy and a stony cool climate minerality on the finish. A thoroughly accomplished wine that will titillate fellow Champagne and sparking wine devotees. (1,600 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Sadly, as yet, there is no follow up Cap Classique to the 2015 maiden vintage. But fear not! Samantha has been busy at work producing an impressive dry Carignan / Touriga Nacional 2020 Rose, a rather premium tasting Swartland Flor Contact Chenin Blanc 2020 as well as a delicious, Vin de Soif styled Swartland 60% Syrah / 40% Touriga Nacional Rosado 2021. I tasted newly bottled samples of all of the above and they were seriously impressive. I look forward to reviewing them properly in due course closer to release. The empire building has begun in earnest.

A New Benchmark Cap Classique from Colmant Reviewed – the Absolu Zero…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Ever since bubble wizard Paul Gerber moved over from Le Lude to Colmant, everyone knew there would be fizzy fireworks to follow with some exceptional Method Cap Classique wines planned. While the standard estate Blue Label Colmant MCC remains one of my go to sparkling wines along with Graham Beck’s Blanc de Blancs, the release of the new Colmant Absolut has certainly raised some eyebrows.

The Absolu Zero Dosage NV is made from 100% Chardonnay fruit coming from Franschhoek (65%) and Robertson (35%). A portion of the base wine (15%) is fermented in French oak barrels while a further 15% of reserve wine from previous vintages is also blended in. These techniques certainly contribute to the complexity and elegance of the finished product – as does the extended time on lees, 85 months minimum – or seven years in layman’s terms.

Colmant Absolu Cap Classique Zero Dosage NV, WO Western Cape, 12% Abv.

This is a fascinating wine with all the complexity, richness and texture you’d expect from a wine aged for a phenomenal 85 months on its lees. The nose has a wonderful briney, saline lemon brioche character supported by creamy, savoury freshly baked croissants nuances together with a dusty, leesy nutty character. The palate is wonderfully detailed, fresh and pin point with a lively creamy mousse, plenty of maritime saline zip and a lovely long, lingering toasty, leesy, broche finish with a kiss of lemon pastille. This is pure class as it takes very skilful winemaking to make a MCC base wine that can age and improve over 85 months and still show incredible energy, opulence, verve and vigour when bottled. Drink now and over the next 3 to 5+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Recommended Retail Price £45-£49 per bottle.