There will be many Michelin star chefs taking new year breaks around the world. But few would turn a trip to South Africa in to a series of high profile wine and culinary events, the most recent of which was his “Sparkling Sunday” competition, held at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town, in which he put the best South African sparkling wines up against the best of the rest of the world.
We have all become accustomed to the fine still wines coming from South Africa but their ‘Sparkling Wines’ better known as MCC (méthode cap classique) are certainly making an impact, and therefore I decided to really see at what level they could achieve and set up a ‘Sparkling Sunday’ at The Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town, brining together not only the best from South Africa, but the rest of the world.
The tasting was set up non blind in groups starting each category from Non Vintage to Vintage, ie; Rosé, Brut, Blanc de Blanc, Prestige. Over 60 wines were set up in an air conditioned room with some 30 guests including winemakers (from California, France, USA as well as the local big guns) press, trade and international guests.
I was recently appointed the Ambassador for The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, with a specific roll to encourage more South African, Australian and New Zealand winemakers to enter, so this was an ideal opportunity to showcase wines from these countries and see where they stood.
There were many highlights and it was also great to hear Pieter “Bubbles” Ferreira give so much praise to the non South African sparklers on show. I was, however, blown away by the sheer depth and quality South Africa can produce especially in the Blanc de Blanc and Prestige category.\
Blends of Brut
The Taittinger Brut Reserve showcased well and gave the tasters a classic style and level to compare the others to, there were many plus points in this section with Graham Beck’s Zero showcasing how good zero dosage can work.
Highlights here included Le Lude Brut, Villiera Monro Brut 2011 and the richly textured Krone Borealis 2012, this was perfectly balanced despite its richness and would be perfect with game. The Kleine Zalze Chardonnay/Pinot Noir 2011 had aged gracefully and was a lovely balanced, gentle wine that oozed class, perfect for Shellfish, this had a lovely delicacy.
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