South Africa, Western Cape
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Double Gold Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits
91 pts Tim Atkin
Tim Atkin South Africa Report 2020
Boschendal's bubblies are always worth seeking out at the price. The Brut combines Chardonnay with 44% Pinot Noir, showing pear, citrus and aniseed flavours, a vigorous mousse and refreshing acidity. The 10 grams of dosage is well integrated, making the wine seem less sweet. 2020-23.
Tim Atkin
12.5%
brut
Boschendal steeped in history launched its first Cap Classique in 1981. This was the Boschendal Brut, made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes and it paved the way for a long lineage of award-winning Cap Classique wines from the Estate's cellar. Boschendal will be celebrating 40 years of Cap Classique in 2021. Dedicated Cap Classique winemaker, Danielle Coetsee has also been crowned as women winemaker of the year at the 2020 SA Women's Wine and Spirits Awards.
Harvest began early in the season at lower sugar levels to achieve the mouthwatering natural freshness required for the making of great base wines in classic Cap Classique style. Grapes were hand-picked in the cool dawn before the rush of day, lovingly quality sorted for any impurities and placed in small lug boxes for gentlest handling in transportation to the cellar.
Danielle Coetsee
The long labour of love that is the making of this premium Cap Classique begins with a whole-bunch press in separate lots to capture all the grapes’ natural flavours. Only the finest free-run juice was used for fermentation. Upon completion, the tank was filled and left on the primary lees until blending for extra flavour and dimension. The final blend of the base wine was then stabilized and filtered. The sugar level of the wine was adjusted to 24 g/l followed by the addition of the ‘liqueur de tirage’ (yeast) for the second fermentation in the bottle where the magic of the Cap Classique bubble transpires. This resulted in the mesmerizing fine mousse that our Cap Classique is so well known for. A minimum of 12 months maturation on the lees in the bottle followed to build extra complexity and character before release.
