Bubbling rosé wins Cap Classique Challenge

Cellarmaster Elunda Basson. Photo: Danie Nel

The victory ahead of 47 other sparkling wine entrants in the 2008 Challenge, was the second accolade in just one week for this vintage Cap Classique, which also scooped a gold medal at the 2008 Michelangelo International Wine Awards.

The JC Le Roux Pinot Noir Rosé 2006 is cellarmaster Elunda Basson's maiden Cap Classique. “I wanted the wine to be younger, fresher and a bit funkier, with a touch of red lifting the Pinot Noir character, especially on the nose,” said Basson, who tweaked the style of her pink bubbly somewhat from earlier vintages.

This delightful bubbly has all the classic notes of a Pinot Noir with well-developed maturation characters complemented by subtle tones of biscuits, nuts and yellow raisins and a light salmon hue. After secondary bottle fermentation in the cool controlled climate of the cellar to create its sparkle and lively bead, the bubbly was left to mature on the lees for a further 19 months to develop its yeasty, biscuit character and elegant mousse.