The house of J.C. Le Roux is clearly popular for anything from birthdays to baby showers with its clean and classy ambiance that will make anyone feel like royalty.
Well-known for its MCC and sparkling wine pairings, which includes either nougat and bubbly, marshmallow & meringue and bubbly, non-alcoholic and fudge, or simply sparkling wine tastings or MCC tastings, J.C Le Roux seems to cater for every palate and preference.
We opted for the nougat and bubbly tasting which included four types of nougat from a local producer, Turkish Delight, two sparkling wines and four Méthode Cap Classiques.
First up was the MCC Brut paired with a dark chocolate-covered nougat. The Brut is a dry MCC so those who are used to a sweet bubbly might not be too fond of it. Next we had the MCC Pinot Noir Rosé paired with a delectable piece of Turkish Delight. With the mixed taste of the Pinot Noir Rosé and the rosewater from the Turkish Delight, the explosion of flavour was amazing! We then moved on to the La Valleé, or what many people have now dubbed "Lovely" due to its easy drinking nature - not too dry, and not too sweet. We paired this one with a mango-infused nougat which I simply couldn't get enough of.
We were also very spoiled to get a tasting of the flagship MCC, Scintilla. This signature Cap Classique has undergone a specific fermentation process where after the wine was blended in a proportion of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, stabilised and bottled. Secondary fermentation took place in the cool, controlled climate of the maturation cellar. The wine was matured for a further 84 months on the lees and the sediment removed by the traditional method of remuage and degorgemen and is really something special to taste. It's obvious why it's the flagship!
On to the sparkling wines, we tasted the well-known La Fleurette and Le Domaine, paired with a soft pink nougat and white-chocolate covered nougat, respectively. Embarrassingly enough, these were the only two bubblies I was acquainted with before our visit to the house of J.C Le Roux! Even though they are both lovely sparkling wines, after tasting the MCC, my world of bubbly was opened up and I don't see myself going back to those sweet sisters anytime soon!
After a very informative tour of the house, learning more about the process and effort that goes into the making of a bubbly, we were ready for lunch.
We had the Thai Kingklip and mussel curry and the beef fillet stroganoff which were both delicious. The curry was a combination of fresh mussels and succulent pieces of Kingklip complimented by a green curry paste, and served with pappadums and basmati rice. It was a bit spicier than anticipated, but noticeably balanced out by the mango atchar, yoghurt and coconut it was served with.
The stroganoff consisted of delicate pieces of beef fillet rubbed with smoked paprika and cooked in a creamy wild mushroom sauce, served with vanilla mash potatoes. Both meals were accompanied by a glass of bubbly which best complimented the variety of flavours.
We simply couldn't pass up the opportunity of dessert after our lovely waitress seduced us by explaining the different options. We selected the Eaton Mess (vanilla Mascarpone Cream with crusted meringue, infused with fresh strawberries and mixed berry compote) and the Le Venue Trio which consisted of a chocolate fudge brownie, Hazelnut Crème Brulee, a lemon & orange chiffon pie and as a bonus, some homemade peanut butter ice cream. Our highlights were definitely the Eaton Mess, the Crème Brulee, and the ice cream... But then again, I am a sucker for anything peanut butter! I savoured every last bite.
Leaving overly satisfied after a wonderful day at J.C. Le Roux, we felt like we truly experienced "Le Good Life". I'm sure we'll visit again soon - after all, life is just a little bit better with some bubbles...
The house of J.C. Le Roux is located in the picturesque Devon Valley near Stellenbosch. For more, go to www.jcleroux.co.za.
