Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel 2008

Had a retrospective tasting of Kaapse Vonkel with Johan and Francois Malan at Simonsig and lunch in their lovely Cuvee Restaurant, created for them by Neil Stemmet.

Delicious little forkfuls of figs stuffed with Gorgonzola and wrapped in prosciutto  were served as pre lunch appetizers – couldn’t get my mind round the poached oysters in white chocolate, so I left them for others.

We had the Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut Rosé outside under the trees in the warm Autumn sunshine.

Kaapse Vonkel was first made 39 years ago by pioneering wine maker Frans Malan and the first traditional method sparkling wine with a second fermentation in the bottle was made with Chenin Blanc, much the same way that Frans had seen in the Loire on a visit to France with David van Velden of Overgaauw.  The style of this wine is now referred to as Methode Cap Classique.

We tasted some wines which had been disgorged some years ago and some from the same vintages recently disgorged – what different wines they were, just the delayed disgorging making a huge difference in the flavours in the wines.

Kaapse Vonkel of the 2008 – launched recently -  follows in the footsteps of the 2005 which won first and second awards at the 2009 WINE Magazine Amorim Cork Cap Classique Challenge. In 2002, Simonsig scooped the inaugural title with the Kaapse Vonkel 1999.

The grapes which make up the Kaapse Vonkel 2008 are the classic Champagne varietals Pinot Noir (49%), Chardonnay (45%) and Pinot Meunier – a red grape (6%).   Out of interest, Kaapse Vonkel was the first Methode Cap Classique to use all three of the traditional grape varieties used in Champagne when Pinot Meunier was introduced in 1997.

With part of the Chardonnay being matured in French oak to expand the flavours, the Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel 2008 has a bright pale straw colour wth a lazy fine mousse of bubbles rising slowly to the top of the glass.

Whiffs of white flowers and Golden Delicious apples in almond pastry surround the smells of fresh citrus.

The yeastiness is given away by fresh baked brioche on the nose, followed by a full richly flavoured mouthful of appley, citrus fruit and pastry and lemon curd cake.

This is a wine to open without any reason at all – delicious, refreshing and celebratory on its own and great with oysters and smoked salmon and will happily take you through a meal with white meats or fish as main course.

Selling at an excellent R85 from the cellar door, this is excellent value for a quality wine.