The wine displays a pale straw colour with a green tinge vibrancy. Tiny, pearl-string bubbles and fine mousse. Beautiful aromas of lavender honey, lime, crisp apple with freshly baked pastry and toasted almonds on the nose. The palate is dry, with a creamy, full-bodied mouth feel. Fresh apple, pears, confected lemon and a long, rich and lingering after taste.
Can be paired with smoked salmon sandwiches, fennel roasted mountain trout or fresh oysters with a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.
variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winemaker : Matthew Copeland
wine of origin : Paarl
analysis : alc : 11.6 % vol rs : 6.8 g/l pH : 3.3 ta : 8.3 g/l
type : Cap_Classique style : Dry body : Full
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Vondeling Rurale, makes use of Chardonnay grapes from a single block, located on a southwest facing slope on the decomposed granite soils of the Paardeberg Mountain. Unlike Mèthode Cap Classique, the grapes are harvested with a potential alcohol of 12%, which allows greater fruit expression in the wine, without compromising on vibrancy and freshness.
in the cellar : Natural fermentation begins in a stainless-steel tank and when only a small, but critical amount of sugar remains, the fermenting wine is bottled and capped. Bottling must take place at the precise moment when there is enough remaining sugar to create a healthy, vibrant mousse, but not so much as to cause the bottles to explode. This single, continuous fermentation, using fruit which is approximately three weeks riper than the base wine used to make Mèthode Cap Classique, is what makes Mèthode Ancestrale unique. The wine is matured on its lees for 36 months before being disgorged. Autolysis of the yeast cells creates further richness and adds palate weight and creaminess in the wine. After being hand riddled over a one-month period, it is disgorged and topped using Rurale from the previous vintage, as an alternative to liqueur d’expedition. It is therefore unsweetened and unoaked, allowing for a pure expression of each vintage, with a richness of flavour and fruit not common in traditional methods. The name rurale is the original name for what was later recognized by the French A.O.C as Mèthode Ancestrale. We love the implication that this is an uncomplicated, yet pure expression of both the grape and its origins. Rurale is the first Mèthode Ancestrale in SA to be certified by SAWIS and Vondeling was instrumental in drafting its technical description in order for this new category to be recognised. It is a highly labour-intensive way to produce sparkling wine, and for this reason, only 1200 bottles were produced. All grapes are grown and vinified at Vondeling.