Christiena Trousseau Cap Classique Brut

Enjoy as an aperitif or with fresh oysters, sushi, fresh strawberries or any seafood or fruit-based dishes.

Weathered shale with red stoney outcrops. The top soil is deep, rich in clay and offers excellent growth potential for our vines. Our Methode Cap Classique (MCC) is a combination of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two of the grape varieties used in Champagne. Both the grapes originate from our Buitensorg vineyard and are hand harvested early in the morning and during the beginning of the vintage. For the MCC, the winemakers require grapes with excellent acidity and crisp fruit flavours that provide the structure to build our traditional method sparkling wine.

The wine is stored in a temperature controlled cellar of between 10-12 degrees Celsius and riddled by hand over a minimum period of 24 months before being released.

The Christiena MCC is unique in that the wine undergoes two fermentations. The first fermentation is to create the base blend which is of good acidity and moderate alcohol while the second fermentation is to create the bubbles. Once the grapes are harvested, they are gently crushed in whole bunches at the cellar. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines are vinified separately with the Pinot Noir spending no time on the skins to maintain a clear juice. Both grape varieties undergo cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks to create wines for a base blend. This wine spends 8 months on the primary lees to enhance depth of flavour and mouthfeel. After the first fermentation is complete, the winemakers decide on the best wine to craft the MCC. Our Christiena MCC Brut consists of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay provides the finesse and longevity while Pinot Noir adds body and fruit. The selected wine is then bottled with a mixture of yeast, sugar and wine (this is known as the liqueur de tirage) and from here a second fermentation takes place in the bottle where small fine bubbles are created over time.

Van Loveren has been in the Retief family since 1937 when Hennie Retief snr acquired the land in the Robertson Valley and named it after Christina van Loveren, an ancestor of his new bride, Jean van Zyl. From humble beginnings, Van Loveren has grown to become South Africa's leading family-owned winery, known for their consistency, award-winning wines as well as innovation.