Boschendal Grand Cuvée 2016 vintage Cap Classique

Fresh green apple and hints of citrus supported by discreet almond biscotti and brioche typical to classic bottle fermented sparkling wine style. Extended lees contact gives a full and creamy mouthfeel with elegant minerality, good balance and a seamless finish.
Food Matches:
Enjoy chilled at any time of the day with good friends and good quality smoked salmon. Also excellent with a cream cheese and chive breakfast.Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin, South Africa

Grapes:  62% Pinot Noir and 38% Chardonnay

ABV: 12%

Terroir:
Our cool climate sites are hand selected based on the
topographical information for each specific vineyard block. Our
Grand Cuvee is selected from our two most prestigious Elgin
sites, our one block lies at an altitude of 225m and our other
site is at a startling 390m above sea level. The high altitude
from our Elgin sites combined with the less severe fluctuations
between night and day temperatures ensure a cool and slow
ripening of the beautiful bunches - ensuring concentration of
flavour and acid. Shale soils also assist in the development and
encapsulation of the minerality we so deeply appreciate from
our Elgin terroir.
Harvest:
The grapes were harvested early at lower sugar levels to achieve
the bracing freshness required for the making of base wine for a
classic Méthode Cap Classique. Grapes were handpicked in the
cool dawn and placed in small lug boxes to ensure the fruit was
not damaged during transportation to the cellar. Grapes were
then whole-bunch pressed. Only premium cuvée juice was used,
which means that only the first 500 litres per ton were extracted
for this beautiful wine.
Vinification:
The juice was cold settled for 48 hours. The clear juice was
racked from the lees and fermented at 16°C. With fermentation
complete, the tank was filled and left on the primary lees up until
blending. The premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay base wines
were then selected to become part of this harmonious blend. The
final base wine was then stabilised and filtered. The sugar level
of the wine was adjusted by the addition of the liqueur de tirage
- part of the wine blend that contains the yeast - activating the
second fermentation in the bottle and the magic behind the MCC
bubble. This resulted in the very fine mousse that our Méthode
Cap Classique is so well known for. The wine then matured on the
lees for 48 months before being riddled and spent a total of 56
months on lees before being disgorged.