Hello and welcome to this week’s dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.
This past week included a number of sparkling wines from here and there. Let’s start with a couple of Cap Classique wines from South Africa. For those unfamiliar with Cap Classique, it is a regulated sparkling wine designation from South Africa, requiring wines to be made in the traditional method, a la Champagne, with the secondary sparkling fermentation taking place in the bottle. The wines must be aged at least 12 months in the bottle before disgorging, and can be made from other grapes (most commonly Chenin Blanc) in addition to the traditional Champagne grapes of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. The wines are classified according to residual sugar levels just as in Champagne (Brut, Extra Brut, Brut Nature, etc).
The two Cap Classique wines I’m recommending this week are excellent examples of the form. The first, a classic Champagne Blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Van Hunks would fit easily in any lineup of extended-tirage Champagnes. Likewise, the 100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs from Genevieve Wines, which only makes sparkling wines, is quite classy and seductive. Both of these wines punch far above their weight in terms of value for money.
Closer to home, I can recommend a nice sparkling blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Hammerling Wines in Berkeley. The fruit comes from the expansive Escolle Vineyard is the estate vineyard of one of California’s best sparkling wine producers, Caraccioli Cellars, and an increasingly impressive source for great fruit destined to become sparkling wine.
I’m reviewing two wines from Haliotide Wines this week, a tiny labor-of-love sparkling wine outfit on the Central Coast started by Nicole Bertotti Pope (formerly of Domaine Carneros) and her husband Lucas Pope. Their Blanc de Blancs has a wonderfully piquant citrus quality, while their rosé has a really lovely balance between citrus and berry qualities that I found extremely appealing.
Lastly, I can recommend a very pretty sparkling Riesling from pioneering producer Dr. Konstantin Frank in New York’s Finger Lakes region. Made in the traditional method just like the rest of the sparkling wines this week, it is a very pleasing expression of lees-aged Riesling, and a steal at $25 or less per bottle.
Moving on from bubbles, let’s dally a little in South Africa, from whence I have three very interesting and exciting wines to recommend.
Let’s start with the “Herbarium” white wine from Maanschijn winery in South Africa’s Walker Bay region. Maanschijn means “moonshine” in Afrikaans, and this self declared low-intervention producer makes some outstanding wines, my favorite of which is this blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, and Chardonnay. It’s just an utterly compelling and complete wine oozing with deliciousness.
Next up, let’s walk a little more on the wild side, with a deep amber, skin-contact Grenache Blanc from Bosman Family Vineyards in Wellington, South Africa. It’s a perfectly delicious and very competent “orange wine” made from what I think is one of the better grapes for skin contact whites. Like the best such wines, it will prove incredibly versatile at the table.
Lastly, I can recommend a very nice South African Pinotage that has been treated more like Pinot Noir than the “old school” Pinotages (Pinotagi?) of South Africa, which are often picked extremely ripe and then aged in heavy doses of dark toasted new oak. Clocking in at a mere 12.5% alcohol and featuring 30% whole-cluster fermentation, this is Pinotage in its bright, crunchy phase, and all the better for it. Scions of Sinai in Stellenbosch does an excellent job with this wine which might just change your mind about South African Pinotage.
That’s all for this week. Notes on all these wines below.
Tasting Notes
NV Van Hunks “Cap Classique Brut” Sparkling wine, Stellenbosch, South Africa Light to medium gold in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells of baked apples, citrus pith, and sea air. In the mouth, a voluminous, silky mousse delivers flavors of salty apple, citrus pith, and a touch of sweet brioche. Clean and bright with a nice freshness. A blend of 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir from a single, organically farmed vineyard. Only free-run juice used. Aged for 8 months in concrete before second ferment, spending 36 months on lees in bottle. 6 g/l RS. 11.85% alcohol. 2500 cases made. Score: between 8.5-9. Cost: $30. click to buy.
2019 Genevieve “Cap Classique Brut Blanc de Blancs” Sparkling Wine, Bot River, South Africa Bright yellow-gold in the glass with very fine bubbles, this wine smells of wet chalkboard, lemon pith, white flowers, and sea air. In the mouth, floral flavors of Asian pear and salty apples mix with lemon blossom and a touch of vanilla. Gorgeous silky mousse. Very classy and super yummy. Comes from two blocks of organic Chardonnay in Bot River. Ages for 8 months in stainless before second ferment, then 48 months on lees in bottle. 12% alcohol. 3.5 g/l dosage. 1835 cases made. Score: around 9. Cost: $35. click to buy.
MV Hammerling “Firefly Map – Escolle Vineyard” Champagne Blend, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey, California Light bronze-gold in the glass with medium-fine bubbles, this wine smells of orange peel and berries. In the mouth, a velvety, voluminous mousse delivers flavors of baked apples, orange pith, and wet chalkboard. A faint bitter orange note lingers in the finish. A blend of 2020 and 2021 vintages, with 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay. 12% alcohol. 200 cases made. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $70.
2019 Haliotide “Blanc de Blancs – Stolo Vineyards” Sparkling Chardonnay, SLO Coast, Central Coast, California Pale gold in the glass with aggressive, moderately fine bubbles, this wine smells of lemon oil, white flowers, unripe apples, and sea air. In the mouth, a sturdy mousse delivers flavors of salty unripe apples, crabapples, lemon peel, and kelp, as zippy acidity makes the cheeks pucker and the mouth water. Lean and bright, with an almost SweetTart sourness that is very charming. Dry-farmed fruit was whole-cluster pressed into neutral oak for fermentation, and then aged sur-lie for 9 months. Disgorged in February of 2024 after 40 months of aging on the lees in bottle. 2 g/l dosage. 11.9% alcohol. 740 bottles made. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $97. click to buy.
2021 Haliotide “Extra Brut – Toptero Vineyard” Rosé of Pinot Noir, SLO Coast, Central Coast, California Pale ruby in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells of raspberries, redcurrant, and citrus peel. In the mouth, tangy and bright raspberry and sour redcurrant flavors are juicy and bright with lemon oil and orange peel. Silky mousse and fantastic acidity. Pinot Noir was foot tread to extract a little color, and only free run juice was used. Fermentation in a mix of stainless steel and neutral barrels, where the wine was also aged for 9 months before secondary fermentation. Disgorged in October of 2024 after 30 months aging on the lees in bottle. 5 g/l dosage. 12% alcohol. 1440 bottles made. Score: around 9. Cost: $90. click to buy.
MV Dr. Konstantin Frank “Célébre Sparkling” Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York Palest gold in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells of Asian pears, linalool, and white flowers. In the mouth, apple and pear flavors mix with white flowers and a faint sweetness. A lovely voluminous mousse resolves to a hint of saline citrus pith brightness in the finish thanks to excellent acidity. Disgorged July 2024. 12% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $25. click to buy.
2022 Maanschijn “Herbarium Cape White” White Blend, Walker Bay, South Africa Pale yellow gold in the glass with a faint haze, this wine smells of lemon pith, grapefruit pith, and white flowers. In the mouth, pomelo flesh, white flowers, and lemon oil mix with wet chalkboard minerality. Deeply saline and fresh. Totally delicious. The winery name means moonshine in Afrikaans. A blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Chenin Blanc, 20% Semillon, and 10% Chardonnay. Fermented separately by variety in a combination of bins and stainless steel, with pumpovers that allow the juice to completely oxidize and ‘go black.’ During aging the color settles back. Aged separately, then blended before a little more aging in neutral barrels. 13.5% alcohol. 485 cases made. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $30. click to buy.
2020 Bosman Family Vineyard “Fides – Skin Contact” Grenache Blanc, Wellington, Western Cape, South Africa Light amber in the glass with pumpkin highlights, this wine smells of melon, papaya, and candied orange peel. In the mouth, a lightly tannic grip gives texture to flavors of apricot, candied orange, and papaya flavors mixed with dried herbs and sarsaparilla. Very good acidity and length. 12% alcohol. Certified sustainable. Score: around 9. Cost: $27. click to buy.
2023 Scions of Sinai “Atlantikas” Pinotage, Helderberg, Stellenbosch, South Africa Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of flowers, red fruit, and a hint of warm tire. In the mouth, crunchy bright acidity makes flavors of red berries, dried herbs, and flowers positively zingy. Fresh, juicy, and bright with muscular tannins. Dry-farmed bush vines planted in 1976 and 1999, farmed regeneratively. 30% destemmed, 30% whole cluster, 40% direct press. Ambient yeast fermentation using submerged cap technique in stainless steel. Also aged in stainless. 12.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $20. click to buy.
