Kaapse Vonkel Simonsig Brut 2023
The first and the best! Awarded numerous times in South Africa and abroad. Composed like a 'real' champagne from approximately equal parts early picked chardonnay supplemented with pinot noir and a little pinot meunier. Matured after the second fermentation in the bottle for a little over a year in the air-conditioned cellar of the house. This contact with the yeast sediment creates a rich aroma with nutty and citrus aromas, biscuit and toasted bread. Creamy mousse, full and at the same time complex taste with pleasant acids. Classic from the New World.
Region: Stellenbosch
Winery: Simonsig
The history of the Malans' winery is considerably more recent. It only begins with Pater familias "Uncle" Frans Malan who in 1953 set up his own wine company with the cautious name 'De Hoop'. Fifteen years later, Frans Malan was one of the first winegrowers to start bottling himself, experimenting continuously with new grape varieties such as Chardonnay and introducing new, hyper-modern cellar techniques. He was also the first to produce Kaapse Vonkel, the South African counterpart of Champagne. Frans Malan rightly emerged as one of the defining pioneers in Stellenbosch before the big breakthrough in the nineties.