We began our
days in Franschhoek with a visit to Colmant, one of Franschhoek’s best Cap
Classique producers
Owner Jean-Philippe Colmant has won many awards for his
sparkling wines
and has renowned winemaker Paul Gerber on board
and Pieter
(Bubbles) Ferreira as a consultant, a winning combination
We haven’t
been here for a few years and really love the way the avenue has grown
and
shows off the wine cellar at the end
They had
finished picking the grapes and were just getting them into the cellar when we
arrived
The tasting room and its terrace on the side
The inside
of the tasting room. We will always take the chance to sit outside in the time
of Covid,
it seems so much safer than indoor. A warm welcome from Cara Viljoen
and the farm dogs
Don’t you
just love the bottle closure of a top hat!. The tasting glasses fit the bill
and show off the Cap Classique to their best. We began with The Sec Reserve Non
Vintage, which has a dosage of 23 g/l, so off dry. It is a wine that is
apparently very popular with the young, who want sweeter wines. We have to
confess it is not our favourite style, we prefer them as dry as they can be
made like the Brut Zero, with no dosage at all. Bready with red berry fruit on
the nose from the 52% Pinot Noir. A fine crisp mousse. Stewed apple from the
48% chardonnay and, beneath, strawberries and raspberries on the palate, some
umami and we found the sweetness very acceptable, at the level of a fresh
raspberry. A wine to serve with good rich paté and desserts
A great view
of the Franschhoek mountains from the farm
They also
have the agency to sell Tribaut French Champagne, of which we are quite fond
The Brut Plaisier
is a drier blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It spends 12 months on the
lees and has an R/s of 7 to 8 g/l
It’s easy going, "good with
breakfast" said Cara
Shy nose, a good prickle on the palate, lots of
red berry fruit and cooked apple on the end
From vineyards in Franschhoek,
Robertson and Elgin
A hadeda on
the edge of the vineyard. They are good at clearing out snails and slugs
We
miss them from our garden at the moment, we think they are all out here working
during harvest!
The Brut
Reserve is their biggest production and is 52% Pinot Noir 48% Chardonnay
6-7 gm/l residual sugar and it spends 36 months on the lees, which shows with its good maturity
A
crowd pleaser and our favourite too of the tasting. Brioche and gardenia
perfume on the nose,
crisp and dry on the attractive palate, a lovely prickly
mousse
Fresh apple, then cooked apple with residual citrus flavours on the
end,
the Chardonnay shines, the Pinot supports in the background. Very
enjoyable; hints of France here
The Blanc de
Blanc (100% Chardonnay as always) has 4 g/l sugar
and spends 48 months on the
lees with some wood contact
Buttery Brioche on the nose, apples in abundance,
Granny Smiths,
crisp and dry with long flavours and a tiny hint of caramel
A very
worthwhile tasting and definitely a place to visit when in Franschhoek
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