Van Loveren, Christina Cap Classique Brut NV

Description

Van Loveren has been in the Retief family since 1937 when Hennie Retief snr acquired the land in Robertson Valley and named it after Christina van Loveren, an ancestor of his young bride, Jean van Zyl. In those years sweet wines and wine for brandy were made.  In the 1970’s when Nico and Wynand had joined Hennie, the winery was modernised and the first dry wines were made – Colombar and Steen (Chenin blanc), soon followed by noble varieties Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay in the early 1980’s.

A major milestone was reached in 1980, with the launch of the Van Loveren brand – a mere 500 cases of Premier Grand Cru.  From these humble beginnings Van Loveren has grown to become South Africa’s leading family-owned winery.  Wynand and Nico’s dream to make a wine for every palate and occasion has laid the foundation of our winemaking philosophy set in today’s competitive world where innovation and consumer trends guide us to continue to produce quality wines and build strong brands.

From the single vineyard heritage range is the Christina Cap Classique Brut NV.

SOIL
Weathered shale with red stoney outcrops. The top soil is deep, rich in clay and offers excellent growth potential for our vines.

VINEYARD ASPECT
South facing.

HARVEST NOTES
Our Cap Classique (CC) 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 CC, the winemakers require grapes with excellent acidity and crisp fruit flavours that provide the structure to build our traditional method sparkling wine.

The Christina CC 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.

CELLARMASTER NOTES
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 9 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 CC. Our Christina CC 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. The wine is stored in a temperature controlled cellar of between 10-12 degrees Celsius and riddled by hand over a minimum period of 22 months before being released.

TASTING NOTES
A well-balanced Cap Classique (CC) with upfront red apple, freshly baked biscuits, lime and lemon peel. The small refined bubbles in the glass and the crisp acidity offer an elegant and distinguished finish.

ANALYSIS
Alc: 11.16% / R/S: 8.5g/l / T/A: 5.5g/l / pH: 3.2

ACCOLADES
2025 Decanter World Wine Awards, 96 Points
2025 National Wine Challenge, Double Platinum – Top 100
2024 Michelangelo Wine Awards, Gold
2024 Tim Atkin MW South Africa Special Report, 90 Points
2024 Decanter World Wine Awards, Silver
2024 National Wine Challenge, Double Gold
2023 IWSC, 90 Points
2023 National Wine Challenge,
Top 100 & Double Platinum
2022 Tim Atkin MW South Africa Special Report, 90 Points

Additional information

Excellent with seafood like oysters and sushi, as well as fruit-based dishes and fresh strawberries. It can also be enjoyed with rich chicken, creamy pasta, and good shellfish, with some varieties suitable for pairing with crab and lobster.