Le Lude Cap Classique

Nestled in the mountains, situated only a few minutes from the centre of Franschoek, at the end of a recently planted alleyway of trees and vineyards lies the Le Lude cellar. A family winery, founded in 2009 by the much celebrated Nic and Ferda Barrow, Le Lude was created with the aim of producing the finest Cap Classique wines.

The long driveway to the entrance gives a sense of grandiose, which is married by the imposing glass arches and opulent marble floors that create the entrance to the cellar. The owners live on the farm, and there will also be a guest house and restaurant that will aim to open around September this year. There is a small orchard in the back, cared for by Ferda that will supply the kitchen with fresh ingredients.

There are building works going on at the farm and there is still a lot of work to do before completion, but the ambition and meticulous attention to detail is already clear to see.

After a quick walk around the farm, I was joined by Paul Gerber, winemaker at Le Lude for a tour of the cellar and a tasting of the wines. Once a Mathematics teacher, Paul now spends a significant amount of time in Champagne, taking tips and learning from the very best in sparkling wine production. His enthusiasm and respect for tradition is infectious and he seems to have found a happy equilibrium with the owners, who are prepared to invest in the strive for quality and heritage over immediate financial returns.

Paul explained how in 2009, when the farm was bought, it was little more than an overgrown plum orchard. Since then, the 3 major Champagne varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) have been planted. These grapes have not been used in any of the wines so far, with Paul choosing his grapes from specially selected plots all over the Western Cape. The first harvest was in 2012, and all the grapes are hand picked and placed in shallow baskets to prevent the grapes from becoming bruised. The wine is then left to mature for 3 years, which will be a minimum for the Le Lude range. I'll explain a bit more about Le Lude's unique methods of maturation a bit later on.

I asked Paul what he looks for when choosing the grapes, and he told me that acidity levels are key. Finding grapes with the right backbone of acidity is essential, alongside good levels of ripeness. He said that "once you have your acidity, you can use blending to build your elegance".

We moved into the cellar, where the barrels were being cleaned, and the theme of attention to detail is clear once again- this is a cellar custom made for sparkling wine production, with no expense spared. The barrels come from a single supplier in Champagne, and all the bottles, branded with the Le Lude logo, are imported from Italy. The real star of the show however, is the specially designed underground cellar, where the bottles, shrouded in dust as if they've been there for centuries, lie in perfect, cool conditions to mature before release.

We went downstairs, greeted by a generous platter of bread, meat and cheese to taste through the blending components of the wines.

The first wines we tasted were a comparison of Chardonnay base wines, one from Robertson and one from Bonnievale. This was fascinating to see, as the benefits of blending became immediately obvious. The Robertson wine had an intense, fresh acidity, whereas the wine from Bonnievale had a much rounder, creamier texture and flavour. When blended together, these two wines would compliment each other well. Next we tried a Pinot Noir from Robertson, which had a lovely texture and a slightly lower acidity than the two Chardonnays, displaying strawberries and cream and subtle cherry fruits on the palate.

The reserve wines from 2012 and 2013 were up next. Paul explained that in 2012, all the barrels used were brand new and this was extremely obvious in the wine. The wood was very powerful, with rich, toasty notes dominating the flavour profile, becoming slightly less prominent in the 2013 reserve. Both of these wines will be used as blending components.

Paul is experimenting with 'Agrafe' maturation in the wines, and Le Lude is the first and currently the only winery in South Africa to do this. The majority of Cap Classique/Champagne wines are matured under crown cap (the caps you see on beer bottles) before being disgorged and then sealed with cork. Agrafe, however, is where the wine is matured under a cork that is stapled in (see picture below), an old and expensive tradition used in Champagne.

We tried the 2012 Brut aged under crown cap against the 2012 Brut aged under cork, and the results were remarkable.  The crown cap showed bright citrus fruit and a good acidity, with a focused palate and a linear, taut finish. The cork was markedly different, with layers and layers of flavour, there was definitely more complexity here and it was fascinating to see.

Of course, this difference may have been more noticeable as I was told which was which beforehand. Paul decided to put my palate to the test and try the 2012 Rosé, crown and cork, blind. This put me on the spot, but I'm pleased to say the difference was so noticeable once again that it was easy enough to spot. The crown cap seal was fresh and bright, with concentrated strawberry and cherry flavours, whereas the cork seal had developed a more complex palate with blackcurrant fruits and aniseed providing a depth of flavour to the bright, juicy red fruits.

Both the Rosé and the Brut are planned for release in October 2015 and will go on sale at around R175 per bottle. The wines certainly aren't cheap, but they're not overtly expensive either, and I consider them to be a real bargain when you consider the quality levels that these wines are reaching.

The final wine we tasted was the Prestige Cuveé (not yet named). It is planned for release in 2017, when it would have had 5 years maturation in the cellar. It is a blend of the best tanks and will be Le Lude's flagship wine. There was a slight nuttiness on the nose, with gentle marzipan notes adding a depth to the blossom and whiteflower aromas. On the palate there was a bracing acidity, which autolysis will soften over time. The flavours had a real density, with lemon rind and almond washing over the tongue in waves. Rather than picking out individual components though, the wine shone as an experience. It was beautifully finessed, and though it was very acidic it was ready to drink now. With another 2 years in bottle it should develop a stunning flavour profile and complexity, becoming a brilliant, balanced wine that becomes the shining light in South Africa's sparkling wine scene; the very best in Cap Classique.

http://www.lelude.co.za/

@bobbyfishel